Alaska Tells Prosecutors to Drop State Charges Over Unregistered NFA Guns

Alaska has become the latest state to tell its prosecutors to stand down on NFA registration paperwork violations, following a federal court ruling that found parts of the National Firearms Act unconstitutional. For owners of suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns in Alaska, that means the state itself won't charge you solely for lacking federal registration, even though the underlying federal law hasn't been repealed.

The short version

In a video from Jared Yanis, the host breaks down an October 7, 2026 memorandum from Alaska authorities directing prosecutors not to bring state charges based only on possession of an unregistered suppressor, short-barreled rifle, or short-barreled shotgun. The memo cites an August 5 federal court decision that found certain post-tax NFA registration requirements go beyond Congress's enumerated powers.

Yanis is careful to note this isn't a nationwide ruling and doesn't erase the NFA. Federal law and federal registration requirements remain on the books. What's changed is that Alaska's own prosecutors have been told not to use the state's court system to go after people for registration-only paperwork issues tied to these NFA items.

Key points

• Effective date: The memorandum took effect October 7, 2026, according to the video.
• What it covers: Suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns are named as the items affected.
• What it doesn't cover: The directive applies only when the sole issue is missing federal NFA registration, not other charges.
• Legal basis: Yanis ties the memo to an August 5 federal court ruling that found certain post-tax NFA registration requirements exceed Congress's enumerated powers.
• Not nationwide: The video stresses the underlying court decision applies narrowly and did not strike down the NFA nationally.
• Federal exposure remains: Even with the state standing down, federal registration requirements and potential federal enforcement are still in place.

Bottom line

If you own or want to own a suppressor, SBR, or SBS in Alaska, this directive reduces your risk of state-level charges tied purely to missing federal paperwork, but it doesn't make federal registration irrelevant or guarantee federal agencies won't act. Anyone relying on this should understand it's a state prosecutorial policy built on an unsettled legal question, not a repeal of the NFA.

Source: Jared Yanis