How much paperwork is involved in getting a silencer? A silencer is an NFA item so it does require approval by the ATF to change ownership. The good news is that it's actually pretty easy to do (about as difficult as getting a concealed weapons permit). If you come in to see us, we can have the transfer paperwork (Form 4) done in 5-10 minutes. The next step is to take the transfer (Form 4) and two fingerprint cards to your local law enforcement officer (usually the sheriff) and have him sign the transfer (Form 4) and get fingerprints done. Give that back to us and we will assign a serial number and send it off the ATF. That is all there is to getting the transfer out. How long does it take for me to get my silencer? Because of the high volume of transfers going through today, once the Form 4 is sent to the ATF it usually takes 5-6 months for approval. This time frame seems to fluctuate with the number of transfers being done is the United States and the number of ATF examiners employed. How does the silencer tax work? The ATF charges a $200 one time tax for an NFA transfer. This applies to each NFA item you buy, so if you buy three silencers you will have to pay $600 in tax. When a transfer is approved there is a $200 stamp attached to your approved transfer form (Form 4) to show you have paid the tax hence the term "tax stamp". This tax has been in place since 1934 to try to discourage the purchase of machine guns, short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns, and silencers. |