How to Buy a Suppressor in Minnesota

You can own, buy and hunt with a suppressor in Minnesota, and short-barreled rifles and AOWs are legal too. Minnesota bans short-barreled shotguns and machine guns outside narrow exceptions, such as collector's items the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) approves. You can order a suppressor online from anywhere in the state, and once ATF approves your Form 4, it ships to your door.

We transfer every NFA item in Minnesota on a Form 4, and we recommend it because ATF's October 9 change is a policy of not enforcing the NFA, not a change in the law. We don't offer 4473 transfers in Minnesota at this time, but we may in the near future. If you'd like a suppressor, SBR or AOW on a 4473 now, we'll ship it to a Minnesota dealer near you for the transfer.

The federal tax is $0 on suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs and $200 on machine guns and destructive devices. The sections below explain Minnesota law for each NFA item, our transfer options, and the hunting rules.

Minnesota NFA Laws at a Glance

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1. We don't offer 4473 transfers in Minnesota at this time, but we may in the near future. For a 4473 now, we can ship to a Minnesota dealer near you.
2. Form 4 orders ship to your Minnesota door after ATF approval. Destructive devices ship to a Minnesota dealer.
3. Minnesota's hunting rules have some exceptions. It's up to you to make sure you're in compliance before you hunt.
4. Minnesota law doesn't tie these items to federal registration.
5. Banned outside narrow exceptions, such as collector's items the BCA approves.
6. Minnesota bans explosive and incendiary devices outside narrow exceptions.

Form 4 in Minnesota

On October 9, ATF announced that, for the time being, it won't enforce the NFA for items with a $0 tax: suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and AOWs (ATF open letter). That could change. Minnesota law doesn't require a Form 4 for a suppressor, SBR or AOW, so one can go on a 4473 when the buyer picks it up in person at a dealer. We don't offer pickup in Minnesota, and shipping a 4473 to your home under ATF Procedure 2020-1 takes a qualifying carry permit. ATF doesn't accept Minnesota's permit to carry or transferee permit as an alternative to a NICS background check. To use a 4473 now, pick a Minnesota dealer near you at checkout, and we'll ship it there for the transfer. We still recommend a Form 4, since the NFA itself is unchanged.

With a Form 4:

• Federal Tax Is $0 on a suppressor, SBR or AOW.
• Current Form 4 Wait Times: In August 2026, ATF averaged 6 days for individual eForm 4s and 20 days for trusts. See our current approval times.
• Trusts: a Form 4 is the only way a trust can own an item, and each trustee you name can possess it.
• Future Orders Require Just a Signature. Your photo and prints stay on file.

A Form 4 also records the item in your name or your trust's name, which matters if ATF starts enforcing the NFA again. The risks are laid out on our 4473 vs. Form 4 page.

Minnesota Suppressor Laws

Are suppressors legal in Minnesota? Yes. Minnesota legalized suppressors in 2015. Its law now allows a suppressor as long as it's lawfully possessed under federal law (Minn. Stat. 609.66), and no Minnesota law requires a state license, permit or registration for one. That goes for rifle, pistol and shotgun suppressors.

Before August 1, 2015, Minnesota let only police tactical teams, some DNR wildlife control staff and licensed dealers selling to government agencies, the military or other licensees have one. Today's law doesn't use the word "registered," so Minnesota isn't one of the 14 states that tie suppressor ownership to registration. Our suppressor laws by state page covers the rest of the country.

Minnesota SBR and SBS Laws

Are SBRs legal in Minnesota? Yes. Minnesota's short-barrel ban covers shotguns, not rifles (Minn. Stat. 609.67), so state law doesn't ban short-barreled rifles. AOWs are legal too, and Minnesota's gun laws don't mention them.

Minnesota's definition of a pistol includes a rifle with a barrel under 16 inches, a shotgun with a barrel under 18 inches and a one-handed firearm under 26 inches overall, so it covers SBRs and most AOWs (Minn. Stat. 624.712). A dealer transferring one has to report the transfer to the buyer's local police chief or sheriff and wait up to 30 days before delivering it, unless the buyer shows a Minnesota permit to carry or transferee permit (Minn. Stat. 624.7132). On a Form 4, our recommendation, we ship an SBR or AOW to your Minnesota home. On a 4473, we ship it to a Minnesota dealer near you.

