North Dakota law enforcement reminds residents about suppressor rules

A Fargo traffic stop that uncovered a homemade silencer has sharpened the warning for gun owners across North Dakota, including hunters and range users in Stutsman County. State law does not ban suppressors outright, but it does make possession illegal unless the owner has complied with the federal National Firearms Act.

That distinction matters because North Dakota Century Code § 62.1-05-01 says a person may not purchase, sell, have or possess a silencer unless that person has complied with the National Firearms Act. A violation is a class C felony. North Dakota law also expressly allows suppressors for hunting, which is why officials say the key issue is not whether a suppressor can be used, but whether it is properly registered and handled within state and federal rules.

Federal paperwork runs through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Form 5320.4, known as Form 4, is the required transfer-and-registration form for a National Firearms Act firearm, and an approved Form 4 serves as proof of registration. The ATF also says its eForms system can be used to file certain NFA forms electronically, including Form 4. ATF guidance says the extra copy of Form 4 that once went to local law enforcement is going away, reflecting a more modern filing process.

The reminder comes as police said Quincy Jerron Morey, a Wahpeton man, was charged after Fargo officers found a homemade silencer during a traffic stop on May 10, 2026. That case has become a fresh example of the risks facing anyone who assumes a suppressor is treated like ordinary firearm gear.

For Stutsman County residents heading toward hunting season or the range, the safest compliance checks are straightforward: confirm that any suppressor is federally registered, keep proof of the approved Form 4, and review North Dakota hunting rules under Title 20.1 with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Questions about local enforcement can be taken to the Stutsman County Sheriff's Office, while federal registration questions belong with the ATF. Under state law, the margin for error is thin, and the penalty for getting it wrong is steep.