The suppressor tax stamp now costs $0. The federal transfer tax under the National Firearms Act was reduced from $200 to zero for suppressors, so you no longer pay anything to the federal government for the transfer itself.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S.C. 5811 – Transfer Tax What hasn’t changed: you still have to file ATF Form 4, submit fingerprints and a photo, pass a background check, and wait for ATF approval before you can take the suppressor home. The paperwork is the same. Only the tax line is different.
What the Tax Stamp Actually Is
The phrase “tax stamp” comes from the physical stamp the ATF once affixed to an approved Form 4 as proof the transfer tax had been paid. That stamp is the registration document tying a specific suppressor to a specific owner in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, the federal database maintained by the ATF.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S.C. 5841 – Registration of Firearms The stamp is not optional at $0 any more than it was at $200. Possessing an unregistered suppressor is a federal felony.
The statute still imposes the $200 transfer tax on machine guns and destructive devices. Suppressors and the other NFA firearms in that grouping now transfer at the $0 rate.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S.C. 5811 – Transfer Tax You’ll still see dealers, forums, and older articles refer to “the $200 stamp” out of habit. The registration process it describes is still accurate; the price tag is not.
What You’ll Actually Pay
The federal transfer tax is zero, but the suppressor itself is not free, and a few smaller costs surround the purchase. You pay the dealer for the suppressor. Some dealers charge a transfer or processing fee for handling the Form 4 paperwork on your behalf. If you register the suppressor through a gun trust, you’ll typically pay an attorney or a trust service to draft it. Fingerprint cards or a digital fingerprint file cost a few dollars if you don’t already have them. None of these are federal taxes, and none are required by statute, but they’re the real out-of-pocket numbers between deciding to buy and walking out with an approved suppressor.
How to Buy a Suppressor Step by Step
Find a Dealer With the Right License
You buy through a dealer who holds both a Federal Firearms License and a Special Occupational Tax designation, sometimes shorthanded as a “Class 3 dealer.” The dealer holds the suppressor in inventory while your application is pending. Online retailers are common; they ship the suppressor to a local FFL/SOT dealer, who handles the transfer at your end.
File ATF Form 4
Form 4 is the Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of a Firearm.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. eForms Applications You can file it electronically through the ATF eForms system or on paper. The electronic version is faster and has built-in validation that catches common mistakes. The form asks for your personal information, a passport-style photograph, and fingerprints. Fingerprints can be submitted as traditional FD-258 ink cards or as a digital .EFT file, which you can reuse on future applications.
To buy from a dealer, you must be at least 21, a U.S. resident, and legally eligible to possess firearms. A copy of the application is sent to the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in your area. This is notification only. The CLEO cannot approve or deny your application.
Wait for Approval
The ATF runs a background check and reviews the application. Current median processing times run about 10 days for individual eForm 4 applicants and about 26 days for trust applicants.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times Paper filings take longer. These numbers move month to month, and the ATF publishes updated figures.
Pick Up the Suppressor
Once approved, the completed Form 4 goes back to the dealer. You visit the dealer, complete a Form 4473 (the standard firearms background check form), and take the suppressor home. Each suppressor needs its own Form 4 and its own registration. Two suppressors means two applications.
Registering as an Individual or Through a Trust
Form 4 asks whether the suppressor will be registered to you as an individual, to a gun trust, or to a corporation. The choice affects who can legally use the suppressor and how the paperwork moves.
Individual registration is the simplest. Processing is faster because only one person’s background check is involved. The tradeoff is that only you can possess or use the suppressor. A friend or family member can shoot with it only if you’re physically present.
A trust lets multiple trustees possess and use the suppressor independently, without the original buyer being there. That is the main reason people go this route. The cost is that every trustee, and any other “responsible person” named in the trust, has to submit fingerprints, a photo, and pass a background check with each new Form 4 application.5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Background Checks for Responsible Persons (Final Rule 41F) More responsible persons on the trust means more time in the queue. Trusts also keep the suppressor inside the trust structure if the owner dies, rather than routing it through probate.
Corporate registration works much like a trust. Listed officers can possess the suppressor, and each undergoes the same background check and fingerprint requirements.
Keep the Approved Form 4 With You
Federal law requires you to retain proof of registration and produce it on request from the ATF.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S.C. 5841 – Registration of Firearms The statute doesn’t require you to carry the paperwork at all times, but the practical move is to keep a copy of the approved Form 4 with the suppressor whenever you take it out. Store the original somewhere safe and carry a photocopy or a digital image. The registration itself does not expire. There are no renewal fees, no periodic filings. Once approved, it stays valid for as long as you own the suppressor.
State Laws Still Apply
The $0 tax stamp is federal. It doesn’t override state law. Suppressors are legal to own in 42 states and prohibited in the other eight. Some states that allow ownership add restrictions beyond federal law, and hunting with a suppressor is legal in 41 of the states that permit ownership. Check the rules where you live before you buy, and don’t move a registered suppressor into a state that bans them.
Penalties for Skipping the Process
A free tax stamp is not an invitation to skip the paperwork. Possessing an unregistered suppressor, transferring one outside the Form 4 process, tampering with a serial number, or moving an unregistered NFA firearm across state lines are all federal crimes under 26 U.S.C. 5861.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S.C. 5861 – Prohibited Acts Conviction can bring a fine of up to $10,000, up to ten years in federal prison, or both.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S.C. 5871 – Penalties There is no grace period and no way to register a suppressor you already possess after the fact. If you find or inherit one without paperwork, talk to the ATF or a firearms attorney before you touch it further.