A licensed gun trust lawyer should create an NFA trust. The attorney will draft a document with the correct language to legally hold the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) items such as short-barreled rifles or suppressors. While you can hire a lawyer to draft an NFA gun trust for you, we make it easy with two types of pre-drafted trusts: the Silencer Shop Single Shot and traditional NFA trusts. These trusts are hassle-free and require no paperwork from you, and the Single Shot is formed without needing notarization.

• What is an NFA Trust?
• How much is an NFA gun trust?
• How to Make an NFA Trust
• Do It Yourself NFA Trust

• NFA Trust vs. Individual

An NFA trust is a legal entity designed to own ATF-regulated firearms, including silencers, SBRs, and machine guns. NFA trust laws make sharing and bequeathing firearms held by the trust much more straightforward than if an individual owned them. For example, NFA trusts allow all responsible parties listed on the trust to possess the items held on the trust. Trusts also make it possible to allow others to use your NFA items or leave the items to family members.

Custom-drafted NFA gun trusts from hired attorneys can cost hundreds of dollars, but Silencer Shop offers lawyer-formed NFA trusts for just $25. In addition, we offer multiple options to fit your unique requirements for less than most trust options on the market. Licensed attorneys prepare Silencer Shop’s Single Shot and traditional NFA trusts, and their formation makes adding responsible parties easy.

Setting up a gun trust is simple when using Silencer Shop. We use the same information required to submit NFA applications to form your trust and create them nearly instantly. While most “how to create an NFA trust” guides will mention getting your trust notarized, our offerings do not require notarization upon setup.

While there is no legal restriction on forming your own trust (some states even recognize verbal trusts for certain applications), we do not recommend this method for NFA trusts. Because of the complexity of NFA law, and the restriction of possession of NFA items, it is imperative to ensure that your trust is drafted correctly. Incorrect formation or language in an NFA trust could lead to ATF denials or illegal possession of an NFA item.

Many folks looking to get into NFA items are curious about which method of filing is better, NFA trust vs. individual. The appeal of individual applications is that they are simple and do not cost anything additional, but individual applications have many drawbacks that trusts do not. For example, individually owned NFA items can not be borrowed by others, are difficult to leave to family members, and create potential legal issues for those living in your home. If you have an individual-owned suppressor in a safe and your spouse has access to it, they could be considered to have possession of an NFA item. 

NFA trusts alleviate these issues by allowing multiple individuals to own the NFA firearm. The language in a gun trust allows you to establish responsible parties and beneficiaries, making it simple to allow others to possess your silencer or to leave your NFA items to friends or family. The primary drawback of NFA trusts is that they typically require tedious paperwork and are expensive; however, Silencer Shop trusts can cost less than a dinner at your favorite chain restaurant and do not need additional paperwork.