Federal authorities announced on October 9 they will not enforce National Firearms Act registration for suppressors after an August court ruling that elimination of the tax left the registration scheme without constitutional footing, a decision the administration did not appeal.

Silencers remain firearms under the Gun Control Act, including any combination of parts designed or intended for assembling one, so unlicensed interstate transfers of such items stay prohibited. A November 2023 agency letter stated the term solvent trap has no legal meaning and that products marketed that way have been classified as silencers based on design intent rather than packaging labels.

State laws are unaffected, with some jurisdictions still requiring registration or banning suppressors, while voluntary no-cost Form 1 filings continue to be accepted.