Form 4 vs Form 4473 for Suppressors: What’s the Difference?

What is ATF Form 4?

ATF Form 5320.4, called the Form 4, is the application to transfer an NFA firearm that is already registered and pay the transfer tax. For decades it was the only legal way for a private buyer to get a suppressor from a dealer. A Form 4 buyer submits:

• Personal information and a passport-style photo
• Fingerprints (on paper cards or digitally, for example through a Silencer Shop kiosk)
• Notice to the chief law enforcement officer where the buyer lives
• The tax payment, now $0 for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs

The dealer can’t release the item until ATF approves the form, which historically took anywhere from days to many months. The item is then recorded in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

What is ATF Form 4473?

The Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record, is the form you fill out any time you buy a gun from a licensed dealer. It records your identity and your answers to eligibility questions, and the dealer runs a NICS background check. If the check proceeds, you take the firearm home. There’s no federal registration and no ATF approval step. See our Form 4473 guide for the questions line by line.

Form 4 vs 4473 side by side

Which form does a suppressor need in Indiana now?

Since August 13, 2026, a federal court injunction in Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF has blocked enforcement of NFA registration for covered parties: the plaintiffs, their members and their customers. Indiana is a plaintiff state. Silencer Shop says suppressors and AOWs that originate from Silencer Shop and are bought in any of 27 free states, including Indiana, now transfer on a 4473 with a NICS check.

So in practice:

• Suppressor bought through Silencer Shop or a Powered by Silencer Shop dealer in Indiana: Form 4473.
• SBR or SBS: Form 4. Silencer Shop says the Form 4 is currently the only form ATF offers for approving these dealer transfers.
• Suppressor from a company or distributor that isn’t covered: possibly still a Form 4, unless you’re covered another way.
• Machine guns and destructive devices: full NFA process, with a $200 tax.

Silencer Shop also notes that each dealer decides its own process. Condition Red Tactical is a Powered by Silencer Shop dealer; our 4473 suppressor guide walks through what to bring.

Why would anyone still choose a Form 4?

A few reasons come up:

• You want the item owned by an NFA trust or a company. A 4473 transfer is to one individual.
• You live in, or plan to move to, a state that still requires the NFA process under state law.
• The item isn’t covered by the injunction.
• You want a federal registration record for your own peace of mind.

We cover the trust question in Is an NFA trust still worth it?

Do I still fill out a 4473 on a Form 4 purchase?

Yes. Even when an item goes through a Form 4, you complete a 4473 at the dealer when you pick it up after ATF approval. The difference is that on a covered suppressor purchase in Indiana, the 4473 and background check are now the whole process instead of the last step of a longer one.

What happens to suppressors already approved on a Form 4?

They remain on the NFA registry. The ruling doesn’t erase existing records. Keep your approved Form 4 with the suppressor’s paperwork.

Can the rules change again?

Yes. The ruling is from one federal district court, it protects specific parties, and state laws still apply. News reports in mid-September 2026 said the Justice Department won’t appeal, but ATF or Congress could still act. Call us at (317) 967-7172 before you buy and we’ll tell you which form your purchase needs.

This guide reflects the law and Silencer Shop’s published process as of late September 2026. The ruling is recent, it applies to specific parties, and the rules can change. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your eligibility with us before you buy.