If you own a short-barreled rifle, short-barreled shotgun or other National Firearms Act item, you know the routine before an out-of-state hunting trip or match: file ATF Form 5320.20 and wait for approval before you cross the state line. A rule the ATF proposed in May 2026 would scrap that requirement for most trips.
What the proposal would change
The proposed rule, titled “Interstate Transport and Temporary Export of National Firearms Act Firearms,” was published May 8, 2026. It would:
- End prior approval for trips of 365 days or less. Owners could take a registered NFA firearm across state lines for a trip of up to a year without filing Form 5320.20 or waiting for approval.
- Turn longer moves into a notice. For moves longer than a year, or a permanent relocation, owners would notify ATF at least 14 days ahead but would not have to wait for approval.
- Recognize pass-through travel. Owners could travel through a jurisdiction that bans the item if they follow the federal safe-passage law, 18 U.S.C. 926A.
- Add a carrier step. Anyone shipping an NFA firearm through a common or contract carrier would give the carrier a copy of the registration for each item.
Temporary export out of the country would not change. That would still require Form 5320.20 and approval.
Where it stands
The comment period closed on August 6, 2026. This is still a proposal. Until ATF publishes a final rule with an effective date, the current requirement stands.
That matters more than ever after October 9, when ATF stopped enforcing registration for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs. As Fox News reported, the agency said approval is still required to transport SBRs and SBSs across state lines. Suppressors and AOWs are not covered by the Form 5320.20 requirement in the first place.
What to do before your next trip
- If you are taking an SBR or SBS out of state, file Form 5320.20 and wait for approval, just as before.
- Check the law where you are going. A destination state can ban an item that is legal at home, and federal approval does not override that.
- Keep copies of your paperwork with the firearm when you travel.
- Follow the safe-passage rules: unloaded, not readily accessible, and locked in a container (not the glove box or console) if your vehicle has no separate trunk.
GUN Crusade will update this when ATF publishes a final rule.
This article is news, not legal advice.
