State suppressor law

Arkansas Suppressor Laws in 2026: Off the Prohibited-Weapons List Since 2019

By Cole Harlan, EditorUpdated Oct 26, 2026How we verifyEditorial standards

Arkansas used to make it a felony to possess a "firearm specially made or specially adapted for silent discharge" unless you complied with federal law. In 2019 the Legislature took suppressors, sawed-off shotguns and rifles, and machine guns off that list. That's why ATF's October 9, 2026 decision to stop enforcing NFA registration for suppressors and SBRs doesn't run into an Arkansas registration requirement. Here's the statute before and after, what Attorney General Tim Griffin has said, and the hunting question we couldn't settle.

Not legal advice. This page summarizes Arkansas acts and statutes, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regulations, an Attorney General statement and federal guidance as of the date above. Some of it is our reading of the statute's wording, and we say where. Talk to your dealer or an Arkansas attorney if you're unsure.

The short answer

Suppressors are legal to own in Arkansas. Since Act 1051 of 2019, A.C.A. 5-73-104 (criminal use of prohibited weapons) lists only a bomb, metal knuckles and an "implement for the infliction of serious physical injury or death that serves no lawful purpose."
SBRs and SBSs are off the list too. The same act removed "Sawed-off shotgun or rifle," and we found no other Arkansas offense tied to them.
The 2019 NFA date in the statute applies to listed items. Section 5-73-104(b) excuses items that comply with the NFA "as either existed on January 1, 2019." In our reading, suppressors and short-barreled guns aren't covered because they aren't listed anymore. See below.
Hunting with a suppressor: not verified. We found no rule in the Game and Fish Commission's code that addresses suppressors either way.
Federal rules that didn't change still apply: Form 4473 and a background check at the dealer, and Form 20 approval before taking an SBR or SBS across state lines.

What Act 1051 of 2019 changed

House Bill 1820 became Act 1051 of 2019. Its title is "An Act Concerning Firearms; Concerning Firearm Noise Suppressors and Machine Guns; Concerning Compliance with the National Firearms Act; and for Other Purposes." Earlier that session, Senate Bill 400 (Act 495 of 2019) amended the same section.

Before 2019, 5-73-104(a) made it a crime to knowingly use, possess, make, repair, sell or deal in a bomb, a machine gun, a "Sawed-off shotgun or rifle," a "Firearm specially made or specially adapted for silent discharge," metal knuckles, or another implement that serves no lawful purpose. A bomb, machine gun or silent-discharge firearm was a Class B felony.

The current section, as codified after both 2019 acts, reads:

"(a) A person commits the offense of criminal use of prohibited weapons if, except as authorized by law, he or she knowingly uses, possesses, makes, repairs, sells, or otherwise deals in any: (1) Bomb; (2) Metal knuckles; or (3) Other implement for the infliction of serious physical injury or death that serves no lawful purpose."

The penalty section now makes it a Class B felony only "if the weapon is a bomb," a Class A misdemeanor for possessing metal knuckles, and a Class D felony otherwise. Act 1051 also removed sawed-off and short-barreled guns from 5-73-109, the law against furnishing a deadly weapon to a minor. The current version lists handguns, explosive or incendiary devices, metal knuckles, defaced firearms and implements with no lawful purpose.

The January 1, 2019 clause

Subsection (b) says the section "does not apply if the person uses, possesses, makes, repairs, sells, or otherwise deals in an item described in this section that is in compliance with the National Firearms Act, 26 U.S.C. §§ 5801 — 5861, or other applicable federal law, as either existed on January 1, 2019."

That clause freezes the federal law Arkansas looks at, so later federal changes don't change who the exception covers. That's our reading, not a court's or the Attorney General's. But the clause only covers "an item described in this section," and suppressors and short-barreled guns no longer are. On the statute's face, Arkansas doesn't make NFA registration a condition of owning them, which is the opposite of states like Ohio, where the exception is written around the federal registry.

