You can own a fully automatic firearm in Michigan, but only if you clear the federal process first. Michigan’s machine gun statute, MCL 750.224, makes possession a felony unless you hold proper federal authorization through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In practice that means buying a machine gun that was lawfully registered before May 19, 1986, submitting ATF Form 4, paying a $200 transfer tax, passing a background check, and waiting for approval before you ever touch the weapon.
Expect it to be expensive. Because no new machine guns have entered the civilian market in nearly four decades, a legally transferable automatic firearm typically sells for $25,000 to over $40,000, depending on model and condition.
What Michigan Law Actually Says
MCL 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 matters for civilians is in subsection (3)(c), which exempts anyone licensed by the federal government to manufacture, sell, or possess a machine gun. Michigan does not run a parallel permit system and does not require a separate state registration for machine guns. If ATF has approved your Form 4 and the weapon appears 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
Michigan’s pistol registration requirement does not apply here. That rule is specific to handguns, and most machine guns are long guns.
Why the 1986 Cutoff Controls Everything
Two federal statutes set the rules Michigan defers to. The National Firearms Act of 1934 requires every machine gun to be registered in the ATF’s National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Its definition of “machinegun” is broad: any weapon that fires more than one shot by a single trigger pull, the frame or receiver of such a weapon, and any combination of parts that could be assembled into one.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5845 Definitions
The Firearm Owners’ Protection Act of 1986 is what makes civilian ownership rare. 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, 1986.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 922 – Unlawful Acts That froze the civilian supply. The pool only shrinks when a registered weapon is destroyed or surrendered, which is why prices have climbed for decades.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act
Anything manufactured after that date is off-limits to private citizens. It doesn’t matter how much paperwork you’re willing to file.
The Steps to Acquire a Machine Gun Legally
Michigan adds nothing to the federal process. Here is what the acquisition actually looks like:
- Find a pre-1986 transferable machine gun. The weapon must already appear in the NFA registry with a transfer date before May 19, 1986. NFA-focused dealers hold inventories, and private transfers are possible as well.
- Work with a Class III dealer. If the buyer and seller are in different states, the transfer has to go through a licensed dealer with Special Occupational Tax status. Even in-state deals usually move through a dealer. Transfer fees typically run $75 to $125.
- Submit ATF Form 4, the Application for Tax Paid Transfer and Registration of a Firearm. Individual applicants include a recent 2-by-2-inch photograph, completed FBI fingerprint cards (Form FD-258), and the $200 transfer tax. The applicant also notifies the chief law enforcement officer of their locality.5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Application to Transfer and Register NFA Firearm (Tax-Paid) – ATF Form 5320.4
- Pass the background check that ATF runs as part of Form 4 review. You must be at least 21 and legally eligible to possess firearms under federal and state law. Felony convictions, qualifying domestic violence misdemeanors, and active restraining orders are disqualifying.
- Wait for approval. As of February 2026, ATF reports average processing times of roughly 10 days for individual e-filed applications and 21 days for paper, with trust applications averaging 26 days electronically and 24 days on paper. Individual applications can run longer.6Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times
Do not take possession before ATF approves the transfer. Picking up a machine gun early is a federal felony.
Using an NFA Trust So Others Can Use the Firearm
If you register a machine gun in your own name, only you can lawfully possess it. A spouse or adult child who handles it without you physically present can face federal charges. An NFA trust avoids that problem by making the trust itself the registered owner. Anyone named as a trustee can legally possess and use the firearm.
Trusts also simplify what happens when the original owner dies. Successor trustees step in without triggering the full federal transfer process that applies to individually registered NFA items. The trust name appears on the ATF registry instead of a personal name, which some owners prefer for privacy.
The cost is paperwork. Under ATF Rule 41F, every “responsible person” named in the trust must individually submit fingerprint cards, a photograph, and ATF Form 5320.23 each time the trust acquires a new NFA item, and each must send a copy of 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) Add trustees and the paperwork multiplies. Most people setting up an NFA trust use an attorney who works in both trust law and federal firearms regulation.
What Happens If You Possess One Illegally
State and federal prosecutors can both charge you, and they sometimes do.
Under Michigan law, illegal possession of a machine gun 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 conviction also strips the right to possess, transport, or purchase any firearm under MCL 750.224f. For most felonies the prohibition lasts at least three years after completing the full sentence, including parole and probation. For felonies involving violence or drugs, the waiting period extends to 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 Federal prison does not offer parole the way state prison does, and unregistered machine gun cases tend to be prosecuted aggressively.
Conversion Parts Are Treated as Machine Guns
This catches people who thought they were buying an accessory. 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 conduct. The NFA’s definition of “machinegun” includes parts designed and intended to convert a weapon into a machine gun, so an auto-sear or conversion kit purchased online, without proper registration, violates both state and federal law.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5845 Definitions
Bump Stocks and Other Rate-Increasing Devices
The U.S. Supreme Court held in Cargill v. United States (2024) that a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock does not meet the NFA’s definition of “machinegun,” because the device does not allow the weapon to fire more than one shot per function of the trigger. That ruling ended the federal bump stock ban ATF imposed in 2019.11Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Bump Stocks
Michigan has no state-level ban on bump stocks as of early 2026. Senate Bill 224 has been introduced to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and possession of bump stocks and similar trigger activators, but it had not been enacted at the time of writing. If you are considering a purchase, check the current status of that bill. Eighteen other states had already enacted their own bans as of 2025.
Binary triggers and similar 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 to fully automatic, so the legality of a specific product depends on which side of that line it falls.
Taking It Out of State
A Michigan-registered machine gun does not travel freely. Federal law requires written prior authorization from ATF before any machine gun crosses state lines. The owner files ATF Form 5320.20, which specifies the firearm, destination, and travel dates. ATF approves transportation only for the window listed 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 you ship the firearm through a carrier rather than carrying it yourself, a copy of the approved Form 5320.20 must travel with the package the whole way. Confirm that the destination state allows civilian machine gun possession before you leave. Arriving in a state that prohibits them puts you in violation of that state’s law no matter how clean your federal paperwork is.