Suppressor Wait Times Are Faster Than Ever — Here’s Why

Suppressor approvals are happening at record speeds — often in just a few days. That’s right: what used to take over a year can now happen faster than your Amazon Prime delivery.  

It wasn’t always like this, the folks who have been in the suppressor game for a little while will tell you something like “Back in my day, we’d submit our forms and forget about it until next year.” For decades, suppressor wait times were one of the biggest hurdles for responsible gun owners — with ATF Form 4 approvals dragging out for 10 to 14 months on average. But today, thanks to major improvements in ATF processing and Silencer Shop’s streamlined submission system, that wait is nearly gone. 

If you’ve been holding off on buying a suppressor, there’s never been a better time to pull the trigger. 

• ATF Suppressor Wait Times: A Brief Timeline
• Why Are Suppressor Approvals So Fast Now?
• What’s the Average Suppressor Wait Time Right Now?
• How Long Does It Take to Get a Suppressor Today?
• What Makes Silencer Shop So Fast?
• Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Suppressor?
• Start Shopping — Top Suppressors Ready to Go
• Final Thoughts: The Wait is Over

To appreciate how far we’ve come, here’s a quick look back at how long suppressor approvals used to take: 

• Pre-2022 (Paper Forms): Wait times for ATF Form 4 approvals regularly stretched 10–14 months. 
• 2022 (eForms Relaunch): The ATF relaunched their eForms system in January 2022, and famously touted “90-day approvals.” Times did speed up, but they could never maintain the 90-day promise. Average approval times dropped to 6–9 months. 
• March 2024–Present: A major breakthrough. ATF approval times collapsed to just a few days, with the average now ranging from 1–14 days. 

Thats a 98% decrease in wait times over the last few years! 

This isn’t a fluke — it’s the result of process changes at the ATF and the systems put in place by the industry’s leading suppressor distributor: Silencer Shop.  

There are three main reasons suppressor approval times have improved so dramatically: 

1. ATF eForms Modernization 
The updated eForms system is digital, allowing for faster processing. No more paperwork bottlenecks or snail-mail submissions.

2. Streamlined Submissions with Silencer Shop 
Silencer Shop’s software and kiosk system are optimized to submit quick, complete, and compliant applications. This helps reduce errors and speeds up processing — it’s why hundreds of thousands of gun owners trust us to help upgrade their guns.

3. High-Volume, High-Quality Submissions 
The ATF has acknowledged that high-volume submitters like Silencer Shop help move things along. Advents like the Single Shot trust have streamlined the process and processing time even further.  

As of May 2025, the average suppressor approval time is 1 to 14 days — with many customers seeing approvals in just 2 to 5 days.  
We track the latest ATF wait times using the most up-to-date data from the Powered by Silencer Shop network to make sure you always the info you need.

In 2025, many gun owners are getting approved faster than their next ammo shipment shows up — seriously.  
There’s no fixed timeline since it depends on a few factors, but most approvals now land somewhere between one and two weeks — and plenty come through even faster. It’s fast. It’s digital. And it’s a night-and-day difference from the 10- to 14-month waits we used to see. 

We’ve spent over a decade building the most efficient suppressor buying process in the country. Here's how: 

• 6,000+ Powered By Silencer Shop Dealers
  • Our nationwide network makes getting your suppressor easy and fast.
• Kiosk Fingerprinting & Mobile Photo App
  • Upload everything in minutes — no messy fingerprint cards or going to the post office for a passport-style photos.
• Seamless eForm 4 Submissions
  • Our team catches errors before they become a problem, then our submission system makes completing the form and sending it to ATF a breeze.  
• The Single Shot Trust (Optional, but highly recommended)
  • A simple, one-time-use NFA trust available during checkout. No need to hire a lawyer or worry about legal complexity. 

Want to see how it all works? Check out our guide on How to Buy a Suppressor or learn more about our NFA Trust Options. 

Yes — there has never been a better time to buy. 

Suppressor approvals are happening faster than ever, and Silencer Shop makes the process as easy as shopping online. Whether you're looking for something compact for your pistol, durable for your AR-15, or versatile enough for multiple calibers, we’ve got the largest inventory and the fastest path to ownership. 

I've been collecting, shooting, and learning as much as possible about suppressors and suppressed weapon systems for the better part of a decade. With wait times being so fast, and the suppressor industry making the highest performing silencers we've ever seen, I don't think there has ever been a better time to get your first suppressor or to add another to your gun safe. Here are some customer favorites that I ahve used over the years and recommend as a great starting point if you're not quite sure where to start. 

• Top 5 Rifle Suppressors
• Top 5 Pistol Suppressors 
•  Top 5 .22LR Suppressors 
• Top 5 9mm Suppressors
• Top 5 45ACP Suppressors
• Top 5 5.56 Suppressors
• Top 5 308 Suppressors

I've been collecting, shooting, and learning as much as possible about suppressors and suppressed weapon systems for the better part of a decade. With wait times being so fast, and the suppressor industry making the highest performing silencers we've ever seen, I don't think there has ever been a better time to get your first suppressor or to add another to your gun safe. 

Here are some customer favorites that I have used over the years and recommend as a great starting point if you're not quite sure where to start:

Suppressor wait times used to be the biggest barrier to entry. Today, that excuse is gone. 

With approvals happening in days — not months — and Silencer Shop handling the heavy lifting, there's no reason to wait. Get the performance, recoil reduction, and hearing protection you’ve been wanting, with none of the hassle. 

Silencer Shop is the nation’s largest suppressor distributor, and we’re ready when you are.