Until the National Firearms Act is finally consigned to the dustbin of history where it belongs, every reduction in its bureaucratic chokehold matters.
In recent weeks, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives quietly announced what amounts to a rare “two-fer” for lawful gun owners: a proposed rule that would clarify, streamline, and digitize the process for transporting certain NFA-regulated firearms across state lines. It’s not freedom—but it is friction removed.
For owners of short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and other regulated items, this proposal aims to simplify one of the most archaic compliance processes still enforced by a federal agency in 2025.
The Current System: Bureaucracy Frozen in Time
Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(4), anyone wishing to transport certain NFA items across state lines must first submit ATF Form 5320.20—the Application to Transport Interstate or Temporarily Export Certain NFA Firearms—before travel.
That’s bad enough. But the way it’s done borders on absurd.
Current ATF instructions require the registered owner to:
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Complete two physical copies of the form
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Sign both copies in ink
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Mail or fax them to ATF headquarters in Martinsburg, West Virginia
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Or scan and email documents originally designed for a fax machine
This is compliance theater, not public safety. It wastes time, taxpayer money, and agency resources while doing nothing to stop crime—since criminals, unsurprisingly, do not file travel paperwork with the ATF.
What the ATF Is Proposing
The proposed rule would permanently overhaul this process by:
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Making Form 5320.20 electronically fillable
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Allowing direct electronic submission
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Auto-generating the required second copy
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Integrating the form into ATF’s eForms system
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Adding clearer language about how the rule applies to interstate travel
In short: fewer hoops, fewer delays, fewer chances for lawful owners to trip over paperwork while exercising what should be a fundamental right.
It also reduces internal bottlenecks at ATF, saving time and resources for both the agency and the citizens forced to interact with it.
Part of a Broader (and Cautious) Reform Push
This proposal fits within ATF’s recently announced “new era of reform,” which emphasizes digitization, streamlined forms, and reduced paperwork. A look at ATF’s forms and information collection pages shows a pattern of similar updates designed to shorten wait times and modernize outdated procedures.
To be clear: modernization does not equal absolution. Digitizing bad law doesn’t make it good law. But it does matter when the alternative is weaponized bureaucracy used to delay, discourage, or entrap lawful gun owners.
Public Comments Matter—And the Deadline Is Approaching
ATF is accepting public comments on this proposal until January 27, 2026, and they are specifically requesting feedback on whether the new system:
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Is necessary and useful for ATF’s stated functions
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Accurately estimates the burden on respondents
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Improves clarity and quality of information collected
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Minimizes burden through electronic and automated processes
In other words, this is one of the rare moments where the agency is openly asking how to make compliance less painful. Pro-Second Amendment voices should not ignore that opportunity.
Modernization Is Not Surrender
Let’s be clear: the National Firearms Act is an unconstitutional relic that should be repealed, not refurbished. Organizations like the NRA and other Second Amendment partners are continuing that fight in the courts and beyond.
But in the meantime, modernization is better than weaponization.
When the government insists on regulating a right, the least it can do is stop pretending it’s still 1934. This proposal doesn’t restore liberty—but it does reduce unnecessary harm. And for now, that’s a step worth watching, shaping, and holding accountable.
Because every inch of freedom reclaimed from bureaucracy is an inch they can’t easily take back.
