Faster NFA Approval Times: BREAKING NEWS!

• Fastest Approvals Ever: Get ready to race through the NFA approval process! Approvals are sprinting across the finish line in just days or weeks and, according to ATF, this is the “new normal.” 

• Trust in Trusts: ATF is actively working to speed up approval times for trusts.  Just this week, they started “trust bundling” to batch approve single-RP trusts.  ATF states trust wait times will approach individual wait times in the coming weeks. 

• Single Shot Speed: ATF is actively working on speeding up processing times for “standardized trusts” like the Single Shot trust, including implementing new software to recognize and process these trusts more like individual applications. 

• Electronic Enhancements: Simple, easy, awesome, and now faster than ever! Embrace the future with Silencer Shop’s high-tech submission process. The kiosk and app work together to make electronic submissions headache-free. 

• NFA Now: The ATF's improvements mean less time waiting and more time at the range. Get your can in your hands faster than ever! 

ATF just hosted a town hall where they said approval times are coming down, way down. ATF Deputy Assistant Director James Vann explained, “Now we see this in Reddit, people are saying ‘I got mine in a matter of hours or I got it the next day, is this normal?’  Yes, this is the new normal.” 

Recently, the firearms community has been buzzing with news of dramatically shortened wait times for suppressor approvals. If you’ve been on Reddit or Instagram over the last few weeks, you’ve probably seen cases where individuals have received their silencers in just days or weeks. Traditionally, obtaining a silencer through the NFA (National Firearms Act) process has been a months-long endeavor, with average eForm 4 wait times lingering between 7 to 10 months. 

The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) has acknowledged these faster approval times as a deliberate move towards efficiency. During a recent town hall, ATF leaders revealed plans for ongoing improvements aimed at consistently reducing wait times for both individual and trust applications. 

Another piece of encouraging news for tax stamp collectors is the official standardization of batch approvals for trusts (or “trust bundling” as ATF calls it), so you can get your NFA items way faster. For some time, ATF has been batch approving individuals.  Now, as of this week, trusts with one responsible party (another win for the Single Shot trust – only at Silencer Shop) and two or more pending applications will be processed by the same examiner, simultaneously. This policy, designed to further streamline the approval process, promises to significantly cut down on wait times for those looking to expand their collection. If you’ve been considering a few different suppressors or short barreled rifles, now is the time to get them!  

Deputy Assitant Direct Vann added James Vann also stated, "We’re not talking about 300 days; we’re talking about a matter of days or weeks at the most, especially with the bundling we’ve implemented very recently.” 

ATF is currently working on software to recognize and speed up processing for "standardized trusts."  Good news! The Single Shot trust is the MOST standardized NFA trust on the planet, and the most common trust processed by the ATF. Soon you’ll be able to enjoy all the freedoms of having a trust with incredibly fast processing times. There has never been a better time to be an NFA customer, or to take advantage of all the benefits of the Single Shot trust.  

ATF’s Deputy Assistant Director noted that wait times for trusts are set to decrease significantly, mirroring the expedited process already observed with individual applications: 

“We started in cleaning out the process and moving through this backlog with the individuals because we knew that that would be a much quicker gain for us.  And now we are focusing on trusts.  We are implementing certain things on the trust handling so we can streamline that as well.  You’ll see that being streamlined over the next few weeks, although we’re making very great strides right now.” adding “If you’re a trust applicant and you’re waiting on this, you shouldn’t be waiting much longer.”

The ATF also highlighted the role of third-party processors like Silencer Shop in enhancing the approval process. Deputy Assistant Director Vann noted: 

“What they do is help you and assist you with the form you are submitting.  They check for errors . . . the whole process they’ve streamlined that makes it much easier: fingerprints, photographs, all of that.” 

Through the adoption of electronic submissions, including documents, fingerprints, and photographs, Silencer Shop has been at the forefront of simplifying and speeding up the process. The integration of Silencer Shop's kiosk and smartphone app allows customers to easily create a digital profile and submit all necessary information electronically, a method that has proven to reduce approval times to historic lows. 

What is a "Standardized Trust?" 

ATF defines a "standardized trust" as any common trust where the only information changing is the responsible party and firearm information. 


What is the Current Average for Suppressor Approvals? 

According to the ATF's site, the current wait time for eForm 4 application is currently 196 days*.

*As of 3/15/2024

What Should You Do If You've Waited Longer Than the Average Wait Time?

Per ATF "If your application is over our average processing time that’s posted on ATF.gov you can contact us by phone at (304) 616-4500 or by email at ipb@atf.gov" 

The ATF's commitment to improving the NFA approval process is a significant win for the firearms community. With streamlined processes for trusts, the introduction of batch approvals, and the efficiency of electronic submissions through Silencer Shop, obtaining a suppressor is becoming faster and more convenient than ever before. These changes not only reflect a more efficient approach but also enhance the experience for firearms enthusiasts.