On Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas ruled that the National Firearms Act (NFA) no longer applies to suppressors and other firearms categories whose taxes were reduced to $0 in July 2025. The ruling came after attorneys representing the Silencer Shop Foundation filed a motion for summary judgment, which Hendrix granted.

In his 66-page opinion, Judge Hendrix explained that because Congress eliminated the NFA’s transfer and making taxes for four categories of firearms—including short-barreled shotguns, short-barreled rifles, silencers, and a defined group of miscellaneous firearms—in 2025, the registration and paperwork requirements imposed by the NFA exceeded Congress’s authority under the taxation power. He wrote, “Because today’s NFA does not generate any revenue from untaxed firearms, its regulatory provisions cannot be upheld under the taxing power. Thus, the regulatory provisions must be enjoined as unconstitutional because they exceed Congress’s enumerated powers.”

This decision follows legislative changes where, after the Senate parliamentarian removed language that would have excluded these items from the NFA’s scope, Congress instead reduced the associated taxes to zero. The Department of Justice has acknowledged in multiple legal filings since May 2025 that the beneficial use of suppressors outweighs their misuse by criminals.

John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, praised the ruling, stating, “As promised, the NRA is leading the charge to dismantle—and ultimately end—the National Firearms Act. Our successful effort to eliminate the $200 NFA tax created the opening for our world-class attorneys to secure this historic federal court ruling that the NFA is unconstitutional.”

This ruling marks a significant change in federal firearms regulation, cutting through decades of red tape that had tied up gun owners.

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