2020 US Code
Title 26 - Internal Revenue Code
Subtitle E - Alcohol, Tobacco, and Certain Other Excise Taxes
Chapter 53 - Machine Guns, Destructive Devices, and Certain Other Firearms
Subchapter B - General Provisions and Exemptions
Part I - General Provisions
Sec. 5841 - Registration of firearms

The Secretary shall maintain a central registry of all firearms in the United States which are not in the possession or under the control of the United States. This registry shall be known as the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The registry shall include—

Each manufacturer, importer, and maker shall register each firearm he manufactures, imports, or makes. Each firearm transferred shall be registered to the transferee by the transferor.

Each manufacturer shall notify the Secretary of the manufacture of a firearm in such manner as may by regulations be prescribed and such notification shall effect the registration of the firearm required by this section. Each importer, maker, and transferor of a firearm shall, prior to importing, making, or transferring a firearm, obtain authorization in such manner as required by this chapter or regulations issued thereunder to import, make, or transfer the firearm, and such authorization shall effect the registration of the firearm required by this section.

A person shown as possessing a firearm by the records maintained by the Secretary pursuant to the National Firearms Act in force on the day immediately prior to the effective date of the National Firearms Act of 1968 ¹ shall be considered to have registered under this section the firearms in his possession which are disclosed by that record as being in his possession.

A person possessing a firearm registered as required by this section shall retain proof of registration which shall be made available to the Secretary upon request.

(Added Pub. L. 90–618, title II, §201, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1229; amended Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, §1906(b)(13)(A), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1834.)

The National Firearms Act in force prior to the effective date of the National Firearms Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (d), probably means the National Firearms Act in force prior to the effective date of the National Firearms Act Amendments of 1968, which is act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 721, as amended, and which was classified generally to prior chapter 53 (prior §5801 et seq.) of this title.

The effective date of this Act and the effective date of the National Firearms Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (d) catchline and text, probably means the effective date of the National Firearms Act Amendments of 1968, which is Nov. 1, 1968. See section 207(a) of Pub. L. 90–618, set out as an Effective Date note under section 5801 of this title.

A prior section 5841, act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 725, consisted of provisions similar to those comprising this section, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 90–618.

1976—Subsecs. (a), (c) to (e). Pub. L. 94–455 struck out "or his delegate" after "Secretary" wherever appearing.

Section effective on first day of first month following October 1968, see section 207 of Pub. L. 90–618, set out as a note under section 5801 of this title.

¹ So in original. See References in Text notes below.