All NFA items must be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Private owners wishing to purchase an NFA item must obtain permission from both the ATF and the county sheriff or city or town chief of police, pass an extensive background check to include submitting a photograph and finger prints, fully register the firearm, receive ATF written permission before moving the firearm across state lines, and pay a tax. The request to transfer ownership of an NFA item is made on an ATF Form 4.
NFA items may also be transferred to corporations (or other legal entities such as a trust). When the paperwork to request transfer of an NFA item is initiated by an officer of a corporation, permission from local law enforcement is not required, and fingerprint cards and photographs do not need to be submitted with the transfer request. Therefore, an individual who lives in a location where the chief law enforcement officer will not sign a transfer form can still own an NFA item if he/she owns a corporation.
Transferring requires a $200 tax for all NFA firearms except AOWs, for which the transfer tax is $5 (in addition to the $200 manufacturing tax). Dealers who pay a special yearly occupational tax are exempt from these taxes for transfers to or from other special occupational taxpayers (SOTs). Additionally, the firearm can never be handled or transported by any other private individual unless the firearm's registered owner is present.
Silencers are legal for private ownership in the following states: AL, AR, AK, AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, LA, ME, MD, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY.
To purchase a sound suppressor, you must first find a local Class 3 FFL. You can order the suppressor through your local dealer, or you can pay us directly (the dealer may charge a transfer fee for his services). Thunder Beast Arms Corporation will transfer the suppressor to your local Class 3 dealer on an ATF Form 3, which takes on average about a month. When the Form 3 clears, we will ship the suppresser to your dealer. At this time, he will provide you a Form 4 for you to complete and submit. Average ATF wait times on Form 4's are 2 - 3 months. Once your Form 4 clears, you may take possession of your suppressor.