Fast Guide To Buying Suppressors: Silencer Shop & The eForm 4 Process

IT HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER OR FASTER TO GET A (LEGAL) SUPPRESSOR!

While the process for filing ATF NFA paperwork has been made infinitely easier and faster with the introduction of eForms, the process is still run by the government, and the government can’t make anything too easy.

Services offered by the likes of Silencer Shop aren’t required to file eForms, but they do make it a lot easier. Silencer Shop is also one of the most common, as their network of dealer kiosks makes the process a lot more accessible.

Current eForm 4 wait times aren’t at an all-time low, but they are extremely low considering the rush caused by the removal of the $200 tax on Jan 1, 2026. While times vary and aren’t entirely predictable, the average we’re seeing right now is less than 2 weeks.

SET UP YOUR ACCOUNTS

To successfully navigate the process, you must have a user account set up both with Silencer Shop and the ATF eForms system. Visit the Silencer Shop website, and the ATF eForms site. Both websites have buttons to click in order to create a new user account. 

It’s absolutely critical that the information you submit to create these accounts matches exactly. First and last name, address, email address, and so on must all be the same, or else you’ll run into issues when it comes time to certify your application. 

When you create your Silencer Shop account, you’ll need to upload a photo of yourself, taken against a white or light-colored background.

Don’t wear a hat or sunglasses in this photo. The easiest way to do this is to download the Silencer Shop app on your phone. From the app, you can take a selfie on your phone and upload it directly to your Silencer Shop account. This photo will have to updated annually to keep your account current. 

Once you create your ATF eForms account, they’ll assign you a randomly generated username, but you’ll select a password and PIN associated with your account. Save this information, as you’ll need it later.

PURCHASE YOUR SUPPRESSOR 

There are two ways to purchase your suppressor. One is to buy directly from Silencer Shop’s website. Once your web purchase is complete, Silencer Shop will deliver your suppressor to the local partner store of your choice. 

The website has a searchable listing of brick-and-mortar stores they’ve partnered with to help you complete your transfer. We used The Hub AZ in Arizona. They’re a Powered By Silencer Shop dealer, with an in-store kiosk.

The other option is to walk into a local partner store and purchase a suppressor from their inventory. Take note: Even if you purchase a suppressor from your local store that Silencer Shop doesn’t carry, you’re still able to use their e-process to complete your transfer. 

If you purchase the can locally, SilencerShop still charges a processing fee for using their system. The fee is about $25.   

Regardless of where you actually purchase from, you’ll need to visit your local partner store and use their kiosk to complete your eligibility questionnaire and submit fingerprints. The best part about this process is that the kiosk has a built-in fingerprint scanner, so you won’t have to mail hard print cards to the ATF directly.

If you choose to set up a trust for your purchase, you’ll be able to do this during the purchase process, either on Silencer Shop’s website or kiosk.  

CERTIFY AND COMPLETE

Once you’ve completed your purchase and submitted all required information to your Silencer Shop account, waiting game number one begins. 

Silencer Shop reviews every application before moving to the certification step to make sure everything is in order. You don’t want to get rejected by the ATF after weeks or months of waiting, and this review helps prevent that from happening.

Review wait times are messy, especially with how many people are filing right now. Recently, our Silencer Shop review wait was only 45 minutes, but we’ve seen reports of some people waiting days.

Once approved by Silencer Shop, you’ll get an email telling you it’s time to Certify.

During the certification process, your local partner store synchronizes the information from your Silencer Shop account with ATF’s eForms to begin the background check and stamping process. 

Certification can be done over the phone or in person. Either way, you’ll need your ATF eForms username, password, and PIN, and e-sign a couple of validation statements from ATF. This is where we ran into issues, because the information in our Silencer Shop user account didn’t match the information in our ATF eForms account. A brief email exchange with Silencer Shop’s customer service folks got us squared away on that, and the certification went through without another hitch. 

Now it’s time for the second wait in our waiting game. ATF wait times used to be measured in months, but with the introduction of eForms, the wait time was reduced to hours in many cases. Our record low was just 26 hours, and we’ve had friends who got their suppressors in as little as 2 hours.

With the removal of the $200 tax, eForm applications surged to shocking highs, and ATF can’t really keep up right now. At the moment of writing, the median wait time for an individual eForm 4 is 10 days.

Wait times can be checked on the Silencer Shop website, but these aren’t guarantees. Especially if this is your first time filing NFA paperwork, your wait time might be longer.

Once approved by ATF you’ll get another email letting you know that the suppressor is approved and you’re good to go pick it up.

Your local dealer might want you to bring a phyisical copy of your new tax stamp that can be printed from the Silencershop site, or you might be able to just go down and they’ll print one for you. Either way, you’ll also fill out a standard 4473 to transfer the item off their inventory book. This will be a no-background-check-needed 4473, since your tax stamp will serve as verification that a check has already been completed. 

After that, hit the range and start making not-much-noise with your new suppressor!