Gun Registration

Last reviewed November 1, 2026

Gun Registration: Where It Stands in 2026

Gun owners oppose registration for a simple reason: a list of who owns what is the first tool needed for confiscation. Congress agreed in the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, which bars ATF from issuing any rule that requires firearms or their owners to be registered with the federal government (18 U.S.C. 926(a)). There is no federal registry of ordinary rifles, shotguns or handguns.

More maps than the glovebox of a lost elk hunter: Gun Law Maps by State

How this map is researched, from statute to state note: How We Research.

The long-standing exception has been the National Firearms Act registry. That changed significantly in 2026. After Congress cut the NFA tax to $0 for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and AOWs effective January 1, 2026, a federal court in Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF (N.D. Tex., August 5, 2026) enjoined NFA registration for those items for covered parties, and ATF announced on October 9, 2026 that it would not enforce NFA registration and approval for those four categories nationwide. Machine guns and destructive devices remain fully registered.

Gun-rights advocates also continue to press ATF over its out-of-business records. ATF told Congress it held about 920 million of these dealer records as of November 2021, most of them digitized, and in February 2026 Rep. Michael Cloud and 26 other members wrote ATF demanding answers on what critics call a backdoor registry. At the state level, Hawaii and the District of Columbia require registration of all firearms, and several other states keep handgun or “assault weapon” registries or transfer records.

Key Facts

• 18 U.S.C. 926(a), enacted by the Firearm Owners Protection Act (1986): no federal rule may establish a system of firearm or owner registration.
• NFA registry (26 U.S.C. 5841): ATF announced non-enforcement of registration and approval for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs on October 9, 2026; machine guns and destructive devices are unchanged.
• ATF out-of-business records: about 920.7 million records held as of November 2021, per ATF’s response to Congress; a congressional letter seeking answers was sent February 3, 2026.
• Hawaii (HRS 134-3) and the District of Columbia (D.C. Code 7-2502.01) require registration of firearms.
• Massachusetts’ 2024 law (Chapter 135) requires registration of all firearms, with an October 2026 deadline; repeal is Question 9 on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
• New York’s 2013 SAFE Act required registration of covered semi-automatic firearms, and its handgun licenses list each handgun owned.

What Gun Owners Should Know

• Know your state’s rules when moving: in registration jurisdictions, newly arrived residents typically have a short window to register or remove firearms.
• Keep your own private records (serial numbers, receipts, photos) for insurance and theft reports; that is different from government registration.
• NFA owners should keep existing approved forms and confirm current ATF guidance, and should still carry a Form 20 approval when traveling interstate with an SBR or SBS where required.
• Learn more about NFA items at NFA Buyers Guide.com and Suppressor Buyers Guide.com.
• Related pages: Gun Permits, the 4473 and National Firearms Act.

Sources

• 18 U.S.C. 926 (Cornell LII)
• ATF: New Era of Reform (NFA enforcement guidance)
• Reason: The ATF Created a Backdoor Gun Registry (Feb. 2026)
• Rep. Michael Cloud: Demands Response from ATF on National Gun Registry

Background and Resources

An original 2021 map, drawn by humans before the robots joined the team. Ironically, nobody registered this one either.

Gun Registration