Florida AG Slashes Red Tape On Rifles, Shotguns Covered By National Firearms Act

Republican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the state would no longer prosecute law-abiding citizens for possessing certain firearms without a tax stamp.

Harold HutchisonNov 13, 20263 min read

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Republican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the state would no longer prosecute law-abiding citizens for possessing certain firearms without a tax stamp.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) released new guidance in an Oct. 9 open letter and a more detailed “frequently asked questions” (FAQ) document sent to all federally-licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) about how the agency would implement the federal laws impacted by the ruling, while steering clear of overriding local rules. Uthmeier, citing an August ruling by a federal judge in Texas, made the announcement in a post on X.

“Law-abiding Floridians may possess SBRs and SBSs without NFA registration, a tax stamp, or fear of prosecution under Florida law,” Uthmeier posted. “We are issuing guidance and will not defend a conviction on appeal. This office will always defend the Second Amendment rights of peaceable citizens.”

The reconciliation bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in July 2025 contained provisions that reduced the taxes on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and guns described as “any other weapon” to $0 after the Senate parliamentarian struck

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language that removed those items from any coverage of the NFA.

As a result of the reduction in the tax, United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas, a Trump appointee, handed down his ruling striking down the NFA requirements on Aug. 5.

On Aug. 12, Republican Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde posted on X that the Trump administration confirmed it would not appeal the ruling. The Justice Department officially notified Congress in a letter released on Oct. 1 about its decision not to fight the ruling, eight days before issuing the new guidance.

“Effective October 9, 2026, ATF will no longer require individuals to seek ATF approval under the NFA before making or transferring short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, silencers, and ‘any other weapon’ as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 5845(e),” ATF said in the Oct. 9 letter. “ATF will also no longer require such items to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. These policies apply uniformly to anyone otherwise subject to these requirements, not just to the plaintiffs in the litigation.”

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