For a few years now, we’ve heard talk about the Hearing Protection Act. It has promised to make silencer ownership easy and free of burdensome paperwork, expensive tax stamps, and Federal registration. However, like many bills that promise to reform government and reduce the power of the ATF, there are a lot of rumors, questions, and confusion.
If, like many gun owners, you are wondering about the Hearing Protection Act – where it came from, what is the current status and has it actually passed – here’s some more information to help you understand what was proposed and what happened.
2025 Update
In the Spring of 2025, the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) reentered the conversation within the firearms community as a possible amendment to President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which is currently being worked on in Congress. Overall, HPA is a very small piece of the comprehensive bill, but gun rights advocates are optimistic that this may be a real opportunity to begin deregulating suppressors and potentially remove them from the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and its associated restrictions and regulations.
On Thursday, May 22, the House passed a bill that included in its amendments both the HPA and a provision that would reduce the cost of suppressor tax stamps from $200 down to $0. Including both amendments would seem to give gun owners the greatest possibility for a legislative victory, however the ultimate disposition of 2A initiatives is far from decided. While the House has passed this legislation, it still needs to move through the Senate and be signed into law.
What that means for our customers is that there is no change to the current suppressor buying process, expected wait times, or to-your-door delivery through Silencer Central. For now, suppressors are still regulated under the National Firearms Act until final legislation is passed and signed into law. We’re hopeful and encouraged by this progress, but it’s not final yet. Even if the bill passes the Senate, implementation will take time, potentially into early 2026.
Silencer Central continues to closely monitor the ongoing congressional hearings surrounding the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) as well as the provision for a $0 tax stamp. Our priority, as always, is our customers; we remain focused on delivering exceptional service and premium products.
What is The Hearing Protection Act?
The Hearing Protection Act was a bill first introduced in Congress in 2017 that sought to remove silencers from the purview of the National Firearms Act of 1934. This would have done away with the Federal registration of silencers and allowed them to be sold by any FFL and subject to the same background check as common firearms.
Many gun owners believed with the Republican Party controlling the White House and all of Congress, the Hearing Protection Act would quickly pass. However, it did not gain the traction many hoped for, and it became a symbol of the Republican Party failing to advance the interests of gun owners in Congress when they had the chance.
Had it passed, silencers would be freely sold by any FFL holder and transferred on an ATF form 4473 just like a rifle or shotgun. It was hoped that this deregulation would increase silencer ownership and put the United States on par with many European nations that encourage or require the use of silencers in many shooting and hunting situations. Apparently, this is the one piece of European-style gun legislation that did not sit well with the anti-gun left.
Silencer Central is a supporter of the HPA concept. We also would seek dissolvement of the $200 tax at the same time, we realize the Federal Government never likes to give up a tax. Customer demand for silencers would increase exponentially; which is would be a huge win for the 2nd Amendment Community.
The Future of Silencer Laws
To be honest, we don't know what will happen with silencer laws going forward. It is rapidly changing on an almost daily rate. Historically, things have moved at a snail's pace, so stay tuned.
The GOP never passed the Hearing Protection Act when they have had the chance. Getting the public and Congress willing to have a sane, rational discussion about silencers doesn’t seem to be something that will be happening anytime soon. For the moment, we have to chalk the Hearing Protection Act up as another victim of a highly divided America that can’t seem to agree on anything, no matter who is in charge.
We’d like to see sensible NFA reform but folks have been saying that since 1934, so, unfortunately, there is little reason to expect it any time soon.
How to Buy a Silencer (Right Now)
There are two ways you can get a silencer right now, instead of hoping for a revival of the Hearing Protection Act.
You can use an ATF Form 1 to make and register your own silencer. When filed electronically in the name of a trust, approval takes a couple of months. There are a lot of mostly functional “solvent trap” kits that will let you make a silencer that works, although it is difficult to achieve high levels of sound reduction and precision drilling in most home workshops.
Or, you can buy a ready-made, guaranteed, and factory-built silencer from Silencer Central.
We’re licensed in all 42 US States where silencer ownership is legal. We also offer a direct shipping program where you can do the entire silencer purchase by mail, and even get your silencer mailed directly to you!
We include a totally free NFA gun trust with your purchase and are the home of the all-titanium, multi-caliber, user-serviceable BANISH Suppressor line of suppressors.
Check out our product line, and if you aren’t sure which suppressor is right for you, drop us a line, and one of our expert staff will work with you to find the right suppressor for any application, from rimfire to shotgun!
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.
