Privately made suppressors, including 3D-printed, allowed in Louisiana if hunting rules met

Louisiana hunters may use privately made suppressors, including those made using a 3D printer, if the firearm is legal for the season and the hunter may legally possess the device, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.The department clarified its policy in response to questions from The Center Square after announcing Monday how agents would handle suppressors following changes in federal enforcement.
“LDWF’s enforcement guidance applies the same test to every suppressor encountered in the field, however it was made,” department Communications Director Taylor Brazan said in an email.
The department does not enforce federal manufacturing requirements, Brazan said. Questions about federal rules for making suppressors should go to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
In the field, agents will check whether the firearm is an authorized method of take for the hunting season and species being hunted. Adding a suppressor does not change which firearms are allowed.
Agents will also check whether the hunter may legally possess the suppressor. The hunter cannot be prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law or have been convicted of a class four or greater hunting violation within the past five years.
The suppressor cannot be stolen or attached to a machine gun.
“If both conditions are met, no state violation has occurred,” Brazan said. “The agent will not issue a citation or seize the suppressor.”
Hunters do not need to carry federal paperwork or alternative documentation.
“Hunters are not required to carry a tax stamp, ATF form, registration record or any substitute document,” Brazan said.
Agents will not contact ATF to verify suppressors or introduce a new verification process. If a device has a serial number, agents may check it to determine whether it has been reported stolen.
Congress reduced the federal taxes on making and transferring suppressors to $0. Following an August federal court ruling in Texas, the Justice Department extended a policy of not enforcing certain National Firearms Act requirements nationwide.
ATF said Friday that it would no longer require prior approval to make or transfer suppressors or enforce federal registration and tax-stamp requirements for those devices.
The policy does not repeal the National Firearms Act or override state and local laws. Purchases from licensed dealers still require standard firearms transaction paperwork and any required background check.
Louisiana wildlife agents will continue checking licenses, tags, season dates, hunting hours, bag limits and methods of take.
Machine guns and destructive devices remain subject to the National Firearms Act’s full requirements and the $200 federal tax, according to ATF.

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