Why this exists
Missouri was left off the list.
On August 5, 2026, a federal judge ruled that suppressor registration requirements exceed Congress's constitutional taxing power, now that the tax itself has been zeroed out. Fifteen states got relief. Missouri wasn't one of them.
Judge James Wesley Hendrix, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, granted summary judgment and permanently enjoined ATF enforcement of NFA registration requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and AOWs — but only for the parties named in the case.
Because the Supreme Court's ruling in Trump v. CASA (2025) bars universal injunctions, this protection only extends to the named plaintiffs: several firearms companies, organizations including Gun Owners of America, and fifteen states — Texas, Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
If the government doesn't appeal by October 5, 2026, the ruling becomes final for current plaintiffs — and Gun Owners of America and others are expected to file follow-on litigation to extend it further. That's Missouri's opening.
What we're asking for
A commitment from the Attorney General.
We're asking Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway to commit her office to three things:
- 01Monitor the October 5 appeal deadline and any follow-on litigation filed by Gun Owners of America or similar organizations.
- 02Commit to joining Missouri as a co-plaintiff in that follow-on litigation, so Missouri residents get the same relief already secured in fifteen other states.
- 03Communicate publicly about her office's position, so Missouri residents can stay informed as this develops.
How to help
Four steps.
- Copy or print the letter below.
- Fill in your name, address, and today's date.
- Add a sentence or two in your own words — personalized letters carry far more weight than identical form letters.
- Mail or email it to the Attorney General's office using the contact details below.
Where to send it
Office of the Attorney General
Catherine Hanaway
Attorney General of Missouri207 W. High St., P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Mailed letters generally carry more weight than email — they take more effort and get logged individually.
The template
Copy, personalize, send.
[Your Name]
[Your Street Address]
[Your City, MO Zip Code]
[Your Email or Phone, optional]
[Date]
The Honorable Catherine Hanaway
Attorney General of Missouri
Supreme Court Building
207 W. High St.
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Re: Request to Join Missouri as Co-Plaintiff in Future NFA Suppressor Litigation
Dear Attorney General Hanaway,
I am writing to you as a Missouri resident and citizen regarding a significant recent development in federal firearms law, and to respectfully request that your office commit to joining the State of Missouri as a co-plaintiff in any forthcoming litigation seeking to expand the scope of a recent federal court ruling on suppressor and short-barreled firearm registration requirements.
Background
On August 5, 2026, Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, San Angelo Division, issued a ruling in the consolidated case Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF, No. 6:25-CV-056, consolidated with Jensen v. ATF, No. 6:26-CV-227. The court held that because Congress reduced the National Firearms Act tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and AOWs to zero dollars as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed July 2025), the underlying registration requirements for these items, originally justified as an exercise of Congress's Article I taxing power, now exceed that constitutional authority. The court granted summary judgment and permanently enjoined the ATF and Department of Justice from enforcing NFA registration requirements against the plaintiffs in that case.
The ruling took effect on August 13, 2026, following a seven-day stay. Because the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. CASA (2025) bars universal injunctions, the Hendrix ruling's protections currently apply only to the named plaintiffs in the case. These include several commercial firearms companies, organizations such as Gun Owners of America and Gun Owners Foundation, and fifteen states: Texas, Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Missouri was not among the plaintiff states, and its residents are therefore not currently covered by this ruling.
The Request
I understand that if the federal government does not appeal the Hendrix ruling by the October 5, 2026 deadline, the decision will become final as to the current parties. At that point, it is anticipated that Gun Owners of America and/or other plaintiffs may file new, separate litigation seeking to extend the same constitutional reasoning, that NFA registration requirements for untaxed items exceed Congress's taxing power, to a broader class of individuals and states not currently covered.
I am writing to respectfully ask that your office:
1. Monitor this litigation closely, including the October 5, 2026 appeal deadline and any subsequent follow-on litigation filed by Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, or similar organizations;
2. Commit to joining the State of Missouri as a co-plaintiff in any such follow-on litigation, so that Missouri residents may obtain the same relief already secured by residents of Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and the other twelve plaintiff states; and
3. Communicate publicly where possible about the office's position on this issue, so that Missouri residents can be informed as this area of law develops.
As you are aware, Missouri has already taken action at the state level to decriminalize suppressor possession, manufacture, and transport under state law. Joining this federal litigation would be a natural extension of that policy position and would ensure Missouri residents are not treated differently under federal law than residents of neighboring and similarly situated states.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I would welcome any response regarding your office's position on this matter.
Respectfully,
[Your Name]
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