Ownership Requirements
To own a suppressor in Michigan, you must meet federal requirements:
- Be 21 years or older to purchase from a dealer (a trustee on a trust can be 18 or older)
- Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident
- Be legally allowed to possess firearms
- Complete ATF Form 4 with fingerprints and photograph
- Pass FBI background check
Michigan does not add a state permit, but state law here depends on federal NFA registration or compliance.
Hunting Regulations
Hunting with a suppressor is legal in Michigan. No Michigan statute and no state wildlife agency regulation restricts suppressor use while hunting.
Read that precisely. This is legality by the absence of a prohibition, not an express permission. Some states say in so many words that you may hunt with a suppressor. Michigan does not say anything at all. That is the ordinary situation and it is not cause for alarm, but it does mean an agency could add a rule without the legislature acting, so the current regulations guide is the thing to check, not this page.
Verify this yourself before you hunt
Hunting rules change by agency action as well as by legislature, and they can change between seasons. This reflects our reading of the sources cited above as of August 21, 2026. Before you take a suppressor into the field, read the current regulations guide from your state wildlife agency and confirm anything you are unsure about with them directly. Do not rely on this page, on a forum post, or on a dealer. The person holding the firearm is the person the warden talks to. This is general information, not legal advice.
State-Specific Notes
Michigan legalized suppressor hunting in 2016. Suppressors are now fully legal for both ownership and hunting throughout the state.
How to Buy in Michigan
The process for buying a suppressor in Michigan is straightforward:
- Choose a suppressor from Capitol Armory
- Submit fingerprints and photograph online
- Review and sign. Capitol Armory completes the paperwork, you sign digitally.
- Wait for ATF approval (currently days to weeks for eForm)
- After approval, we ship direct to your residence
Capitol Armory ships to Michigan and offers direct-to-door delivery in all 42 suppressor-friendly states. See our complete buying guide for detailed steps.
What State Law Actually Says
MCL 750.224(1)(b) bars possession of a muffler or silencer, a five-year felony. The exemption at § 750.224(3)(c) covers “a person licensed by the secretary of the treasury of the United States or the secretary’s delegate.”
That wording is an anachronism, since ATF moved to the Justice Department in 2003. Michigan Attorney General Opinion No. 7260 reads it functionally: possession is permitted where the person is licensed or approved by ATF, and an approved federal application satisfies it.
Local Rules and Preemption
MCL 123.1102 preempts local regulation of firearms and components, but it is narrower than it looks. “Local unit of government” is defined at MCL 123.1101(b) as only a city, village, township or county, which leaves school districts, universities and transit authorities outside the act entirely. The list also omits carrying and discharge.
Mich. Const. art. I, § 6: “Every person has a right to keep and bear arms for the defense of himself and the state.”
Worth Knowing
Michigan writes its own definition of muffler and silencer at MCL 750.224(4) rather than adopting the federal one, so do not assume the federal definition governs here.
Check our work
Every statute quoted above is linked to the official state source. Read it yourself before you rely on it.
Key Takeaway
Suppressors are legal in Michigan, but state law ties lawful possession to federal NFA registration. Hunting with suppressors is permitted for all legal game.