Short-barreled shotguns are a different story. Minnesota bans owning or possessing one. The exceptions cover law enforcement, correctional facilities, licensed dealers and manufacturers in limited cases, and shotguns the BCA superintendent determines are collector's items, relics or curiosities not likely to be used as weapons. Those owners have to report them to the BCA within 10 days.

New to short-barreled rifles? Read our SBR & SBS Buying Guide or browse short-barreled rifles.

Machine Guns and Destructive Devices in Minnesota

Can you own a machine gun in Minnesota? Only in narrow cases. Minnesota bans owning, possessing or operating a machine gun, trigger activator or machine gun conversion kit. The same exceptions as for short-barreled shotguns apply to machine guns, including machine guns the BCA superintendent determines are collector's items, relics or curiosities, and collector's item owners have to report the machine gun to the BCA within 10 days. Ammunition makers testing ammunition for government sales are also exempt (Minn. Stat. 609.67).

Federally, ATF's October 9 change left machine guns fully under the NFA with the $200 tax, and civilians can own only transferable machine guns lawfully registered before May 19, 1986 (18 U.S.C. 922(o)).

Minnesota also bans explosive and incendiary devices, such as bombs, grenades, rockets with more than four ounces of propellant and mines. The exceptions cover groups like law enforcement and licensed dealers, plus devices the commissioner of public safety determines are collector's items or relics. Those owners have to file a report with the Department of Public Safety first and follow the federal registration rules (Minn. Stat. 609.668). Large-bore destructive devices that aren't explosive or incendiary devices fall outside that law. Destructive devices ship to a Minnesota dealer, who handles the transfer.

Hunting With NFA Items in Minnesota

Can you hunt with a suppressor in Minnesota? Yes. The same 2015 law that legalized suppressors repealed the silencer ban in Minnesota's game laws, and the DNR's 2026 hunting regulations don't mention suppressors. You can put a suppressor on any firearm that's legal for the animal you're hunting.

• Deer, bear and other big game: Rifles, shotguns and handguns have to be .22 caliber or larger with centerfire ignition, loaded only with single-projectile, soft-point or expanding ammunition. Smooth-bore muzzleloaders have to be .45 caliber or larger, and rifled muzzleloaders .40 or larger (Minn. Stat. 97B.031). Minnesota repealed its shotgun-only deer zone in 2025, though counties in the former zone can stay shotgun-only by ordinance.
• Turkey: Shotguns and muzzleloading shotguns have to be 10 gauge or smaller and use No. 4 or smaller shot.
• Rabbits, squirrels, grouse and other small game: Handguns are legal for most small game, but pheasants and Hungarian partridge can be taken with a rifle or handgun only in .22 rimfire. No firearm larger than 10 gauge is legal for any protected wild animal.
• Coyotes: Coyotes are unprotected in Minnesota, so you can take them at any time and in any manner without a license, except with artificial lights or by using a vehicle to chase them. From January 1 to March 15, you can hunt coyotes and foxes at night with a handheld light if you're on foot, using a shotgun and a calling device, out of the road right-of-way and at least 200 feet from a vehicle. Night vision and thermal are legal for coyotes and foxes, except during the regular firearms deer season.
• Firearms during deer season: From five days before the November firearms deer opener through the second day after it closes, you can't have a firearm or ammunition outdoors where deer can be taken by firearm. During the season, a licensed big game hunter can carry a legal big game firearm. Other exceptions include a cased or trunked unloaded firearm, a shotgun with No. 4 buckshot or smaller, a .22 or .17 rimfire, and a handgun carried under a permit to carry.
• Ducks, geese and other migratory game birds: Federal rules ban rifles, pistols, machine guns and shotguns larger than 10 gauge, and shotguns have to be plugged to three shells (50 CFR 20.21). Minnesota requires nontoxic shot for ducks, geese, mergansers, coots, sandhill cranes and gallinules, and waterfowl hours end at sunset.
• Hours, lights and night vision: Big game can be taken from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset. You can't shine a light to spot or take a wild animal while you have a firearm or bow. Outside the coyote and fox exceptions above, you also can't have night vision or thermal while hunting or while you have a firearm or bow with you, unless the gun is unloaded, cased and in a closed trunk.
• Vehicles and roads: You can't take a wild animal with a firearm or bow from a motor vehicle without a disability permit, or shoot at big game on, over, across or within the right-of-way of an improved public highway.
• Machine guns: Minnesota bans most machine guns outright, and federal rules ban them for migratory birds.

