Are you interested in finding out how to set up a NFA trust? It’s easier than you think and actually rather simple. To ensure that you know how to set up a NFA trust and everything that it entails, we’re going to walk you through the process and cover everything you need to know.
With proactive planning, you can rest easy knowing that you and your NFA firearms are protected from unforeseen circumstances. Join us as we delve into the importance of NFA trusts and why you need these powerful agreements protecting you.
What Is a NFA Trust?
First things first. Before you learn how to set up a NFA trust, it’s important to understand exactly what it is. A NFA trust is simply a lawful arrangement that is designed to allow a trustee to buy and possess a Title II firearm that is protected under the National Firearms Act.
There’s a reason these guns are regulated. As such, you need to know what you’re dealing with. You also want to make sure that you are honoring their placement under the National Firearms Act.
If you want to understand all of the details related to how to set up a NFA trust, you’re going to have to know what guns the NFA is talking about. We’ll go into more detail on these in a moment. But in brief, NFA guns and items are any of the following:
- Short barreled shotguns (SBS)
- Any other weapon (AOW)
- Suppressors (Silencers)
- Short barrel rifles (SBR)
- Destructive devices
- Machine guns
Since the process for acquiring a weapon under NFA regulations is different from acquiring other firearms, it’s important to follow the proper channels, i.e., a NFA trust.
There are many benefits to using a NFA gun trust. Let’s take a moment to explore why you should jump on a NFA trust and how to set up a NFA trust.
Firstly, a NFA trust allows you to name more than one trustee. This lets another person of your choosing possess your NFA weapon under law. This allows you to avoid having to contact your local Chief Law Enforcement Officer.
What’s more, as the name implies, your firearm is held in a trust, protecting it in the event that you pass away. It’s important that you name another trustee to take over your firearms if you pass to ensure that your property is easily taken control of by another person. In addition, the trust ensures that your heirs can avoid paying probate on any items named within the trust.
An executor of your estate can also be effectively bypassed if you were to pass away, meaning your collection of NFA firearms goes to someone you trust to take care of your property instead of a stranger whom you don’t know.
And perhaps the most important benefit for many gun owners is the fact that NFA trusts are typically much faster in terms of your firearms being processed by the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives).
Being able to get your hands on a firearm quicker than usual is a huge plus that ensures a painless and straightforward process for acquiring NFA weaponry, especially because it can be a year or more to hear back from the ATF.
Why Get a NFA Gun Trust?
Knowing how to set up a NFA trust ensures that you can safely, easily, and legally transfer NFA-regulated firearms to and from your name. Knowing where to turn to when dealing with these weapons will make the process that much easier on your end.
Whether you simply need to acquire a NFA weapon or you want to make sure that a friend or family member gets your NFA weapon if something happens to you, a NFA trust is a necessary tool when dealing with NFA firearms in any capacity.
Aside from the legal aspect of how to set up a NFA trust, there’s also the matter of accessories. Namely, firearm suppressors, more commonly referred to as silencers. It’s not like you can just walk into your local Wal-Mart and buy a silencer for your guns.
By knowing how to set up a NFA trust, you can get these items without hassle or delay. And that is one of the most important aspects of these trusts. They allow you to quickly and efficiently acquire NFA guns and items by cutting out the middleman; in this case, the Chief Law Enforcement Officer.
If you’ve been around the block a few times, then you’re likely aware of either direct or indirect issues related to the Chief Law Enforcement Officer causing snafus in getting the weapon you need in a timely manner.
What a NFA Trust Isn’t
It’s important to make clear that knowing how to set up a NFA gun trust doesn’t mean you are trying to pull a fast one to get out of dealing with your local Chief Law Enforcement Officer. That isn’t why NFA trusts were created, nor should they be viewed as such.
With that out of the way, let’s look at some other aspects of NFA trusts that need to be clarified. These will ensure that you know every detail of how to set up a NFA trust.
For starters, the trustee who is purchasing the NFA firearm must still conform to the Brady Act. As such, you are still going to be required to undergo a federal background check on the NFA weapon you are attempting to put in the trust.
A NFA trust also does not protect you from freely crossing state lines with your NFA firearm. The state in which you established the NFA trust is the state in which that firearm must stay at all times unless you contact the ATF several months in advance to let them know of your intentions.
This is a big part of how to set up a NFA trust and must be followed to the letter. Failure to obey every part of how to set up a NFA trust will surely result in headaches you would rather avoid. So, if you are planning on attending a gun show or tournament, for example, you need to make arrangements well ahead of time to ensure the safe and legal transport of your NFA weapon.
As a brief aside, apparently, how to set up a NFA trust and transporting its items does not include suppressors, as there is no verbiage discussing the legality of taking them across state lines.
Another important aspect of how to set up a NFA trust and requesting the safe and legal transporting of a NFA firearm involves filling out a Form 5320.20. Remember, this is necessary for any and all purposes involving taking your NFA weapon over state lines, whether it be for hunting, moving, or otherwise.
Furthermore, some states prohibit NFA firearms. The other part of knowing how to set up a NFA trust is adhering to its legalities. If you try to take your NFA gun to one of these states, you will be breaking the law.
Now, you can add trustees to your trust who live in another state. However, they will only be allowed to possess and carry your NFA firearm in the state in which the trust was registered. Just because they are a trustee doesn’t absolve them from adhering to the rules therein.
NFA Weaponry
You need to be clear on which firearms fall under the National Firearms Act if you want to know how to set up a NFA trust. Let’s take a closer look at what NFA guns and items actually are so you’ll know how to set up a NFA trust with the weapons that it includes.
