Proposed Rule 2026-07-06 Updated 101 days ago
Where it stands
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") proposes amending regulatory requirements to submit fingerprints and photographs with firearms applications. Currently, applicants must submit 2" x 2" passport-style photographs and either one or two fingerprint cards, depending on the application type. ATF proposes that all applicants, whether individuals or responsible persons ("RP
In legal terms
The National Firearms Act and ATF rules regulate suppressors, short-barreled rifles, machine guns and certain accessories.
Disputes cover what ATF can regulate by rule and what only Congress can change.
What this means, in plain English
The National Firearms Act and ATF rules regulate suppressors, short-barreled rifles, machine guns and certain accessories.
Disputes cover what ATF can regulate by rule and what only Congress can change.
Federal rules and statutes on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, braces and triggers decide what is legal to own and how it is registered.
Timeline
Related
NFA making and transfer tax set to $0 for suppressors, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and AOWs
A law passed in 2025 (H.R. 1, P.L. 119-21) cut the federal making and transfer tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and "any other weapons" to $0 for items made or transferred starting Jan 1, 2026. These items are still regulated under the National Firearms Act. Buyers must still register the item and get ATF approval first, and possessing an unregistered one is still a federal crime. Machine guns and destructive devices still carry the $200 tax. Some states ban these items outright. Lawsuits challenging the registration requirement are pending.
Pistol brace rule vacated; formal repeal proposed
A federal court in Texas vacated ATF's 2023 pistol brace rule on June 13, 2024. The Justice Department dropped its appeal on July 17, 2025. On May 6, 2026, ATF proposed deleting the rule's text from the regulations. The proposal was not final as of Oct 14, 2026. A braced pistol can still count as a short-barreled rifle if it otherwise meets the statutory definition, and state laws still apply.
Forced reset triggers: DOJ settlement
On May 16, 2025, DOJ announced settlements of several lawsuits over forced reset triggers, including the Rare Breed Triggers cases. Under the deal, the government stopped treating the covered triggers as machine guns, and Rare Breed agreed not to develop or design them for use in any pistol. The settlement does not cover other manufacturers' triggers or state laws, and several states restrict them.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection eComments Requested; Revision of a Previously Approved Collection; Firearms Transaction Record-ATF Form 5300.9 and 5300.9A (“Form 4473”)
The Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Sources: court dockets, the Federal Register, DOJ releases and Congress.gov. Informational only, not legal advice. Items marked Unverified are awaiting review.