The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has proposed a rule that would let married couples register National Firearms Act items jointly, eliminating the need for an NFA trust in households where both spouses want legal right to possess a suppressor, short-barreled rifle, or other NFA item, according to a Federal Register notice published May 8.

Under current NFA rules, a registered item can only be owned by a single individual or a recognized legal entity. When two spouses want co-equal rights to possess an NFA item, the standard solution has been to establish an NFA trust naming both as trustees — a process that typically involves legal fees, notarized documents, and ongoing administrative obligations. The ATF's proposal would offer a simpler path: both spouses would file jointly on ATF Form 1, checking "other legal entity" in box 2 and noting the joint registration in writing. Both would receive equal legal rights to make or possess the registered firearm or suppressor.

The rule also addresses what happens when one registered spouse transfers the item to the other. Under current law, that hand-off constitutes a taxable NFA transfer requiring a new application and, historically, a $200 tax stamp — though Congress set that fee to zero for most NFA transfers in the FY2026 spending bill. Under the proposed joint registration framework, transfers between the two registered spouses would not constitute a new NFA transfer at all, eliminating both the form and any waiting period.

The timing of the proposal coincides with a surge in NFA activity. After Congress eliminated the NFA transfer tax, Form 4 applications rose more than 394 percent, according to AmmoLand. More suppressors and SBRs entering homes means more households where two spouses may want equal access without routing ownership through a trust. Silencer Shop noted in its coverage of the broader ATF reform package that simplifying family ownership structures ranks among the most practically impactful items in the 34-rule effort.

The proposal is limited to Form 1 applications — items a buyer or maker registers for their own possession. It does not appear to extend to Form 4 transfers of existing registered items from a dealer or third party, a distinction NFA attorneys and practitioners are expected to probe during the comment period. The rule is also silent on whether existing single-person registrations could be amended to add a joint spouse, or whether a new Form 1 would be required in those cases.

The public comment period runs through July 7, 2026.