National Firearms Act wait times have fallen sharply from their historical highs. As of early 2026, the ATF reports average processing of roughly 10 days for individual Form 4 eForms submissions and about 36 days for Form 1 eForms.1Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times Just a few years ago, six months to a year was normal for a Form 4. The numbers below come from ATF’s own monthly reporting, and they shift with application volume, staffing, and how complicated any given file turns out to be.
Current Averages by Form
ATF updates its processing time page monthly. The figures here reflect early 2026 data.1Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times
Form 4 (Transfers to Individuals and Trusts)
Form 4 is what most buyers deal with. When you buy a silencer or short-barreled rifle from a dealer, the dealer files a Form 4 to transfer ownership, and you can’t take the item home until ATF approves it.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5812 – Transfers Current averages:
- Individual eForms: about 10 days
- Individual paper: about 21 days
- Trust eForms: about 26 days
- Trust paper: about 24 days
Form 1 (Making an NFA Firearm)
Form 1 applies when you’re building or modifying a firearm into an NFA-regulated configuration yourself, such as assembling a silencer from a kit or turning a pistol into a short-barreled rifle. ATF has to approve it before you start.
- eForms: about 36 days
- Paper: about 20 days
Right now, Form 1 paper is running faster than eForms, which reverses the usual pattern. ATF notes that these averages fluctuate month to month.
Forms 3 and 5
Form 3 covers dealer-to-dealer transfers and Form 5 covers tax-exempt transfers like inheritances. Neither is something most buyers file themselves, but a slow Form 3 can extend your total wait if your dealer has to receive the item from another dealer before starting your Form 4.
- Form 3 eForms: 1 day
- Form 3 paper: 7 days
- Form 5 eForms: 3 days
- Form 5 paper: 6 days
If you’re inheriting an NFA firearm, Form 5 is the one that applies, and it’s currently clearing in about a week.1Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times
Why Individual Filings Clear Faster Than Trusts
Individual applications require one set of fingerprints, one photograph, and one background check. That’s why individual Form 4 eForms are averaging around 10 days: there’s less for the agency to verify. Federal law requires every individual applicant to submit fingerprints and a photograph with the transfer application.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5812 – Transfers The tradeoff is that only you can legally possess the item.
A trust lets multiple people possess and use items registered to the trust, but every “responsible person” (trustees, grantors, anyone with authority to direct the trust’s management of its firearms) has to complete ATF Form 5320.23, submit fingerprints and photographs, and notify their local chief law enforcement officer.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act (NFA) Responsible Person Questionnaire – ATF Form 5320.23 ATF can’t finalize the application until every one of those background checks clears. Three trustees means three checks that all have to come back clean. That’s why trust filings are currently running roughly two to three times longer than individual ones.
eForms vs. Paper
ATF’s eForms system lets applications flow directly into its database instead of being mailed, sorted, and keyed in by hand.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. eForms Applications For a Form 4, the dealer initiates the eForms submission on your behalf; you complete your portion (photograph, fingerprints) through the dealer’s process. eForms also catch some errors before submission, which reduces returned applications.
The speed advantage isn’t absolute, though. As the current Form 1 numbers show, paper occasionally beats electronic. The gap between the two has narrowed considerably as ATF has worked through its historical backlog.
What Can Stall Your Application
Every NFA application runs through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. ATF handles the regulatory review, but the FBI runs the criminal history search, and if you fall into any federally prohibited category ATF must deny the application.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
Most checks clear quickly. A “delayed” response is what turns a two-week wait into something much longer. When NICS returns a delay, ATF cannot approve the application until the FBI resolves the hold. You’ll get a letter explaining the delayed/open status and pointing you to the FBI’s Voluntary Appeal File process.6Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF and FBI Formalize Appeals Process for Certain National Firearms Act Applicants This inter-agency handoff is the single biggest source of unpredictable wait times. Two people who file on the same day can have very different experiences based on what the FBI finds, or thinks it finds, in their records.
Filing errors are the other common source of delay. Wrong serial numbers, mismatched trust names, or an incomplete Responsible Person Questionnaire can send an application back. Minor corrections sometimes clear quickly, especially if the error was ATF’s, but a full resubmission with a new control number can restart your wait. Verify serial numbers, make sure the trust name matches exactly across every document, and confirm each responsible person’s questionnaire is complete before the dealer submits.
Expedited Processing for Military PCS
Active-duty military members with Permanent Change of Station orders can ask ATF to expedite a pending NFA application. Temporary duty orders, deployment orders, and command letters generally don’t qualify; ATF limits this to actual PCS moves. Requests go to the NFA Division at IPB@atf.gov.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act Division Include a PDF of your PCS orders and a signed letter with the item’s serial number, the form type, the transferor’s name, and your contact information. Wait until your payment has cleared before submitting the request. Law enforcement officers can also request expedites for duty weapons with a signed letter from a commanding officer explaining the operational need.
Checking on a Pending Application
You can call the NFA Division at (304) 616-4500 to check status.8Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Licensing and Other Services Have the firearm’s serial number and the applicant or trust name ready. The representative will tell you one of the following:
- Pending: in the queue or awaiting the background check
- Approved: stamp has been issued (eForms notifications go to the dealer electronically; paper approvals are mailed)
- Delayed: the FBI check hit a snag, and you may need to use the Voluntary Appeal File
- Error or returned: a discrepancy in the paperwork needs to be fixed and resubmitted
A Note on Cost
Wait times aren’t the only thing that has changed. Public Law 119-21, signed July 4, 2025, dropped the federal transfer and making tax to $0 for silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and “any other weapons.” The $200 rate now applies only to machineguns and destructive devices.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5811 – Transfer Tax10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5821 – Making Tax The paperwork, background check, and approval process are unchanged. Only the price moved.