Florida AG says NFA registration no longer applies to SBRs, SBSs

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says law-abiding Floridians can now possess short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns without registering them or paying federal tax stamps, a legal interpretation built on recent federal court and ATF moves rather than any change made by the Florida Legislature.

Snapshot

Florida law still makes SBR and SBS possession a second-degree felony under Florida Statute 790.221, but it exempts firearms lawfully possessed under federal law. Uthmeier argues that since the One Big Beautiful Bill Act zeroed out NFA making and transfer taxes, and a federal judge in Texas enjoined NFA registration requirements as a result, that state exemption now covers SBRs and SBS, per Bearing Arms.

Key points

• The memo: Uthmeier wrote that it's "no longer unlawful" for Floridians to possess an SBR or SBS under state law.
• The legal chain: Zeroed-out NFA taxes led a Texas federal judge to rule Congress lacks authority to require registration without them, and DOJ/ATF now let buyers get these items like ordinary firearms.
• Not a repeal: Bearing Arms notes this is an attorney general's interpretation of existing statute, not a legislative change, and Congress hasn't repealed the NFA itself.
• Fragile footing: Bearing Arms warns a future Democrat majority could restore the taxes through reconciliation, which would undercut the court injunction and the DOJ/ATF policy Uthmeier is relying on.

Quick take

This is a real, usable win for Florida gun owners right now, but Bearing Arms is right to flag how shaky the legal foundation is. Nothing here touches the NFA's constitutionality, and a change in Washington could reverse the whole chain of logic Uthmeier is leaning on.

Read the full story: bearingarms.com