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Montana Suppressor Laws

Suppressors are legal in Montana. Hunting with suppressors is permitted.

Reviewed by Diego Lopez, Head of Enforcement · Last reviewed August 21, 2026

Legal
Ownership Status
Allowed
Hunting Status
Federal
Requirements
$0
Tax (2026)

August 5 NFA Ruling

Updated August 21, 2026

A federal court ruled that the government cannot enforce certain NFA registration requirements against the parties covered by that case. It is not a repeal of the NFA, it is not nationwide, and it does not change state law.

Montana: the state statute does not give a clean answer. Possessing a suppressor “that is not registered under federal law” is prima facie evidence of a purpose to commit an offense (Mont. Code Ann. § 45-8-337).

Read how this may affect you →

Ownership Requirements

To own a suppressor in Montana, 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

Montana does not add a state permit. But under state law, possessing a suppressor that is not registered under federal law is prima facie evidence of a purpose to use it to commit an offense.

Hunting Regulations

Montana writes this as a prohibition with an exception. MCA § 87-6-401(1)(c) bars using any device to silence, muffle, or minimize the report of a firearm while hunting, then adds that the subsection “does not prohibit the use of a device or mechanism registered with the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives to silence, muffle, or minimize the report of a firearm when hunting wildlife.”

A registered suppressor is legal for all wildlife and all seasons. An unregistered one puts you back inside the ban, which carries a fine of $50 to $1,000 or up to six months, plus possible license forfeiture.

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

Suppressors are common on Montana hunting rifles. The wrinkle is § 45-8-337, covered below: an unregistered suppressor is prima facie evidence of unlawful purpose.

How to Buy in Montana

The process for buying a suppressor in Montana is straightforward:

  1. Choose a suppressor from Capitol Armory
  2. Submit fingerprints and photograph online
  3. Review and sign. Capitol Armory completes the paperwork, you sign digitally.
  4. Wait for ATF approval (currently days to weeks for eForm)
  5. After approval, we ship direct to your residence

Capitol Armory ships to Montana 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

Montana does not ban possession. Mont. Code Ann. § 45-8-336(1) reaches a person who possesses, manufactures, transports, buys or sells a silencer only where that person “has the purpose to use it to commit an offense or knows that another person has such a purpose.”

Federal registration enters through the evidence rule. § 45-8-337: “Possession of a silencer that is not registered under federal law … is prima facie evidence of a purpose to use the same to commit an offense.”

An unregistered suppressor does not make you a criminal in Montana. It hands the state a presumption you then have to argue your way out of.

Local Rules and Preemption

MCA 45-8-351 bars local governments from regulating purchase, sale, ownership, possession or unconcealed carrying, while preserving city and town authority over discharge and over carrying into a publicly owned and occupied building.

Mont. Const. art. II, § 12 secures the right to keep or bear arms in defense of home, person and property.

Worth Knowing

Montana’s Firearms Freedom Act is the one that actually got tested, and it lost. In Montana Shooting Sports Association v. Holder (9th Cir. 2013) the court held that because the act “purports to dictate to the contrary … it is necessarily preempted and invalid.” Every similar act in the country sits under that shadow.

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 Montana, but an unregistered suppressor is evidence of unlawful purpose under state law. Hunting with a registered suppressor is allowed under the exception in MCA § 87-6-401(1)(c).