Commonly referred to as, “Class 3 Firearms”, “Title II Firearms”, “NFA Items”, “NFA Firearms”, and “NFA Weapons”, this weaponry is regulated by the government for a variety of reasons.
Regardless of why they are regulated, you must adhere to the laws put into place to protect these items. As we discussed a moment ago, NFA firearms/items include:
- Short barreled shotguns (SBS)
- Any other weapon (AOW)
- Suppressors (Silencers)
- Short barrel rifles (SBR)
- Destructive devices
- Machine guns
How to Set up a NFA Trust
Now that you understand the importance of a NFA trust, you’re going to want to know how to set up a NFA trust. There are a couple of options at your disposal when seeking how to set up a NFA trust.
Firstly, you can hire a lawyer to handle your legal documents and put everything together for you. There is certainly nothing wrong with going this route. However, you should be aware that you are going to spend a small fortune to have this work done by a legal professional.
If you decide to hire someone to do this, you should know what you’re going to be spending out of pocket. For starters, there is your ATF tax stamp. The average cost of this is in the ballpark of $200. We never said that learning how to set up a NFA trust was going to be cheap!
And then there is the cost of your firearms and silencer (if you choose to get one). You’re looking at anywhere between $200 and $1,000 for these items, on average.
What about lawyer fees? On a good day, you can expect to shell out a minimum of about $500 for professional attorney services. As you can see, getting your NFA trust through a lawyer is going to cost you.
So, what are your other options? Thankfully, you can take advantage of digital NFA trust creation websites like Gun Trust NFA. Through this online service, you’re going to be paying a fraction of what you would pay if you were to go through an attorney.
Why spend so much of your hard-earned money when you can pay just $99 to establish a comprehensive NFA trust on your own. Without ever leaving the confines of your home, you can start protecting your firearms and yourself with a simple yet effective NFA trust from Gun Trust NFA.
It’s really all rather easy and straightforward. So, how does this affordable process work? Let’s explore.
To begin, you simply need to fill out an online form that takes about 5 minutes to complete. After the form is sufficiently filled out, you will be emailed your NFA trust documents. You can also get a mailed copy sent to your house. Once these are in your possession, you will need to take them to a notary to be notarized.
The final piece of the process involves you attaching any tax stamps to your newly notarized trust documents. That’s it!
Gun Trust NFA makes sure that you know how to set up a NFA trust. They also make sure that you have access to all of the necessary paperwork and documents needed to create your very own NFA trust. What’s more, you will be provided with clear instructions that walk you through every step of the way.
You also have assistance handy to answer any questions you may have during the creation process. While they don’t provide legal counsel (they aren’t lawyers, after all), they will make sure that you understand each aspect of their trust creation.
As mentioned, Gun Trust NFA isn’t an attorney service. With that being said, all of their documents and trust processes have been vetted by legal professionals to ensure that all aspects are legal and safe to use.
In other words, you don’t have anything to worry about when using a NFA trust service like Gun Trust NFA. All gun trusts need to be comprehensive and complete, and that’s exactly what you get when you choose to use this online service.
You have the peace of mind that you are protected from any potential legal issues related to your NFA firearm. Still, it’s important for you to check with your local laws so that you can be sure that it is legal for you to possess and carry a NFA weapon in the state in which you live.
Any local or federal restrictions that apply to you must be adhered to at all times. Failure to obey your local laws can net you serious repercussions.
How to Set up a NFA Trust: Summary
Before we close out, here’s a refresher on why it pays to know how to set up a NFA trust. Remember, you have the option to allow other people to handle your prized NFA firearms in the event that something happens to you and you can no longer care for your weapons.
You also have the peace of mind that there is a degree of separation between you and the NFA firearm. Being placed into a trust protects you from certain legal pitfalls associated with NFA weaponry.
Another big plus is the fact that you can freely make changes to the trust over time. Situations and decisions change over time, so why shouldn’t you be able to do the same with your NFA firearms?
This is a handy addition that gives you even more control over your property. Need to remove a trustee and add a new one? By knowing how to set up a NFA trust and use it, you can take full advantage of its benefits when you see fit.
If a beneficiary needs to take control of your NFA weapon(s) for any reason, they won’t have to pay for additional tax stamps. This feature makes the trust worth its weight in gold for many NFA gun owners. The financial savings alone makes establishing a NFA trust a no brainer.
In short, you never know what may arise in life. Having the ability to entrust another individual with your NFA firearm lets you breathe easily knowing that your belongings will be well cared for if something happens to you.
You can’t do this with an unregulated firearm. You are the only person who can legally possess and carry that weapon. If a trusted friend gets caught with your gun, there’s going to be certain trouble for both of you.
You never know what can come up. You may be in a situation that requires another individual to pick up your NFA weapon and bring it to you. Thanks to the power of a NFA trust, you can establish a trustee who can freely and legally maintain your weaponry when needed.
Know Your Rights
Knowing how to set up a NFA trust and what weapons are included will ensure that you follow the laws established under the National Firearms Act. It’s important to study the intricacies of the NFA at your convenience so you can be sure that you are complying with its established laws at all times.
Thankfully, a NFA trust ensures that your firearms are protected from any errors in judgment. While it’s best to know and understand the NFA and the weapons it includes, you can look forward to your trust keeping you in the clear of any unforeseen legal matters.If you want to do all that you can to protect what yours, we strongly encourage you to explore a gun trust today.
Hopefully, you now understand how to set up a NFA trust, and realize it’s a quick and safe process. You never know what circumstances may leave you needing all the protection you can get. With a NFA trust, you’ll have the peace of mind you need knowing that your NFA firearms are safe.
