National Firearms Act 1934 (NFA)
Definition
US federal statute governing machine guns, short-barrelled rifles, suppressors, destructive devices, and other NFA items. Requires registration on the NFRTR and a $200 transfer tax per item. Civilian transfer of post-1986 machine guns prohibited by the Hughes Amendment 1986.
- Jurisdiction
- United States, federal
- Registry
- NFRTR (National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record)
- Transfer tax
- $200 per NFA item
- Key amendment
- Hughes Amendment 1986
- Covered items
- Machine guns, SBRs, suppressors, destructive devices
Common questions
What did the Hughes Amendment change?+
It closed the machine gun registry to new civilian transfers as of 19 May 1986. Pre-1986 registered machine guns can still be transferred between eligible owners, which is why they trade at a large premium over post-1986 manufactured units, which civilians cannot legally acquire.
How does NFA regulation differ from ordinary firearm purchases in the US?+
An NFA item requires ATF approval of a transfer form, a tax payment, fingerprinting and photographs of the applicant, and often a chief law enforcement officer notification, a process that can take months, unlike an over-the-counter handgun or rifle purchase under the standard background check system.
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