NFA Engraving Requirements

If you make an NFA firearm on an approved ATF Form 1, either as an individual or through a trust, federal regulations call whoever is named on the Form 1 the maker: you, or your trust. The markings are the maker’s responsibility. Here is what has to be marked, how deep, and what changed in 2026.

• A serial number on the frame or receiver. It cannot duplicate a serial number you have put on any other firearm. If you start from a firearm that already has a serial number, the ATF NFA Handbook says to use that number. A new serial number must include at least one numeral.
• The model, if you give it one.
• The caliber or gauge.
• The maker’s name, or a recognized abbreviation, exactly as it appears on the Form 1: your own name if you filed as an individual, or the trust’s full name if your trust filed.
• The city and state where you made the firearm.

The model, caliber or gauge, name, and city and state can go on the frame, receiver, or barrel.

• Every required marking must be at least .003 inch deep, measured from the flat surface of the metal.
• Serial number characters must be at least 1/16 inch tall.
• Markings must be placed so they cannot be readily obliterated, altered, or removed.

These size and depth rules apply to firearms made on or after January 30, 2002.

• ATF enforcement policy, October 9, 2026. ATF says it will not enforce the NFA marking requirement, or the approval, registration, and tax stamp requirements, for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and “any other weapons.” This is a decision not to enforce, not a change to the law, and ATF warns that enforcement could resume. Machine guns and destructive devices are still fully covered.
• State and local law still applies. ATF still approves Form 1 applications from people who choose to register.
• Proposed rule, May 2026. ATF has proposed letting makers who convert an existing firearm keep the original manufacturer’s markings. As of November 2026, it is a proposal, not a final rule.

This summary is general information, not legal advice. You are responsible for the content of your markings. Confirm current requirements with the ATF or your attorney before ordering.