Texas Judge Strikes Down Suppressor Tax and Registration, Prompting Gun-Rights Pushback
U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix ruled that the National Firearms Act’s paperwork and $200 tax for suppressors are unconstitutional, and the decision became effective on August 13 after the Justice Department declined to extend the stay.
On August 5, U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix declared the National Firearms Act’s registration and $200 tax for suppressors and related weapons unconstitutional, a ruling that took effect at 1:00 a.m. EDT on August 13 after the Justice Department chose not to seek a stay. The judge based his 66-page opinion on Congress’s July 2025 action that reduced the tax to zero, concluding that the remaining paperwork exceeded congressional authority.
Gun-rights advocates celebrated the decision, noting that dealers can now sell suppressors without the former NFA burdens. Brady United President Kris Brown labeled the move a systematic erosion of safeguards that had lowered crime, calling the devices “silencers” and their supporters the “Assassin Lobby.” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy countered, arguing that silencers aid mass shooters and urging continued regulation. The Fifth Circuit had previously ruled that suppressors fall under the Second Amendment but allowed a conviction for unregistered possession, likening the NFA to a “shall-issue” concealed-carry system.
Why it matters
The ruling removes tax and paperwork barriers for suppressors, reshaping federal gun-control policy and sparking debate over public safety.
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