Updated August 17, 2026

If you have been following suppressor news recently, you have probably seen headlines saying that Form 4s are gone, suppressors are no longer subject to the NFA, or that you can now walk into a gun store and leave with a suppressor after a normal background check.

The reality is more complicated.

There have been two major changes in 2026, and understanding the difference between them explains most of the confusion.

First, the $200 Suppressor Tax Went Away

Beginning January 1, 2026, federal law reduced the National Firearms Act transfer and making tax to $0 for several categories of NFA firearms, including:

• Suppressors
• Short-Barreled Rifles
• Short-Barreled Shotguns
• Most Any Other Weapons

Machine guns and destructive devices remain subject to the $200 NFA tax.

ATF updated its regulations to reflect the new $0 tax, but ATF’s position was that the rest of the NFA registration process remained in place. That meant suppressor purchasers still submitted a Form 4, fingerprints, photographs, background-check information, and waited for ATF approval. The difference was simply that there was no longer a $200 transfer tax.

So at the beginning of 2026:

The tax stamp became free. The Form 4 did not disappear.

Then a Federal Court Challenged the Registration Requirement

On August 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas entered a final judgment in the consolidated cases Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF and Jensen v. ATF.

The court permanently blocked ATF and the Department of Justice from enforcing several NFA registration, transfer, and making requirements involving untaxed NFA firearms against the plaintiffs and, where applicable, their current and future members and customers.

Those provisions include the federal regulation containing the traditional Form 4 transfer requirement.

The judgment was initially stayed for seven days to allow the federal government to seek appellate relief.

Does That Mean Form 4s Are Gone?

Not for everyone.

This is probably the most important part of the ruling.

The court did not issue a nationwide order eliminating the NFA registration system for every suppressor owner and every firearms dealer.

The judgment specifically protects the plaintiffs in the lawsuit and, where applicable, their members and customers, including current and future members and customers.

Organizations involved in the case have consequently begun implementing transfers under the protection of the injunction. The American Suppressor Association, for example, states that the injunction became effective after the seven-day stay expired and has published information regarding who qualifies for its protection.

For purchasers who are not covered by the injunction, ATF continues to maintain the Form 4 system, and Form 4 remains listed as an active ATF form for transferring NFA firearms to individuals and legal entities.

What Does a Suppressor Purchase Look Like Without a Form 4?

A covered transaction does not mean that suppressors suddenly become completely unregulated accessories.

Suppressors are still considered firearms under the federal Gun Control Act.

For a retail FFL transfer, the normal firearms transfer requirements still apply, including the applicable ATF Form 4473, background check, dealer records, eligibility requirements, and state law.

In other words, a covered transaction may look much more like a conventional firearm purchase:

Purchase Suppressor → Complete 4473 → Background Check → Dealer Records → Transfer

rather than:

Purchase Suppressor → Form 4 → NFA Registration → ATF Approval → Transfer

The court ruling affects the challenged NFA requirements. It does not erase the separate Gun Control Act requirements that apply to federally licensed firearms dealers.

Can I Walk Into Any Gun Store and Buy a Suppressor Without a Form 4?

No.

The August ruling is not a blanket authorization for every FFL in the United States to stop filing Form 4s.

Whether a particular transaction can proceed without a Form 4 depends on whether the purchaser and transaction fall within the scope of the federal court’s injunction, along with applicable federal and state law.

That is why you may currently hear about one dealer transferring suppressors without Form 4s while another dealer continues using the traditional NFA process.

Both situations can exist at the same time.

What Still Requires a Form 4?

The $0 tax change applies to suppressors, SBRs, SBSs, and certain AOWs.

Machine guns and destructive devices did not receive the same $0 tax treatment and continue to carry the $200 NFA tax.

The August injunction is based specifically on the federal government’s ability to enforce NFA requirements against firearms for which Congress reduced the tax to zero.

The court’s judgment also contains different language concerning AOWs, so those firearms should not simply be treated identically to suppressors, SBRs, and SBSs.

What About Suppressor Accessories?

Ordinary accessories such as many mounts, muzzle devices, thread protectors, covers, tools, and similar products generally do not require a Form 4 simply because they are used with a suppressor.

The actual suppressor, however, is federally classified as a firearm, and federal law can also regulate certain silencer-specific parts and combinations of parts.

So “suppressor accessory” and “suppressor” should not be treated as interchangeable legal categories.

The Simplest Way to Understand the Changes

Here is the current situation:

Before 2026

Suppressor purchase:
Form 4 + NFA registration + ATF approval + $200 federal tax

January 1, 2026

Suppressor purchase:
Form 4 + NFA registration + ATF approval + $0 federal tax

After the August 2026 Federal Court Ruling

Qualifying transactions covered by the injunction:
Potentially no Form 4 or NFA registration requirement, while normal federal firearm-transfer requirements still apply.

Transactions not covered by the injunction:
The existing Form 4 process remains available and ATF continues to administer it.

So, Can I Buy a Suppressor Without a Form 4?

Possibly, but not simply because the law changed or because you live in Texas.

The federal court ruling protects specific plaintiffs and, where applicable, their members and customers. It did not automatically remove suppressors from the NFA nationwide.

This is a very recent ruling, and the practical procedures being used by dealers, industry organizations, and ATF are still developing.

At Backwood Sports, we are following these changes closely and will continue handling suppressor transfers according to the federal and state requirements that apply to each transaction.

If you have questions about purchasing a suppressor, give us a call or stop by the shop. We can explain what purchasing options are currently available and what paperwork applies to your specific transaction.