How to Legally Purchase a Suppressor: Form 4, CLEO, and Approval

To legally purchase a suppressor, you buy one from a licensed dealer, decide whether to register it to yourself or to a trust, file ATF Form 4 with fingerprints and a passport-style photo, notify your local chief law enforcement officer, and wait for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to approve the transfer. Suppressors are legal for civilians in 42 states, the federal transfer tax is now $0, and electronic Form 4 filings by individuals are currently processing in roughly ten days.1ATF. Current Processing Times

Confirm You Can Legally Buy One

Suppressors (the statute calls them “silencers”) are classified as “firearms” under the National Firearms Act of 1934, which puts them in the same regulatory bucket as short-barreled rifles and machine guns.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5845 – Definitions Every unit must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, and every transfer goes through ATF approval.3ATF. National Firearms Act

Federal law does not ban civilian ownership, but eight states and the District of Columbia do. As of 2025, 42 states permit possession. Some states that allow suppressors add their own conditions, such as a state permit or a restriction to hunting use. Verify your state’s rules before you shop.

To buy from a licensed dealer you must be at least 21. Private-party transfers and acquisitions through a trust or corporate entity drop the federal minimum to 18, though state law can set a higher floor.

Federal law also bars certain people from possessing any firearm, suppressors included:4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts

  • Anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment
  • Fugitives from justice
  • Current unlawful users of, or people addicted to, controlled substances
  • Anyone adjudicated mentally defective or committed to a mental institution
  • Anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, or subject to a qualifying protective order
  • Anyone dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces
  • Former U.S. citizens who renounced their citizenship
  • People unlawfully in the U.S. or admitted on most nonimmigrant visas

If any of these apply, the ATF will deny the application, and filing anyway can create separate legal exposure.

Decide How to Register: Individual, Trust, or Entity

This choice controls who is allowed to touch the suppressor after you buy it, so make it before you file.

Individual Registration

The simplest route. You are the only person legally allowed to possess the suppressor. Nobody else, including a spouse or adult child, can have it in their possession unless you are physically present. When you die, your executor must arrange a formal transfer before anyone else takes custody.

NFA Trust

An NFA trust registers the suppressor to a legal entity, and any trustee named in the trust can independently possess and use it.5ATF. Background Checks for Responsible Persons (Final Rule 41F) Adding a spouse or shooting partner as a trustee lets them handle the suppressor on their own. Trusts also simplify inheritance: named beneficiaries can receive the item on a tax-exempt basis using ATF Form 5, outside probate.

The cost is paperwork. Every “responsible person” in the trust, meaning anyone with authority to direct the trust or possess its firearms, must submit fingerprints, a photo, and ATF Form 5320.23 with the application. Adding trustees later is straightforward, but each new responsible person goes through the same background check on the trust’s next filing.

Corporation or LLC

An entity registration works much like a trust: the company owns the suppressor, and designated officers or members can possess it. It rarely makes sense for a personal purchase because of the ongoing cost of maintaining the entity, and it’s more common for ranges and training businesses that already operate as a company.

Buy the Suppressor and File Form 4

Suppressors are sold by Federal Firearms License holders who also hold a Special Occupational Tax status, often called Class 3 dealers. You can buy in person or order online and have the item shipped to a local FFL for the transfer. If you use a dealer that didn’t sell you the suppressor, expect a transfer fee that varies by shop.

The core registration document is ATF Form 4 (Form 5320.4, “Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of Firearm”).6ATF. Application to Transfer and Register NFA Firearm (Tax-Paid) ATF Form 5320.4 It captures your information, the suppressor’s make, model, and serial number, and the dealer’s details. Most dealers walk you through it and submit it for you.

