You no longer pay for a tax stamp for a .22 suppressor, but you still have to go through the full registration process to get one. The $200 National Firearms Act transfer tax dropped to $0 on January 1, 2026. Every other requirement — ATF Form 4, fingerprints, a photograph, a background check, notification to your local chief law enforcement officer, and ATF approval before you take possession — is unchanged.
Caliber Does Not Change the Rules
Under 26 USC 5845, the NFA defines “firearm” to include “any silencer.”1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5845 – Definitions The statute says nothing about caliber, barrel length, or intended use. A suppressor built for a .22 rimfire pistol gets the same legal treatment as one designed for a .308 rifle or a 9mm handgun. If it reduces the sound of a firearm’s discharge, it is an NFA item and must be registered with the ATF.
The NFA passed in 1934 and originally imposed a $200 tax on the manufacture and transfer of regulated items, including “firearm mufflers and silencers.”2Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act That figure held for more than 90 years.
What Changed on January 1, 2026
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Pub. L. 119-21), signed on July 4, 2025, amended 26 USC 5811. For any NFA firearm other than a machine gun or destructive device, the transfer tax is now $0.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5811 – Transfer Tax That covers suppressors of every caliber, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and “any other weapons.” The change took effect January 1, 2026.
Zeroing out the tax did not remove suppressors from NFA regulation. The tax and the registration requirement were always separate obligations, and Congress touched only the money. The registration process still runs exactly as it did before.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5845 – Definitions
What You Still Have to Do to Buy One
ATF Form 4 is the transfer and registration form for buying any NFA item from a licensed dealer.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act Handbook – Chapter 9 Your dealer handles most of the paperwork, filling in the suppressor’s manufacturer, model, and serial number and usually submitting through the ATF eForms portal. You provide the personal information and the supporting documents.
Along with the Form 4, the application requires a recent 2×2-inch passport-style photograph and fingerprints on FBI Form FD-258 cards.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act Handbook – Chapter 9 Many dealers now capture prints digitally and upload them through the eForms system. The eForms portal validates entries in real time and accepts digital signatures.5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Video Tutorial – eForm 4 Paper filing by mail is still an option but runs slower.6Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. eForms Applications
You must also send a copy of the Form 4 to your local chief law enforcement officer, typically the chief of police or county sheriff. This is notification only. The CLEO does not approve or deny your application. The ATF makes that decision independently, and the CLEO cannot block your transfer.
The suppressor stays at the dealer’s location until the ATF approves the Form 4. Paying in full does not let you take it home early. Form 4 must be approved before the transfer takes place.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act Handbook – Chapter 9
Who Can Legally Buy a Suppressor
Federal law bars certain people from possessing any firearm, including suppressors. Under 18 USC 922(g), you cannot legally receive or possess a suppressor if you:7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
- Have been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison
- Are a fugitive from justice
- Use or are addicted to a controlled substance
- Have been adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution
- Are in the country unlawfully
- Were dishonorably discharged from the military
- Have renounced U.S. citizenship
- Are subject to certain domestic restraining orders
- Have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence
Anyone under indictment for a crime punishable by more than a year in prison is also prohibited from receiving firearms or ammunition.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons You must also be at least 21 years old to purchase a suppressor from a licensed dealer. Under 18 USC 922(b), dealers cannot sell a firearm other than a rifle or shotgun to anyone under 21, and a suppressor falls into that category.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
How Long Approval Takes
Current median approval times for eForm 4 submissions run roughly 10 days for individual applications and 26 days for trust applications. Paper submissions take about three weeks regardless of filing type.9Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times Volume can push those numbers up, but the multi-month waits of a few years back are largely gone for routine applications. Once approved, the stamped Form 4 goes to your dealer, and the suppressor is yours to pick up.
States Where a .22 Suppressor Is Still Illegal
Federal approval does not override state law, and no amount of federal paperwork legalizes ownership where a state prohibits it. Civilian suppressor ownership is legal in 42 states. The following states ban it outright:
- California
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
- Rhode Island
The District of Columbia also bans civilian suppressor possession. In states that allow ownership, most also allow using suppressors for hunting, though a few permit possession while restricting hunting use. Some cities and counties add their own restrictions on top of state law, so verifying local ordinances before you start the Form 4 process is worth the time.