Yes, you can own an automatic gun in Michigan, but only under narrow federal conditions. The firearm must have been lawfully registered in the federal machine gun registry before May 19, 1986, and you must complete an ATF Form 4 transfer, pay a $200 tax, and pass a background check. Michigan law recognizes that federal authorization as sufficient; the state adds no separate permit. Because the pool of civilian-transferable machine guns has been frozen since 1986, expect to pay $25,000 to $45,000 or more for the gun itself. Getting it wrong is a felony under both state and federal law.
What Michigan Law Actually Says
Michigan Compiled Laws 750.224 makes it a felony to manufacture, sell, or possess a machine gun, defined as a firearm that shoots or is designed to shoot automatically more than one shot by a single function of the trigger without manual reloading.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750-224 – Weapons, Manufacture, Sale, or Possession as Felony, Violation as Felony, Penalty, Exceptions
The exception that makes lawful ownership possible sits in MCL 750.224(3)(c): anyone licensed by the federal government to manufacture, sell, or possess a machine gun is exempt. Michigan piggybacks on the federal system rather than running its own. There is no state machine gun permit, no state registration, no separate Michigan approval. If the ATF has approved your Form 4 and your weapon is in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, your possession is lawful under state law.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750-224 – Weapons, Manufacture, Sale, or Possession as Felony, Violation as Felony, Penalty, Exceptions
One point of confusion worth clearing up: Michigan requires registration of pistols with local law enforcement, but that requirement is about handguns, not all firearms. Most machine guns are long guns and fall outside the pistol registration system.
The Federal Rules That Do the Real Work
Two federal statutes govern civilian machine gun ownership. The National Firearms Act of 1934 requires every machine gun to be registered with the ATF and taxed on transfer. The Firearm Owners’ Protection Act of 1986 closed the registry to new civilian entries. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(o), it is illegal to transfer or possess any machine gun that was not lawfully possessed before May 19, 1986.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
That cutoff explains the price tag. The civilian pool can only shrink, never grow, because destroyed or surrendered guns are gone for good and no new ones can enter.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act The federal definition of “machinegun” is also wider than most people expect: it covers not just complete automatic weapons but also the frame or receiver of one, and any combination of parts that could be assembled into one.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5845 Definitions
How to Actually Acquire One
The purchase process runs entirely through federal channels. In practice:
- Locate a pre-1986 transferable machine gun through a dealer specializing in NFA firearms or a private seller. The gun must already be in the NFA registry.
- Route the transfer through a Class III dealer (an FFL holder with Special Occupational Tax status). Even in-state transfers typically go through a dealer. Dealer transfer fees usually run $75 to $125.
- File ATF Form 4, the Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of a Firearm. Individuals must submit a recent 2-by-2-inch photograph, completed FBI fingerprint cards (Form FD-258), and the $200 transfer tax. You must also notify the chief law enforcement officer where you live.5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Application to Transfer and Register NFA Firearm (Tax-Paid) – ATF Form 5320.4
- Pass the ATF background check. You must be at least 21 and legally eligible to possess firearms under federal and state law. Felony convictions, domestic violence misdemeanor convictions, and active restraining orders are disqualifying.
- Wait for approval. As of February 2026, ATF processing times average about 10 days for individual e-filed applications and 21 days for paper submissions. Trust applications average 26 days electronically and 24 days on paper.6Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times
Do not take possession before approval. Picking up the firearm early is a federal felony.
Individual Ownership vs. an NFA Trust
Register the gun to yourself as an individual and only you can legally possess it. If a spouse, adult child, or friend handles the firearm without you physically present, they can face federal charges for unlawful possession. That is a genuine risk in a household, not a technicality.
An NFA trust addresses this by making the trust the legal owner. Every trustee can lawfully possess and use the firearms held in the trust. It also simplifies inheritance: successor trustees take over on the creator’s death without triggering the usual NFA transfer process. The trust name appears on the registry instead of an individual name.
The cost is paperwork. Under ATF Rule 41F, every “responsible person” named in the trust must individually submit a background check, fingerprint cards, a photograph, and ATF Form 5320.23 each time the trust acquires a new NFA item, and each responsible person must also send a completed Form 5320.23 to their local chief law enforcement officer.7Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Background Checks for Responsible Persons (Final Rule 41F) For a trust with several trustees, the workload adds up. Most people setting up an NFA trust use an attorney familiar with both trust law and federal firearms regulations.
Penalties for Getting It Wrong
Illegal possession of a machine gun can be prosecuted under state and federal law, and both prosecutions can proceed at the same time.
Under MCL 750.224, unlawful possession is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750-224 – Weapons, Manufacture, Sale, or Possession as Felony, Violation as Felony, Penalty, Exceptions A felony conviction carries its own follow-on consequences. Under MCL 750.224f, a convicted felon loses the right to possess, transport, or purchase any firearm. For most felonies the prohibition lasts at least three years after completing the entire sentence, including parole and probation. For felonies involving violence or drugs the waiting period is five years, and restoration requires a formal application.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.224f – Possession of Firearm or Distribution of Ammunition by Felon
Federal penalties are heavier. Under 26 U.S.C. § 5871, possessing an unregistered NFA firearm carries up to ten years in federal prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 US Code 5871 – Penalties Machine gun offenses are among the more aggressively prosecuted federal firearms categories.
Conversion Devices Are a Separate Trap
MCL 750.224e makes it a felony to manufacture, sell, distribute, or possess any part or device designed to convert a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic one. The penalty is up to four years in prison, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.10Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750-224e – Conversion of Semiautomatic Firearm to Fully Automatic Firearm, Prohibited Acts, Penalty, Applicability
Federal law reaches the same devices. The federal definition of “machinegun” includes parts designed and intended for converting a weapon into a machine gun, so an auto-sear or conversion kit is treated like a machine gun itself.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5845 Definitions People get caught this way more often than you might expect: a small part bought online turns out to be a felony to possess.
Bump Stocks and Rate-Increasing Devices
The U.S. Supreme Court held in Cargill v. United States that a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock does not meet the NFA’s definition of “machinegun,” ending the federal bump stock ban the ATF had imposed in 2019.11Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Bump Stocks
As of early 2026, Michigan has no state-level bump stock ban. Senate Bill 224 would prohibit the manufacture, sale, and possession of bump stocks and similar trigger activators, but it had not been enacted at the time of writing. Anyone considering a purchase should check the current status. Binary triggers and other rate-increasing accessories that do not meet the federal machine gun definition remain legal under current federal law; MCL 750.224e targets devices designed to convert a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic one, so any specific device’s legality depends on whether it crosses that line.
Taking a Machine Gun Out of State
A Michigan registration does not follow you across state lines automatically. Federal law requires written prior authorization from the ATF before transporting any machine gun to another state. The owner files ATF Form 5320.20, listing the firearm, the destination, and the travel dates, and the ATF approves transportation only for the period on the form.12Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Application to Transport Interstate or to Temporarily Export Certain National Firearms Act (NFA) Firearms
If a carrier ships the firearm rather than the owner transporting it personally, a copy of the approved Form 5320.20 must travel with the package throughout the journey. Confirm the destination state permits possession of machine guns before you go. Not every state does, and arriving in one that prohibits them puts you in violation of that state’s law regardless of your federal paperwork.