Overview

• On August 1, 2025, gun-rights coalitions including the NRA and American Suppressor Association sued the ATF and Department of Justice in Missouri federal court to overturn National Firearms Act registration requirements.
• They argue that President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which zeroed out $200 taxes on suppressors and short-barreled firearms starting January 1, 2026, stripped Congress’s authority to demand fingerprints, fees and lengthy approvals.
• The complaint cites Supreme Court decisions Sonzinsky v. United States (1937) and Hayne v. U.S. (1968) as establishing that NFA registration provisions rely solely on Congress’s taxing power.
• Plaintiffs highlight that mandatory registration imposes intrusive data collection and monthslong ATF processing, deterring many lawful owners and firearm dealers, particularly those serving Black communities.
• The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief and is expected to prompt a protracted judicial review that could ultimately reach the Supreme Court.