Trump DOJ Confirms It Will Not Appeal Historic Ruling Ending Red Tape For Gun Suppressors

The Department of Justice (DOJ) formally notified Congress Thursday that it will not appeal a ruling that ended paperwork and registration requirements for suppressors.

United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas, a Trump appointee, handed down a ruling striking down the National Firearms Act requirements on Aug. 5 on the grounds that reducing the transfer tax to $0 rendered the registration and processing requirements of the NFA unconstitutional. In a Thursday letter to Congress, Solicitor General D. John Sauer told lawmakers the DOJ would let the ruling stand.

🚨BREAKING🚨

Solicitor General John Sauer just notified Congress “that @TheJusticeDept [will not] file an appeal” in GOA’s victory against the NFA, Silencer Shop v. ATF.

ATF cannot force GOA members to register suppressors or short barrels EVER AGAIN. This is PERMANENT! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/46u7EbHSGl

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) October 1, 2026

“The Department of Justice has determined not to file an appeal,” Sauer wrote, noting that the court had also foreclosed the use of the commerce clause to justify the registration and paperwork requirements.

The latest figure posted on the agency’s website indicates that as of Sept. 3, over 6.9 million suppressors were registered in accordance with the National Firearms Act. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported in June that at least 6.1 million suppressors were privately-owned. (Read more from “Trump DOJ Confirms It Will Not Appeal Historic Ruling Ending Red Tape For Gun Suppressors” HERE)