Justice Department to Halt Registration for Certain Firearms Following Court Ruling

The Justice Department announced Friday it will no longer enforce federal registration requirements for firearm suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and certain other guns, following a court ruling that invalidated parts of a key firearms law. The decision comes after a federal judge in Texas ruled in August that the permitting process for these items was unconstitutional.

While the initial ruling was limited to the parties involved in that specific case, the Justice Department stated that it would extend the non-enforcement policy nationwide to avoid a confusing patchwork of regulations. Rob Cekada, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said in a statement that the department is aligning its enforcement posture with the direction from the president, Congress, and the courts.

Gun rights advocates have long criticized the registration process, which involved submitting forms, fingerprints, and waiting for government approval, as overly burdensome. The regulations in question stem from the National Firearms Act, a law enacted in the 1930s amid concerns about organized crime. U.S. District Judge James Hendrix in Texas found that the rules for purchasing silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and other specific firearms were no longer valid, particularly after Congress and President Donald Trump eliminated a $200 tax stamp on these devices.

The Justice Department opted not to appeal the judge's decision. Cekada explained that federal law enforcement had been inundated with questions following the ruling, and the administration determined that a nationwide policy change was the fairest and clearest approach.

Under the new guidance, the ATF will not require registration for these items unless a buyer resides in one of the approximately 15 states that have their own laws mandating the federal permitting process. Registration requirements will still apply to machine guns and items classified as "destructive devices" under federal law. Officials emphasized that all firearm purchases will still require completion of the standard purchasing form and a background check to ensure buyers are legally permitted to own a gun.