Machine guns are no longer in 5-73-104 either, but federal law still bans civilian possession of machine guns made after May 19, 1986 (18 U.S.C. 922(o)). ATF's October 9 change doesn't cover them.

What the Attorney General has said

On September 4, 2026, Attorney General Tim Griffin co-led a letter to congressional leaders with Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Eighteen more attorneys general signed it. Griffin said: "In Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF, a federal district court correctly held that certain provisions of the National Firearms Act exceed Congress's taxing power and are therefore unconstitutional. But the ruling is limited: it does not repeal those provisions and protects only certain parties from enforcement. Today, we urge Congress to repeal those provisions so they cannot be enforced against anyone."

ATF has since stopped enforcing those provisions nationwide, but Congress hasn't repealed them. We haven't found an Arkansas Attorney General statement issued after October 9, or a 2026 Arkansas bill about suppressors. Follow the case on our Silencer Shop explainer and the NFA lawsuit tracker.

What federal law still requires

ATF's October 9 open letter stops enforcement of NFA approval and registration for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs. It doesn't touch the Gun Control Act, so:

Dealers still run a Form 4473 and NICS check and keep records, and prohibited persons still can't possess these items.
Interstate travel with an SBR or SBS still needs Form 20 approval under 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(4), registered or not. Suppressors don't need a Form 20. See SBR rules 2026.
A voluntary Form 4 or Form 1 is still available at $0 tax. ATF says it will keep processing them. See NFA wait times.

Hunting with a suppressor in Arkansas

We haven't confirmed Arkansas's hunting rule on suppressors. Here's what we checked on October 26, 2026. The Game and Fish Commission's Code 05.08 (prohibited methods) and chapter 06.00 (killing devices, firearms and ammunition) don't mention suppressors. Neither does the Commission's deer-specific regulations page. We found no rule saying yes and none saying no.

That's an absence, not an authorization, so before you hunt with a can, check with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission or a wildlife officer.

What to do if you live in Arkansas

Buying a suppressor: a dealer can sell on a Form 4473 and NICS check. Arkansas law doesn't add anything.
SBRs and SBSs: no state offense since 2019, but federal rules still apply, including the dealer-sale gap explained on our SBR page and Form 20 for travel.
Want extra certainty? A voluntary $0 Form 4 puts the item on the federal registry. Arkansas doesn't require it.
Hunting: check with Game and Fish first, as explained above.

Arkansas has 83,494 registered suppressors, according to ATF registry data obtained by the American Suppressor Association. Compare Oklahoma and Texas next door, or every state in the 2026 State Gun Law Scorecard.

Frequently asked questions

Are suppressors legal in Arkansas in 2026?

Yes. Act 1051 of 2019 removed "firearm specially made or specially adapted for silent discharge" from Arkansas's prohibited-weapons law (A.C.A. 5-73-104). Federally, ATF stopped enforcing NFA approval and registration for suppressors on October 9, 2026; a Form 4473 and background check are still required at the dealer.

Does Arkansas require NFA registration for a suppressor?

We found no Arkansas requirement. Section 5-73-104(b)'s NFA exception, fixed to federal law as of January 1, 2019, covers only items still listed in that section, and suppressors aren't. That's our reading of the text, not a court ruling.

Are SBRs and short-barreled shotguns legal in Arkansas?

Arkansas removed "sawed-off shotgun or rifle" from 5-73-104 in 2019, and we found no other state offense. Federal rules still apply, including Form 20 approval before taking one across state lines.

Can you hunt with a suppressor in Arkansas?

We haven't confirmed it. The Game and Fish Commission's prohibited-methods and firearms rules don't mention suppressors either way. Check with the Commission before you hunt with one.

Sources

Supplementary sources

News reports, advocacy groups, dealer practice and unofficial copies. They add context or report statements; the primary sources above control.

American Suppressor Association via NASGW: The Suppressor Map, state counts from ATF FOIA request 2026-01285 (May 2026) (industry group)