26 U.S.C. § 5841
Section 5841 · Registration of firearms
This is § 201 of the Gun Control Act of 1968
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 549 court decisions — leading case Grosso v. United States (1968)
Most recently applied in United States v. Jamond Rush (March 2025)
Applied most in the Ninth Circuit Circuit (49 decisions)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 18 U.S.C. § 922 · 26 U.S.C. § 5861 · 26 U.S.C. § 5845
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
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—
(1) identification of the firearm;
(2) date of registration; and
(3) identification and address of person entitled to possession of the firearm.
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 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.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
References in Text
The National Firearms Act in force prior to the effective date of the National Firearms Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (d), is act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 721, as amended, which was classified generally to prior chapter 53 (prior §5801 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.
The National Firearms Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (d), means title II of Pub. L. 90–618, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1227, as amended, cited as the National Firearms Act Amendments of 1968, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5849 of this title and Tables.
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, means the effective date of the National Firearms Act 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.
Prior Provisions
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.
Amendments
1976—Subsecs. (a), (c) to (e). Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary” wherever appearing.
Effective Date
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.