An NFA item is a firearm that falls under the National Firearms Act. The law lists six kinds: short-barreled shotguns, short-barreled rifles, “any other weapons” (AOWs), machine guns, silencers (suppressors) and destructive devices. Most of the guns people buy at a counter are not on that list. A suppressor is.
This post walks through the list in plain words, why these items get their own rules, and what changed in 2026. It is general information, not legal advice, and it is current as of November 2026.
The six kinds of NFA item
The list comes from 26 U.S.C. 5845(a). In the law’s own terms, the word “firearm” here means:
- A shotgun with a barrel under 18 inches long, or a weapon made from a shotgun that ends up under 26 inches overall or with a barrel under 18 inches.
- A rifle with a barrel under 16 inches long, or a weapon made from a rifle that ends up under 26 inches overall or with a barrel under 16 inches.
- An “any other weapon.” That is a concealable weapon, other than a regular pistol or revolver, that can fire a shot. The law also names a few odd cases, like a smooth bore pistol made to fire shotgun shells.
- A machine gun.
- A silencer.
- A destructive device. That covers things like bombs, grenades and rockets, and also weapons with a bore of more than one half inch, with some exceptions.
The same section leaves out antiques and certain collector’s items. An ordinary rifle with a barrel of 16 inches or more is not on the list, and neither is an ordinary pistol or revolver.
What counts as a silencer
For many buyers, the NFA item that matters is a suppressor. The law uses the word “silencer,” and 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(25) defines it as any device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm.
That definition goes further than the finished can. It also covers any combination of parts designed or intended for assembling a silencer, and any part intended only for use in making one. So the law treats a part that only makes sense inside a suppressor as the item itself.
If you are curious how a suppressor is built and what it does, our post on whether a suppressor is worth it covers cost, wait and Georgia law.
Why NFA items get their own rules
The National Firearms Act has long rested on Congress’s power to tax. The rule in 26 U.S.C. 5812 says an NFA firearm shall not be transferred until the transferor files an application with the government. For an individual buyer, the application includes fingerprints and a photograph. That is why a suppressor purchase has a form, a wait and a registry, and a rifle purchase does not.
The tax itself has changed. Under 26 U.S.C. 5811, the transfer tax is $200 for a machine gun or a destructive device and $0 for every other NFA item. Congress made that change in a law signed on July 4, 2025. It applies to calendar quarters that begin more than 90 days after that date, which means it started on January 1, 2026. The making tax in 26 U.S.C. 5821 was cut the same way.
So the federal tax is now $0 on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and AOWs.
What changed on October 9, 2026
A federal court ruled in August 2026 that the NFA’s registration and transfer rules could no longer rest on the government’s taxing power for the items whose tax is now $0. ATF then announced that it will stop enforcing those parts of the law for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, silencers and AOWs, starting October 9, 2026. You can read the agency’s own wording on its Update to NFA Transfer Guidance page.
Three limits matter for anyone who sees a headline and assumes the rules are gone:
- Machine guns and destructive devices are not part of the change. They stay under the full NFA.
- The Gun Control Act still applies. ATF says these items remain “firearms” under that law, so a dealer still fills out a Form 4473 and runs a background check before a transfer.
- ATF says the guidance does not override state and local laws, and a dealer may not sell or deliver one of these items in violation of state or local law.
ATF also says this is a decision about enforcement, not a repeal, and that it could change. We cover the details in our guide to suppressor law in 2026.
What it means in Georgia
Georgia has its own rule on top of the federal one. O.C.G.A. 16-11-122 bars having a silencer “except as provided in Code Section 16-11-124.” Then 16-11-124 gives an exception for a person who has registered the silencer under the National Firearms Act. Those links go to a copy of the code that was marked current as of March 28, 2024. We last checked the sections on September 18, 2026.
ATF’s guidance says it does not override state law. Georgia’s exception is written for the person who “has registered” the item. So we do not skip the registration step. Every suppressor we transfer still goes through the federal Form 4.
If you want a lawyer’s read on your own situation, ask one. We can tell you how our process works. We cannot give legal advice.
How it works at our counter
Here is what buying an NFA item looks like with us in Cumming:
- You come in, handle the suppressors and pick one. The Silencer Shop kiosk in the store handles the forms and fingerprints, and we sit with you while you do it.
- We tell you where you stand on the wait before you pay.
- After ATF approval, you come back for a standard Form 4473 and a background check. A suppressor cannot go home with you the same day you start the paperwork.
The fee is simple. There is no transfer fee when you buy the suppressor from us. A suppressor or anything else on an NFA form that you bought somewhere else is a $100 transfer. Buying one directly from Silencer Shop also carries no transfer fee.
Quick answers
Is a suppressor an NFA item? Yes. The statute lists silencers in the definition of a firearm under the NFA.
Is a regular AR-15 an NFA item? Not by itself. It becomes one if the barrel is under 16 inches or the weapon is under 26 inches overall, as measured under the law, or if it is made into a machine gun.
Do I need a trust? Both filing as an individual and filing through a trust are possible. Our guide to an NFA trust or an individual filing covers the choice.
What to do next
If you want to buy a suppressor, or you are not sure whether something you own or want falls under the NFA, call or come by. We will tell you what we can and point you to ATF for the rest. Start at our suppressors in Georgia page, or reach us through the contact page.