This hunting information is a general guide. Each hunter is responsible for confirming it's correct and current before hunting, since the DNR can change the rules each season. Check the current DNR hunting regulations before you hunt.

How Buying Works in Minnesota

At checkout, choose a Form 4 and home delivery to your Minnesota address. You won't pay a transfer fee on items you buy from us.

Read every step in our guide on how to buy a suppressor.

Serving Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth and All of Minnesota

We serve buyers across Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, Rochester, St. Cloud and Duluth. We keep hundreds of suppressors in stock, including brands and models many local gun stores don't carry. Call us if you'd like help choosing one for your rifle, pistol or shotgun.

Once we have all your information, we file your eForm 4 within 24 hours. ATF could approve it in just a few days (see our current approval times), and then your order ships to your Minnesota address following approved ATF Procedure 2020-1. You won't need a trip to a gun store to finish the transfer, and we've been shipping suppressors straight to customers' homes for more than 10 years.

Questions? Call (512) 879-1068  ·  Shop in-stock suppressors

Why Minnesota Buyers Choose Capitol Armory

Minnesota Suppressor and NFA Questions

How do you buy a suppressor in Minnesota in 2026?

Order online and choose a Form 4 at checkout, our recommendation. We take care of the paperwork and ship to your Minnesota address following approved ATF Procedure 2020-1. A Form 4 order ships after ATF approves it, which could take only a few days. See our current approval times.

Can I buy a suppressor in Minnesota?

Yes. Minnesota legalized suppressors in 2015, and no state permit is required. We sell suppressors online and ship them to your Minnesota door on a Form 4, our recommendation, or to a Minnesota dealer near you for a 4473.

Can I buy a suppressor on a 4473 in Minnesota?

Minnesota law allows it. We don't offer 4473 transfers in Minnesota at this time, but we may in the near future. A 4473 shipped to your home takes a qualifying carry permit, and ATF doesn't accept Minnesota's permit to carry or transferee permit as an alternative to a NICS background check. For a 4473 now, we can ship to a Minnesota dealer near you for the transfer. We still recommend a Form 4, because ATF's change is a policy of not enforcing the NFA, not a change in the law.

What do I need to buy a suppressor in Minnesota?

You need to be at least 21 and legally able to buy a firearm, and you can buy in your own name or through an NFA trust. Minnesota doesn't require a permit to carry, a transferee permit or any state license to buy a suppressor.

Do I need a tax stamp for a suppressor in Minnesota?

Not under ATF's current policy. On October 9, ATF announced that, for the time being, it won't enforce the NFA for items with a $0 tax, meaning suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs. That makes a Form 4 voluntary for those items for now. We still recommend it because of the uncertainty and because the law didn't change. ATF is just choosing not to enforce it. In Minnesota, we ship to your home on a Form 4 or to a dealer near you for a 4473. Machine guns and destructive devices still carry the $200 tax.

Can you hunt with a suppressor in Minnesota?

Yes. Minnesota's 2015 suppressor law also repealed the silencer ban in its game laws, and the DNR's hunting regulations don't mention suppressors. For deer, rifles, shotguns and handguns have to be .22 caliber or larger with centerfire ignition and single-projectile, soft-point or expanding ammunition.

Are SBRs legal in Minnesota?

Yes. Minnesota's short-barrel ban covers shotguns, not rifles. Minnesota's pistol definition includes SBRs, though, so a dealer has to report the transfer to your local police chief or sheriff and wait up to 30 days unless you have a Minnesota permit to carry or transferee permit. Short-barreled shotguns are banned outside narrow exceptions.

Can you own a machine gun in Minnesota?

Only in narrow cases. Minnesota bans machine guns, trigger activators and conversion kits, with exceptions for groups like law enforcement and for machine guns the BCA superintendent determines are collector's items, relics or curiosities. Collector's item owners have to report them to the BCA within 10 days. Federally, civilians can own only transferable machine guns lawfully registered before May 19, 1986.