This is not legal advice. All opinions and facts presented below should be verified, as we may be incorrect and/or laws may change. Contact us if you believe any of this information should be amended.
A NFA item is a firearm* that is defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934.The NFA was expanded in 1968 by the Gun Control Act, and 1986 by the Firearm Owners Protection Act. The below terms are more or less synonymous:
- NFA Item – Refers to an item regulated under the original National Firearms Act
- Title II Item – Refers to an item regulated under Title II of the Gun Control act of 1968. Title II of the gun control act is the NFA
- Class 3 Item – Refers to an item that can be transferred to an individual by a Class 3 Special occupational tax payer (SOT3).
What specifically qualifies as an NFA item?
You may have noticed the asterisk next to the original mention of NFA firearm*. This is because not everything that the NFA regulates as a ‘firearm’ is a gun. Suppressors and components that can convert a semi-automatic weapon into full auto are ‘firearms’. For more details see the ATF NFA handbook Chapter II or browse the whole thing if you are interested.
Who can own an NFA item?
First and foremost, any machine gun manufactured after 1986 is considered non-transferable, as firearms manufactured after this date are for law enforcement and military only. Anything else is fair game in VA (for now), provided you aren’t otherwise prohibited from owning a firearm.
What does it cost to acquire an NFA item?
The cost to transfer and NFA item used to be unreasonably high. Back when the NFA was written, the cost of the tax stamp required to own one of these items was $200; Roughly the equivalent of $4,000 now.T he one exception to this cost is an “any other weapon” (AOW). The stamp for an AOW is $5. Fortunately this cost has remained the same.
On the other hand, the quantity of pre-86 ban machine guns is ever-decreasing, and therefore the price is almost constantly going up. Even the most basic of machine guns can cost $10,000. In addition to the cost of the weapon and tax stamp (paid separately), SternFFL charges $50 to transfer the weapon to you. Contact us if you need to transfer an NFA item.
How do I acquire an NFA item?
In order to buy an NFA item you must first have the item transferred to your dealer of choice. That dealer must have paid their SOT in order to perform such a transfer. SternFFL has paid this tax and we are capable of transferring NFA items to you. Once the item arrives, you will fill out ATF Form 4 and send it in to the ATF. It can take the ATF a long time to approve these forms, and unfortunately there is no way around it. It can take months, possibly more than a year for your tax stamp to arrive, so be prepared to wait.