Buying a suppressor has never been easier, especially with companies such as Silencer Shop basically holding your hand and walking you through the entire process, a process that can be daunting and confusing to a first-time buyer, but really isn’t that hard. Even better, where not so long ago, wait times for approvals were taking as long as nine months and sometimes even over a year to secure, they now are occurring in a matter of just a few days. That means you can go from desire, to purchase, to form completion and actually shooting suppressed in less than a week in certain situations.

Here are the steps for easily buying your next suppressor with Silencer Shop.

1. Purchase a Silencer

This is the fun part! The process starts with you purchasing a suppressor of your choice from our website. If you need a hand in deciding which silencer is best for you, we have a dedicated staff available to chat via phone (512-931-4556), email, and online chat. We have also published dedicated blogs of our top picks in each of these categories: 22lr, 9mm, 5.56, 45 ACP, 7.62, Big Bore, and multi cal.

What is an NFA tax stamp? An approved tax stamp is required to own NFA firearms such as gun silencers. This is a $200 federal tax for the purchase of all items regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA). For each suppressor you purchase, you will need to add a suppressor tax stamp to your cart.

On our website, you’ll also choose how you’d like to register: Trust, Individual, or Corporation. The most common way customers file for suppressors is the Silencer Shop Single Shot Trust. It’s a versatile trust and you can easily add responsible parties/trustees, and it is extremely cost-effective: it’s the lowest-priced trust available.

While checking out, you’ll also select a Powered By Silencer Shop dealer, which is the local gun shop that you’ll work with to submit your eForm 4 application to the ATF and ultimately go to when you pick up your silencer.

2. Complete your Silencer Shop Profile

If you’re new to Silencer Shop, visit a Silencer Shop kiosk, and in about 5 minutes, your fingerprint scan and demographic information will be integrated into your Silencer Shop profile. With thousands of silencer kiosks throughout the US, there is likely a dealer local to you. You can also get your silencer in central Texas at our store in Austin.

The kiosk is one and done, once your prints are submitted, you’ll never have to re-scan your fingerprints.

You can also submit your fingerprints using FD-258 fingerprint cards by mailing them to Silencer Shop.

Next, download the Silencer Shop smartphone app, snap a selfie and upload it to your profile. You’ll need to take a “passport-style” photo. Look straight ahead, shoulders up, no headwear, scarves, or sunglasses, and preferably against a neutral-colored background.

3. Sign the Electronic Document

Silencer Shop will email a document with all of your relevant information to you.

Please review all of the information for accuracy and digitally sign the file from your computer or mobile device.

4. Create an ATF eForms account

Register for your ATF eForms account. Ensure that all of your information matches exactly to your Silencer Shop profile.

Your email, full name and address MUST match your Silencer Shop profile information exactly.

What is ATF eForm? eForms is the submission process for submitting your electronic Form 4 (“eForm 4”) to the ATF. There is no cost to create an ATF eForms account.

5. Ready to Certify and Submit to the ATF

You’ll receive an email from  Silencer Shop with the subject line “Ready to Certify”  This email also includes the phone number of your local Powered by Silencer Shop dealer.

Set up and time to certify, and you and your dealer will submit the form to the ATF for processing.

That’s it! You’re on your way to silencer ownership.

For more insight into what is the average wait time for a suppressor? Check out our ATF wait time tracker.