Criminal Defense · Florida Gun Owners
NFA Items in Florida: Suppressors, Short-Barreled Rifles, and Machine Guns
Some firearms and accessories are regulated under a separate federal law, the National Firearms Act, or NFA.
Owning one lawfully takes paperwork and patience. Owning one without it can mean a federal felony. The federal penalty is up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
This page is general education. It is not advice about a particular item or purchase.
What the NFA covers
The NFA reaches a short list of items. The ones most owners ask about:
- Suppressors, often called silencers
- Short-barreled rifles (SBRs): a rifle with a barrel under 16 inches, or an overall length under 26 inches
- Short-barreled shotguns (SBSs): a shotgun with a barrel under 18 inches, or an overall length under 26 inches
- Machine guns: a weapon that shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger
- Destructive devices, and a category called "any other weapons"
Measurements and definitions are technical. A quarter inch can decide the case. Measure the way the law measures, not the way the gun store does.
How lawful ownership works
For most NFA items, the path looks like this:
- Choose an item from a licensed dealer that is allowed to sell it.
- File an application with the ATF, with fingerprints and photographs.
- Pay the required federal tax, where one applies.
- Wait for approval. Wait times can run for months.
- Take the item only after the approved form comes back.
Do not take possession before approval. Receiving or possessing one that is not registered to you is the offense.
Federal law now sets the tax to make a suppressor, short-barreled rifle, short-barreled shotgun, or "any other weapon" at $0. Machine guns and destructive devices stay at $200. The registration and approval requirements did not go away. The rules may have changed again since this page was written, so confirm the current rules with a licensed dealer or a lawyer.
Trusts and entities
Many owners register NFA items through a trust or a company. This can help with who may use the item and what happens when the owner dies.
It does not erase the rules. Each responsible person still has to be eligible. Set it up with a lawyer who knows the details.
Suppressors
Under federal law a suppressor is a regulated firearm and must be registered to you. Florida's statute on short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and machine guns does not list suppressors.
That also means the same federal bars apply to the person who owns one. A person barred from having a gun cannot have a suppressor.
Using a suppressor while hunting or on a range has its own rules. Check the rules for the land and the season before you rely on it.
Short-barreled rifles and shotguns
The most common mistake is the accidental SBR. It can happen when someone puts a short barrel on a rifle receiver, or builds a rifle from parts and ends up under the legal length.
An SBR built without approval is a violation from the moment it is made, not only when you take it out.
Florida also regulates these items. It is a second-degree felony to own or possess a short-barreled rifle, short-barreled shotgun, or machine gun that is, or may readily be made, operable. The statute excepts antique firearms and firearms lawfully owned and possessed under federal law.
Machine guns
The rule for machine guns is much tighter than for the other items.
Federal law makes it unlawful to transfer or possess a machine gun, except one that was lawfully possessed before the ban took effect in 1986. Those older machine guns can be lawfully transferred, but they are rare and expensive. Florida law also restricts them.
Parts count. The federal definition of a machine gun includes the frame or receiver, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for converting a weapon into a machine gun. A small part, or a switch, can be a serious federal felony.
If someone offers you a "conversion" or a "switch," walk away.
Moving NFA items
Federal law bars a person who is not a licensee from transporting a machine gun, destructive device, short-barreled rifle, or short-barreled shotgun in interstate commerce unless the Attorney General has authorized it. Get that approval before the trip.
Do not assume that because both states allow an item, you may carry it between them.
Florida law on top of federal law
Florida has its own statute on these items. A person may be lawful under one set of rules and not the other.
If you are unsure, assume neither is satisfied until you have the answer in writing.
The common mistakes
1. Possessing before approval. Waiting is the point.
2. Building a short rifle by accident. Check the length before assembling.
3. Lending the item. Letting someone else take it can break the rules.
4. Failing to carry the paperwork. Keep a copy of the approval with the item, or know where it is.
5. Believing a friend's version. Rumors about these laws travel faster than the facts.
If you are charged
These cases are often built on measurements and paperwork. Both can be challenged. A lawyer can look at how the item was found, how it was measured, and whether the registration records are right.
Charged, or unsure about an item you own? Call (305) 209-0384 for a free consultation. We answer 24/7. Se habla español.
General information, not legal advice. Reading this page creates no lawyer-client relationship, and no result is promised. Laws change; confirm the current law before you act. Law last checked October 27, 2026.