Data / Federal rules / 2026-08926
Revising Machine Gun Definition in Response to Supreme Court Decision
The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau published this final rule in the Federal Register on May 6, 2026. It took effect on May 6, 2026.
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What the agency says
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is amending Department of Justice ("Department") regulations in response to the Supreme Court's decision in Garland v. Cargill. The Supreme Court held that ATF exceeded its statutory authority in its December 2018 final rule titled "Bump-Stock-Type Devices" by classifying a bump stock as a "machine gun" because a semi-automatic rifle equipped with a non-mechanical bump-stock-type device is not a "machine gun" under the National Firearms Act. Accordingly, ATF is removing from the three regulatory definitions of "machine gun" the two sentences that incorporated bump stocks into those definitions.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-08926
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Justice Department; Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau
- Published
- May 6, 2026
- Takes effect
- May 6, 2026
- Dates
- This final rule is effective on May 6, 2026.
- Docket
- ATF No. 2024R-01F
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 1140-AA60
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 27 CFR 447; 27 CFR 478; 27 CFR 479
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Arms and munitions; Chemicals; Customs duties and inspection; Exports; Freight; Imports; Intergovernmental relations; Law enforcement officers; Military personnel; Penalties; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Research; Scientific equipment; Seizures and forfeitures; Taxes; Transportation
- Pages
- 5
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Everything from the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on arms and munitions · Rules on chemicals · Published in May 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-24. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.