Comment on FR Doc # 2026-09154

I support this proposed rule because it is a commonsense change that reduces unnecessary legal cost and administrative burden for married couples. If both spouses are legally eligible to possess an NFA firearm, there is no practical reason they should have to create a trust simply to jointly register and possess the same firearm. ATF correctly recognizes that requiring spouses to use trusts for joint registration is time-consuming, costly, and unnecessarily burdensome. This rule would allow married couples to jointly make, transfer, receive, and register NFA firearms without creating a trust, while still requiring both spouses to submit the necessary identifying information and undergo the required background checks. That preserves the same public safety safeguards while removing a legal workaround that many couples currently have to use. I also support this rule because it could prevent legal problems after the death of a spouse. ATF notes that when an NFA firearm is registered to only one spouse, the surviving spouse may end up possessing property that is not registered to them in the NFRTR, especially if the firearm is not properly transferred during probate. Joint spousal registration would better reflect marital property realities and reduce unnecessary complications for surviving spouses. For these reasons, I support finalizing the proposed rule. It reduces unnecessary legal expense, simplifies compliance, preserves background-check requirements, and gives married couples a more direct way to lawfully register shared NFA property.