The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced a change in enforcement affecting silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and “Any Other Weapons” covered by the National Firearms Act (NFA). The agency says it will suspend enforcement of the act’s registration and advance-approval requirements for those items after Congress set the relevant manufacturing and transfer taxes at zero.
ATF Director Robert Cekada said in a letter to federally licensed firearms dealers that the change follows a federal court decision concerning the NFA’s manufacturing and transfer provisions. A federal judge in Texas issued an injunction in August, reasoning that the requirements could not be supported by Congress’s taxing authority after the taxes were eliminated. The ruling initially covered only the plaintiffs; the Justice Department later extended its nonenforcement policy nationwide, according to the source material.
The suspension does not remove all federal requirements. Transactions remain subject to the Gun Control Act, including dealer background checks and recordkeeping. Machine guns and destructive devices remain subject to NFA requirements. Federal approval is also still required to transport short-barreled rifles and shotguns across state lines.
ATF said owners may still register affected items voluntarily. The agency also noted that changes in the legal situation could lead to earlier rules being reinstated, without automatic grandfathering protection.
NRA Executive Director John Commerford welcomed the announcement. His comments reflect the organization’s position on the policy; the stated changes concern federal enforcement and do not, by themselves, resolve every legal question about the NFA or firearm regulation.
