State SBR law

Are short-barreled rifles legal in Indiana? (2026)

By Cole Harlan, EditorUpdated Oct 28, 2026How we verifyEditorial standards

We found no short-barreled rifle provision in IC 35-47-5, Indiana's controlled weapons chapter. The chapter makes owning a machine gun a felony, but it says nothing about SBRs, and its old sawed-off shotgun section is repealed. Federal rules still apply, and this page covers both.

Not legal advice. This page summarizes Indiana statutes and federal guidance as of the date above. Local rules and your own circumstances can matter. Check with your dealer or an Indiana attorney if you're unsure.

The short answer

No SBR offense found. We read IC 35-47-5 and found no short-barreled rifle provision in it.
No sawed-off shotgun section either. Section 35-47-5-4.1 is repealed.
Penalty under state law: none found for an SBR. Machine guns are different and carry felony penalties.
Federal law still applies. See Federal process in 2026 below.
One open question: the handgun definition in IC 35-47-1-6 reaches any firearm with a short barrel or short overall length. How Indiana applies it to SBRs is Not yet verified.

The statute

IC 35-47-5 is titled Prohibited Instruments of Violence. Read the full chapter on the Indiana General Assembly site. We found no SBR provision in the sections we read. What the chapter does cover includes knives, machine guns, armor-piercing ammunition and body armor. The provisions that show how it treats firearms:

Sec. 8: "A person who knowingly or intentionally owns or possesses a machine gun commits a Level 5 felony."

Sec. 9: "A person who knowingly or intentionally operates a loaded machine gun commits a Level 4 felony."

Sec. 4.1: "Repealed by P.L.84-2015, SEC.4."

Section 4.1 was the old sawed-off shotgun section. Its history line shows it was added in 1990 and repealed by P.L.84-2015.

How Indiana defines an SBR

The Indiana statutes we read have no SBR definition. Federal law (26 U.S.C. 5845) uses the 16-inch barrel and 26-inch overall length lines.

The closest Indiana text is the handgun definition in IC 35-47-1-6. It covers "any firearm" that has either of these features:

"a barrel less than sixteen (16) inches in length"

"an overall length of less than twenty-six (26) inches"

Those numbers match the federal lines. The definition does not say SBR, and we have not verified how Indiana applies it to a short-barreled rifle. Read the Article 47 definitions.

Penalty

None found for an SBR under Indiana law. For comparison, owning a machine gun is a Level 5 felony under section 8, and operating a loaded one is a Level 4 felony under section 9. Neither section mentions SBRs.

Is legality tied to federal registration?

Not for SBRs, as far as we read. IC 35-47-5 has no SBR offense for a registration exception to apply to. The chapter does refer to the federal registry for machine guns. Section 10 lists people and items that sections 8 and 9 do not apply to, and item (9) covers a machine gun or "another item; not required to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record". Those exemptions are written for sections 8 and 9, which are the machine gun offenses. Whether they reach anything else is Not yet verified.

ATF's October 9, 2026 open letter says it stopped enforcing Form 1 and Form 4 approval and registration for SBRs, SBSs, suppressors and AOWs. Voluntary forms are still processed. We found no Indiana Attorney General or state police statement on SBRs, so how the state wording applies to an unregistered SBR is untested. Our Indiana suppressor guide covers the related state questions.

Hunting

SBR-specific hunting rules: Not yet verified. Per our suppressor guide, Indiana DNR says suppressors are legal for deer hunting as long as the hunter is in compliance with federal law.

Other laws that interact

Handgun definition and licensing. Because IC 35-47-1-6 reaches any firearm with a short barrel or short overall length, the handgun chapters could matter to SBR owners. Chapter 35-47-2 (Regulation of Handguns) includes a carry-license rule. How it applies to an SBR: Not yet verified.
NFA firearm certification. IC 35-47-8.5 defines "NFA firearm" as "a firearm as defined in 26 U.S.C. 5845(a)". If a chief law enforcement officer's certification is required by federal law, the officer "shall issue the certification not later than fifteen (15) days after receipt of a completed request for certification" unless the applicant is prohibited from having a firearm or is the subject of a proceeding that could lead to that. Whether federal law requires certification for you today: Not yet verified.
Shotguns. No current state sawed-off shotgun section in IC 35-47-5, since section 4.1 is repealed.
Minors, concealment and manufacturing. Not yet verified for SBRs.

Braced pistols

The state statutes cited here don't mention pistol braces. For the federal side, see our pistol brace guide.

Federal process in 2026

The making and transfer tax on SBRs has been $0 since January 1, 2026.
ATF stopped Form 1 and Form 4 enforcement on October 9. Voluntary forms are still processed. See NFA wait times.
Dealers use a Form 4473 and NICS check. ATF won't enforce 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(4) "Until final rules are issued."
"For now," interstate transport still needs an approved Form 20 (18 U.S.C. 922(a)(4)).
A dealer can't sell where state law forbids it (18 U.S.C. 922(b)(2)).

ATF says there is no automatic grandfathering if enforcement resumes. Full detail is on our SBR rules 2026 page, and you can compare states with the state NFA checker.

Checked against the official statute text on October 28, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Are short-barreled rifles legal in Indiana?

We found no short-barreled rifle provision in IC 35-47-5, Indiana's controlled weapons chapter, and no penalty for an SBR. Federal rules still apply. Confirm with an attorney, since we did not verify every Indiana statute.

Did Indiana repeal its sawed-off shotgun law?

Yes. IC 35-47-5-4.1, the old sawed-off shotgun section, now reads Repealed by P.L.84-2015, SEC.4.

Does an Indiana SBR have to be registered under the NFA?

We found no Indiana SBR offense that depends on registration. The chapter refers to the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record only in the machine gun exemptions in section 10. How Indiana treats an unregistered SBR after ATF's October 9, 2026 change is Not yet verified.

Does Indiana define a short-barreled rifle?

Not in the sections we read. The handgun definition in IC 35-47-1-6 covers any firearm with a barrel under sixteen inches or an overall length under twenty-six inches. How it applies to SBRs is Not yet verified.

Do I need a Form 20 to bring an SBR into or out of Indiana?

According to ATF's fact sheet, "For now," transporting an SBR across state lines still requires an approved Form 20.

Are short-barreled rifles legal in Indiana? (2026)

The short answer

The statute

How Indiana defines an SBR

Penalty

Is legality tied to federal registration?

Hunting

Other laws that interact

Braced pistols

Federal process in 2026

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Keep exploring

Are short-barreled rifles legal in Indiana? (2026)

The short answer

The statute

How Indiana defines an SBR

Penalty

Is legality tied to federal registration?

Hunting

Other laws that interact

Braced pistols

Federal process in 2026

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Keep exploring

The Gun Release Report