BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries wants hunters to know how its agents will handle firearm suppressors in the field following a recent federal suppressor rule change.

A federal court in Texas recently ruled that the federal government could no longer enforce certain suppressor registration rules in August, with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announcing that it will no longer require ATF approval or registration for suppressors on Oct. 9. 

While Louisiana law previously allowed hunters to use suppressors, a federal tax stamp was needed as evidence to prove that the suppressor was legally possessed. However, federal law no longer requires that stamp. 

LDWF wants hunters to know that if a suppressor is legally possessed and attached to a firearm that is legal for the season, agents will no longer cite or seize the weapon due to a lack of an ATF tax stamp or registration papers. 

Suppressors may be used to take game birds, wild quadrupeds, outlaw quadrupeds, nutria and beaver. 

However, a hunter convicted of a class four or greater hunting violation may not hunt with a suppressor for five years after the conviction. 

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