To get a suppressor legally, you buy one from a dealer licensed to handle National Firearms Act items, file ATF Form 4 with a $200 tax payment, submit fingerprints and a photograph for a background check, and wait for the ATF to approve the transfer before you can take the device home. The suppressor stays locked in the dealer’s inventory the entire time your paperwork is pending. Electronic filings for individual buyers are currently averaging around 10 days.
Are You Eligible to Buy One
Suppressors are regulated under the National Firearms Act of 1934, the same statute that covers machine guns and short-barreled rifles.1Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act To buy one from a licensed dealer you must be at least 21, a resident of the United States, and legally eligible to possess a firearm under federal law.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
The common disqualifiers are:
- A felony conviction, meaning any crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment
- A misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence or an active restraining order against an intimate partner
- Being an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance
- Having been found mentally defective by a court or committed to a mental institution
- A dishonorable discharge from the military
- Being unlawfully in the United States or, with limited exceptions, present on a nonimmigrant visa
If any of these apply, the ATF will deny the application. There is no federal waiver.
Where Suppressors Are Legal
Civilians can own suppressors in 42 states. Eight states ban them outright: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. The District of Columbia also prohibits civilian possession. If you live in one of those places, the federal process is beside the point because state law forbids you from possessing the device.
Rules on hunting with a suppressor also differ by state among the 42 that allow ownership. Most permit it; a few restrict or prohibit it. Check your state fish and game regulations before taking one into the field.
Decide How the Suppressor Will Be Registered
When you apply, you register the suppressor either to yourself as an individual, to a gun trust, or to a legal entity such as a corporation. Most buyers pick one of the first two.
Individual Registration
This is the simplest route. You submit one set of paperwork with your own fingerprints and photograph, and the suppressor is registered to you personally. Only you can lawfully possess it. If your spouse takes it to the range without you, that is technically an unauthorized transfer under federal law.
Gun Trust
A gun trust names one or more trustees, and every named trustee can lawfully possess and use the suppressor without you being present. Trusts also pass to successor trustees when the original owner dies, which sidesteps probate. The tradeoff is paperwork: every “responsible person” on the trust must submit fingerprints, a photograph, and pass a background check individually.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Background Checks for Responsible Persons (Final Rule 41F) Each responsible person also files ATF Form 5320.23 and sends a copy to their local chief law enforcement officer.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. NFA Responsible Person Questionnaire (ATF Form 5320.23)
An attorney-drafted gun trust generally runs $60 to $200, and online template services charge less. If you expect to buy more NFA items over time or want household members to share access, the trust usually pays for itself.
The Application, Step by Step
Find a Licensed Dealer
You cannot buy a suppressor the way you buy a regular firearm. The dealer must hold both a Federal Firearms License and a Special Occupational Taxpayer registration, usually written as FFL/SOT. Most dedicated suppressor retailers and many larger gun shops carry both. Once you pay, the suppressor either ships to the dealer or comes from their existing inventory, and it stays in their possession until the ATF approves your paperwork.
Fill Out ATF Form 4
The core document is ATF Form 4, “Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of Firearm.”5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of Firearm – ATF Form 4 (5320.4) Your dealer will walk you through it. The form captures your identifying information, the details of the suppressor, and the dealer’s information. You can submit electronically (eForm 4) or on paper. Electronic is far faster.
Pay the $200 Tax
The $200 transfer tax is due with the application and is non-refundable. On eForm 4 you pay by credit or debit card. On paper submissions the ATF accepts checks or money orders. When the transfer is approved, the ATF affixes a tax stamp to your form. That stamped form is your proof of legal registration.5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of Firearm – ATF Form 4 (5320.4) The $200 figure has not changed since 1934.
Submit Fingerprints, Photograph, and CLEO Notification
Federal law requires every individual applicant to provide fingerprints and a passport-style photograph with the application.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5812 – Transfers In practice that means two completed FBI FD-258 fingerprint cards and a 2×2-inch frontal photo. Local law enforcement offices, many UPS stores, and some dealers offer fingerprinting.
You also send a copy of your application to the chief law enforcement officer in your area. The CLEO does not approve or deny the application. It is a notification requirement under ATF Rule 41F, and skipping it will stall your approval.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Background Checks for Responsible Persons (Final Rule 41F)
How Long the Wait Is
Once the ATF has your application, it runs a background check through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF and FBI Formalize Appeals Process for Certain National Firearms Act Applicants Your suppressor stays with the dealer the whole time.
As of early 2026, the ATF reports the following median processing times:8Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times
- Individual eForm 4: about 10 days
- Trust eForm 4: about 26 days
- Individual paper Form 4: about 21 days
- Trust paper Form 4: about 24 days
These numbers fluctuate. A year ago, individual eForm 4 approvals were coming back in as little as one to four days. Application surges push them up. Treat the figures as a snapshot. Electronic filing is dramatically faster than paper, and there is no reason to submit on paper unless you have to.
Picking Up the Suppressor
When the ATF approves your Form 4, it notifies your dealer and returns the stamped form. You go to the dealer, complete ATF Form 4473 (the standard firearms transaction record used for all gun sales), and take the suppressor home.9Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF Form 4473 – Firearms Transaction Record Revisions
Keep the approved Form 4 with the tax stamp in a safe place. It is your proof of legal registration. Many owners keep the original in a fireproof safe and carry a photocopy or a digital scan when transporting the suppressor. If law enforcement asks, the stamped Form 4 is what proves you own the device legally.
What It Actually Costs
The $200 tax stamp is only one line on the invoice. A realistic budget looks like this:
- The suppressor: $350 to $600 for a basic rimfire or pistol model, $600 to $1,000 for a mid-range rifle suppressor, $1,000 to $2,000 or more for premium large-bore or specialty models
- Federal tax stamp: $200, non-refundable
- Dealer transfer fee for handling NFA paperwork: commonly $50 to $200
- Gun trust, if you choose to use one: $60 to $200 with an attorney, less with an online template
A first-time buyer picking up a mid-range suppressor should expect to spend roughly $900 to $1,400 out the door. The suppressor itself lasts indefinitely with basic maintenance, and the tax is a one-time cost per device.
Who Can Handle the Suppressor After You Own It
Only the registered owner can lawfully possess the suppressor. If it is held in a trust, every named trustee can. Federal law treats possession by anyone else as a potential illegal transfer, carrying the same penalties as owning an unregistered suppressor.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5861 – Prohibited Acts Under the doctrine of “constructive possession,” no one has to be caught holding the device. Unsupervised access, such as an unlocked closet a roommate can open, can be enough to create a legal problem.
Store the suppressor in a locked safe or container that only you or your co-trustees can open. If you share a household with anyone who is not on your trust, tight access control matters. This is one of the strongest practical arguments for choosing a trust in the first place.
Penalties for Getting It Wrong
Possessing an unregistered suppressor, transferring one without ATF approval, or making one without an approved application are all federal felonies. A conviction carries up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, and the device is subject to seizure and forfeiture.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5871 – Penalties A felony conviction also permanently strips you of the right to possess any firearm.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
The same penalties apply to someone who buys a solvent trap or oil filter adapter and converts it into a working suppressor without filing the required application. The ATF treats any device that reduces the report of a firearm as a suppressor, regardless of how it was marketed. “I didn’t know it counted” is not a defense that holds up in federal court.