An individual applicant attaches a 2×2-inch passport-style photo taken within the last six months and submits properly completed FBI Form FD-258 fingerprint cards.6ATF. Application to Transfer and Register NFA Firearm (Tax-Paid) ATF Form 5320.4 Fingerprinting is available at many local law enforcement offices, UPS stores, and dedicated fingerprinting services. Trust and entity filings require the same package from every responsible person, plus Form 5320.23 with a photo, and copies of the trust agreement or articles of incorporation.5ATF. Background Checks for Responsible Persons (Final Rule 41F)

The Transfer Tax Is Now $0

The NFA transfer tax for suppressors is currently $0.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 US Code 5811 – Transfer Tax The statute now sets the $200 tax only for machine guns and destructive devices; suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns transfer at a $0 rate. Older guides and even some dealer sites still quote the historical $200 fee, so expect to see outdated numbers.

Send the CLEO Notification

You must send a copy of your completed Form 4 to your local Chief Law Enforcement Officer, typically your city’s chief of police, county sheriff, head of state police, or a local district attorney.6ATF. Application to Transfer and Register NFA Firearm (Tax-Paid) ATF Form 5320.4 This is a notification only; the CLEO does not need to sign off. For a trust application, each responsible person sends their own completed Form 5320.23 to their CLEO. You certify on the form that this was done, so skipping it can get the application denied.

Submit the Application

The ATF’s eForms system is the fastest and most common way to file.8ATF. eForms Applications Most dealers submit electronically as part of the sale. Paper filings by mail are still accepted but no longer faster. Once the application is in, the ATF runs a background check on every responsible person listed.

Wait for Approval, Then Pick It Up

As of February 2026, ATF processing times for Form 4 applications look like this:1ATF. Current Processing Times

  • eForm 4, individual: about 10 days
  • eForm 4, trust: about 26 days
  • Paper Form 4, individual: about 21 days
  • Paper Form 4, trust: about 24 days

These are averages. A background check hiccup, a request for additional information, or multiple responsible persons on a trust can stretch the timeline. Denials come with a refund of any tax paid and a reason noted on the returned form; common causes are a previously unknown disqualifying record or an error on the application.

Once approved, the ATF returns the stamped Form 4 to your FFL. The dealer calls you in for pickup. You’ll complete a Form 4473 (the same form used for any firearm purchase from a dealer) and clear a NICS background check at that point. Then you leave with your suppressor.

After Approval: Possession, Storage, and Travel

The approved Form 4 is your proof of legal registration. Keep the original safe and carry a copy, paper or digital, when you have the suppressor with you. Federal law does not require you to carry it at all times, but producing it quickly if an officer asks avoids trouble. Trust owners should also keep a copy of the trust document accessible, since the Form 4 shows only the trust’s name.

Only the person or entity on the registration may possess the suppressor. Under an individual registration, that is you alone. A spouse taking it to the range without you is an illegal transfer under federal law. Under a trust, any currently named trustee can possess it independently, which is the practical reason most multi-user households choose a trust.

Storing a suppressor at someone else’s home is possible, but you have to keep exclusive control of the storage container, meaning you hold the only key or know the only combination. Leaving it somewhere a non-registered person can access it reads as an unauthorized transfer, even if no transfer was intended.

Suppressors get a break other NFA items don’t: interstate travel does not require ATF permission (Form 5320.20). You can drive across state lines without extra paperwork, provided the destination state and every state you pass through allows suppressor possession. Carrying one into a state that bans them will lead to arrest under state law regardless of your federal registration. Keep a copy of the approved Form 4 with the suppressor while you travel.

Penalties for Skipping the Process

Possessing an unregistered suppressor or transferring one without ATF approval is a federal felony.9GovInfo. 26 USC 5861 – Prohibited Acts The maximum penalty is ten years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for an individual.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5871 – Penalties “Transfer” is defined broadly to cover selling, loaning, giving away, or otherwise disposing of the item, so lending a suppressor to a friend without proper authority falls within it.11ATF. NFA Handbook – Transfers of NFA Firearms The same maximum applies to false statements on any NFA application, including registering when you know you are a prohibited person.