I missed submitting my Form 20 for an in-state move by several years.  Anyone done a retroactive notification?  Any trouble, or is it just a formality since the Form 1 and 4 do not specify a timeline for that notification?    Also, I cannot find a statutory timeline in the NFA handbook or on the ATF web site.

It's not required at all for an intrastate move

Approval is not required to move in your state, but the ATF would like you to help them keep the NFRTR up to date. It does say on the form 1 and form 4 that the registrant shall update the ATF should the address change. For a long time people wrote letters. Up until about 7 years ago (maybe?) the ATF was accepting those letters. Suddenly, the ATF started denying letters and stating that people needed to submit a 5320.20. Also, another thing to keep in mind, failure to update the ATF would prohibit you from taking your NFA firearms (SBR, SBS, MG, DD) out of state since the registered address wouldn't match.

The complication is that now that I want to do an interstate trip, the interstate Form 20 is being disapproved because of the old address on file.  So now I have to submit my address change first, which will show the move years ago.

Yep. That is the same issue others were running into.

Smart way for the ATF to keep the registry up to date over time.  You also cannot sell or transfer without a current address.

Ok, so no issue from ATF with these late in-state move notifications that anyone has heard of?  I know there are two camps, both with good points.  But I have never heard of ATF suggesting that possession of an NFA weapon at an unregistered (new in-state) address forfeits that firearm's registration status.  There is some conversation on Reddit's NFA subforum on this.

i'll just throw this out there....

i moved within the state a few years (2017) and never filed a F20.  i did file a F20 to take some NFA goodies to a shooting competition out of state in (2018, 2019 and 2020).  I submitted and was approved each time.  no big deal.  i bet the just updated their records when i submitted the F20.

oh and also email the forms.  its much faster.

YMMV.

Now that is unusual!  I suppose it depends on the reviewer you get.  For a local move, some people put NA in the date field an it's approved but for others it's flushed. Like most NFA owners, I'm a legal beagle, so this kind of thing stresses me out. :)

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