Suppressor Registration Information

Registration Methods

One of the most important parts of purchasing an NFA item is choosing the registration type that works best for you. The two registration methods you will commonly see are Individual registration, and Trust registration. Each registration method may offer advantages to you in terms of ownership and general flexibility with your NFA item.

It is important to note that there is no wrong answer for your registration method, however changing registration methods after you already own an NFA item can be tricky, time consuming, and costly. If this is your first NFA purchase, please read this entire page so you can make a well-informed choice.

Individual Registration

Individual registration is the easiest, least expensive, and (currently) fastest way to own an NFA item. When you file as an Individual, there are no additional costs related to your purchase. You are required to submit fingerprints and photos for yourself, as you are the person who legally owns the item. Access to your NFA item by others is significantly restricted. Legally you are the only person who can transport and possess the item. When not in use, you are supposed to store your item in a way that only you can access it. This can be tricky, as storing a silencer in a safe accessible by others will not suffice.

It is also a bit of an industry myth that the ATF will confiscate items under Individual filings if the owner were to pass away, which is not the case. NFA items can be posthumously transferred to a descendent, however they will need to submit fingerprints, a photograph, and a completed ATF Form 5 for a tax-exempt transfer.

Trust Registration

Registering as a Trust is by far the most flexible method of ownership, but it does have some downsides. Trust registration is typically more complex, costs additional money to setup, and takes longer for the ATF to approve. In simple terms, a Trust is a legal entity created specifically with the sole purpose of owning NFA items. Items on the Trust are accessible by trustees, which can be added or removed at any time.

There are two main types of Trusts used when purchasing NFA items, those being the Traditional NFA Trust, and the Single Shot Trust. Each trust has some advantages and disadvantages, however both offer significantly increased flexibility over an Individual registration, as you can add or remove trustees at will in order to grant or remove access to your items. It is also significantly easier to transfer items to your descendants after you pass away. As long as the descendants are trustees, they can immediately take possession of your NFA items without additional ATF paperwork.

Traditional Trust

The Traditional NFA Trust is used when you would like to have one legal entity own all your NFA items. The Traditional NFA Trust has no limit to the number of firearms it can hold, or a limit to the number of trustees that can be added to it. Depending on where you shop online, you can purchase an NFA Trust for anywhere between $60 and $130. We recommend taking a look at National Gun Trusts and Silencer Shop, as they both offer Traditional Trusts for a reasonable price. You are able to use a 3^rd party trust and still use Silencer Shop’s software to process your transfer.

The undesirable part of a Traditional NFA Trust is the increased paperwork processing time you may experience if you attempt to purchase an NFA item with multiple trustees listed. When submitting a Form 4 using a Trust, you are required to submit fingerprints, a photo, as well as a completed Responible Person Questionnaire, for each trustee listed on the Trust. The ATF/FBI will process a background check for every trustee, which can extend your wait time.

Single Shot Trust

While the Traditional Trust can hold an infinite number of NFA items, the Single Shot Trust holds only one. This Trust is created at the time of your purchase, and is specific to the item you are purchasing. As the purchaser of the item, you are the only person listed on the Trust as a trustee, meaning you are required to submit fingerprints and a photo of yourself only. Additional trustees can be added to the trust after your Form 4 is approved.

When you add a trustee to a Traditional Trust, you are granting them access to all items owned by the trust. Since the Single Shot Trust is specific to one item, adding a trustee to a Single Shot Trust only grants them access to one specific item, allowing for finer control of your collection.

The Single Shot Trust is best described as a hybrid between Individual and Traditional Trust registration. With Individual registration, you are only submitting your own fingerprints and photograph, but you are restricted in who can access your item after the purchase. With the Traditional Trust, you can potentially submit several sets of fingerprints and photos to encompass each trustee, however you have significantly more flexibility in who can access your items. The Single Shot Trust allows you to have the simplicity of an Individual registration, with the flexibility of a Traditional Trust registration. The Single Shot Trust is available through Silencer Shop for $24.95 per trust, or $130 for a lifetime subscription to this service.