Government Shutdown: How it Affects the ATF and Suppressor Purchases
October 1, 2025Posted by derrek.sigler
Together with our legal team and industry experts, Silencer Central leadership is monitoring the situation closely.
On October 1, 2025 at 12:01 a.m., Congress and the White House failed to pass appropriations or a continuing resolution to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2026 and effectively entered a shutdown period. The ATF’s NFA branch is part of the federal government deemed “nonessential,” and we are expecting delays in the processing of Form 2s, 3s, and 4s for the duration of the shutdown.
However, we will still be able to certify and submit these to the ATF as normal. Once the government is funded again, the ATF staff will resume processing in the order they were received.
What should you do?
Don't worry! Any applications already submitted remain in the ATF’s system. They won’t be lost or canceled because of a shutdown. Once the government is funded again, ATF staff will resume processing in the order they were received.
If you haven’t submitted yet, we recommend moving forward. This ensures your paperwork is in line and ready once ATF processing resumes.
How long will this be?
We can't provide any estimates on how long that may take at this time. It is entirely controlled by the Federal Government and the ATF.
While we have a strong inventory, we do anticipate supply chain issues, as this shutdown may have a direct impact upon suppressor companies transferring new inventory to us. We will keep you informed through www.silencercentral.com on inventory levels and will do our best to get things caught up when normal business resumes.
Our Ongoing Commitment
At Silencer Central, we've been monitoring the situation closely, recognizing that such uncertainties can have a direct impact on your suppressor purchases. Your trust and support are of utmost importance to us, and we will do everything within our power to ensure a smooth and efficient process for your suppressor purchases.
We will keep you posted as things develop through our website, email, and social media channels. When we know something, you will, too!
Thank you for your continued trust in Silencer Central.
That's a great question. We know many of our customers are wondering the same thing. No, the ATF shutdown doesn't cancel your application for approval. Regular approvals will resume once the shutdown is lifted, and the ATF will process the paperwork in the order it was received.
No, you don't need to do anything. If you have applications in the system, things will resume once the shutdown ends.
Silencer Central will do our best to keep you informed and will be in touch with any information we receive. We realize it is a frustrating situation and just know, we are in the same boat you are. We will keep you informed!
Necessary updates will be posted to www.silencercentral.com and may be communicated to customers directly affected by email and/or phone.
Know we share your disappointment and frustration. Our leadership and legal team is working with industry leaders and our representatives directly to monitor the situation. We will keep you informed.
While many suppressors can be used on several different caliber firearms, we have some specific models that can make your shooting more enjoyable. Pick the caliber that you have in mind. If you don’t see your caliber, pick one close to it to see our recommendations.
