Suppressor Laws by state map including DC and Puerto Rico, November 2026 - Minuteman University.com

Hunting with a Suppressor

Educational information, not legal advice. Gun laws change often and vary by state, county and city. Check current law where you are and talk to a firearms attorney before acting. Full disclaimer

Last reviewed November 1, 2026

Hunting with a Suppressor: Where It Stands in 2026

Hunting with a suppressor is now legal in 41 states. That is a major turnaround from the late 2000s, when most states still banned suppressors in the field. Hunters, the American Suppressor Association and state gun-rights groups won those changes one legislature at a time by making the case for hearing protection, less noise for neighbors and livestock, and better shooting.

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Legal to Own and Hunt (41): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Legal to Own, No Hunting (1): Connecticut

Civilian Ownership Banned (10): California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island

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

Vermont became the 41st state when S. 281 was signed in 2022. Connecticut is the one state where civilians may own a suppressor but may not hunt with it. The eight states that ban suppressors entirely (California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island) also ban them for hunting. Repeal efforts in New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have not passed as of October 2026.

The federal side changed dramatically in 2026. The NFA tax on suppressors dropped to $0 on January 1, 2026, and on October 9, 2026 ATF announced it would no longer enforce NFA registration and approval for suppressors nationwide, following the Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF judgment of August 5, 2026. That makes it easier and faster to get a can on a hunting rifle, but it does not change any state hunting regulation. Game laws are written by state legislatures and wildlife agencies, and hunters must still follow them.

Key Facts

  • States allowing suppressor hunting: 41 (as of October 2026).
  • Ownership legal, hunting not: Connecticut.
  • Fully banned: 8 states plus D.C.
  • 2022: Vermont S. 281 made Vermont the 41st state to allow suppressor use while hunting.
  • January 1, 2026: NFA tax on suppressors cut from $200 to $0 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025).
  • October 9, 2026: ATF announced nationwide non-enforcement of NFA registration and approval for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs.
  • Registry counts: The registry figures further down this page come from earlier ATF reports. Because registration is no longer enforced for most buyers, future registry numbers will undercount the suppressors actually in use.

What Gun Owners Should Know

  • Read your state’s current hunting regulations every season. Some states limit suppressor use by species, season or method, and wildlife agencies publish the rules each year.
  • Hunting across state lines means following the law of the state you hunt in, not your home state. A suppressor legal at home may be illegal in the field next door.
  • In states whose laws still reference federal registration, carry proof of compliance (such as an approved Form 4) if you have one.
  • Keep receipts and your Form 4473 copy, and carry them on hunting trips in case a game warden asks.
  • For gear and caliber advice, see Suppressor Buyers Guide.com. For the federal buying rules, see Suppressors and NFA Buyers Guide.com. Season openers and 2A events are tracked on Gun Calendars.com.

When States Legalized Suppressor Hunting

States began lifting bans on hunting with suppressors in 2009, one legislature at a time. Dates for selected states:

  • Arizona – March 29, 2012
  • Texas – March 30, 2012
  • Indiana – July 1, 2013
  • Wyoming – July 1, 2013
  • Arkansas – March 1, 2014
  • Georgia – July 1, 2014
  • Kansas – July 1, 2014
  • Louisiana – August 1, 2014
  • Alabama – October 1, 2014
  • Florida – November 21, 2014
  • Ohio – March 23, 2015
  • Montana – April 23, 2015
  • Minnesota – May 22, 2015
  • North Carolina – August 6, 2015
  • Maine – October 15, 2015
  • Michigan – February 11, 2016
  • Iowa – March 31, 2016
  • New Hampshire – June 11, 2016
  • Oklahoma – November 1, 2016
  • Tennessee – July 1, 2017
  • Vermont – 2022 (S. 281), made permanent in 2024 (H. 878)

Suppressors on the National Registry

ATF registry counts from earlier reports. Registration is no longer enforced for most buyers, so later counts will undercount the suppressors in use.

  • 2011 = 285,000
  • 2013 = nearly 500,000
  • 2014 = 571,000
  • 2015 = 792,300
  • 2016 = 900,000
  • 2017 = 1,360,023
  • 2018 = 1,500,000
  • 2021 = 2,148,825

2A Laws in the USA

Across the Gun Websites Network

Sources