Frequently Asked Questions
Everything customers ask, answered straight. All changes are free for the life of your trust.
Are gun trusts complicated?
Not at all. The process might look complicated from the outside, but our easy-to-follow instructions and documents walk you straight through it.
How long does it take to get my documents?
Your trust documents arrive in your inbox within minutes of ordering. If your order needs a human double-check, we’ll take the extra time and you’ll still hear from us promptly. Shrink and lamination orders ship in 5 to 10 business days after we receive your signed scans.
Are there recurring costs, and can I change my trust later?
You pay once. Zero. Zilch. Nada. All changes after that are free, forever, and the amendment templates are included with every order. Start here: 199trust.com/change-request. (Trust issued before July 2016? It needs the ATF 41F amendment; you’ll find it here.)
How many NFA trusts have you done, and how long have you been in business?
We started in August of 2012. Since then we’ve completed more than 30,000 trusts, and not one has been denied or delayed by the ATF. Not convinced? Hear it from a random sampling of our customers instead.
Can I have more than one trust, or more than one item?
Yes to both, with no limits. Plenty of customers split gear between projects or properties, and one trust can purchase and hold an unlimited number of items.
Should I transfer my personally-registered NFA items into a trust?
Yes, and since January 1st, 2026 it’s completely free (the old $200 stamp fee is gone entirely). It’s worth doing: multiple people can legally possess your items, your beneficiaries avoid probate (ATF Form 5, also free), your estate planning is clearly spelled out, and you can add or remove Co-Trustees as life changes. You’ll file a Form 4 for each item, same as buying new, just without the $200.
How do Co-Trustees work?
The people allowed to possess your items without you present are your Co-Trustees. They must be 18 or older and legally allowed to possess firearms, and each one signs and notarizes the trust plus submits fingerprint cards and photos with any Form 1 or Form 4. There’s no limit to how many you can have, they can live in other states (check that state’s laws, and file an ATF Form 5320.20 if items move across state lines), and the included amendment templates make it easy to add people when the time comes. One warning: if a trust service or lawyer sells you documents letting anyone other than a Co-Trustee possess the NFA items, run far and fast.
Can minors be beneficiaries?
Yes. Should you pass before they turn 18, a Co-Trustee or the Successor Trustee holds the items until they come of age and can take proper distribution.
Are your trusts multi-generational?
No, they are living revocable trusts. Multi-generational trusts are gimmicky, especially for NFA items. With 41F regulations and property passing to beneficiaries tax free via ATF Form 5, they’re pointless and overly complicated.
When do I add items to the assignment sheet?
When you physically possess the serialized property. Making an SBR on a Form 1? You already have the lower, so assign it to the trust before you submit. Buying on a Form 4? The item isn’t yours until the approval comes back and the dealer releases it, so add that serial number once it’s in your hands.
Do I need to register the trust with my state, open a bank account, or fund it?
Registration depends on where you live: most states don’t require it, but some do, and a quick call to your county records office will tell you. A bank account is optional; your documents are suited for one, just grab an EIN at irs.gov. And if you want to fund the trust so it isn’t sent in blank, the classic $1 bill works: Make: US Federal Reserve. Model: $1 bill. Serial#: XXXXXXXX.
I have my gun trust now. What next?
Once your documents are signed and notarized, submit a copy of the trust paperwork with your ATF Form 4 or Form 1, plus Form 23 with fingerprint records and photos for each responsible person, when you’re ready to purchase. Your local Class 3 dealer will help with the paperwork, and a Cerberus LiveScan dealer can handle fingerprints, photos, and eForm submission in minutes. Find your nearest dealer with our locator. Otherwise the trust doesn’t get submitted to the ATF. We keep only the unfilled copy from your order, so make extra hardcopies and digital backups of the completed trust.
What free tools are included with my trust?
Three big ones. The QR Code Trust: an engravable QR code (SVG for lasers, PNG for printing) linked to a secure view page with digital inventory, distribution management, and storage for tax stamps and supporting documents; view pages are encrypted and you can delete yours anytime. The Gun Bag Mini Trust: we shrink your signed trust to quarter size for your range bag or wallet, free at 199trust.com/carry-size-trust, with $35 lamination on a keyring available. And Clanka, our trust assistant chatbot: it runs on an open-source AI model (not a big provider), remembers your trust details so you never re-explain yourself, keeps conversations private and encrypted, and never touches sensitive data. Start with the QR Vault at 199trust.com/qr-trust
I have an NFA-specific question. Can you help?
We’ll do our best and we’re knowledgeable, but the best source for up-to-the-minute NFA answers is the ATF’s NFA branch at (304) 616-4500 or nfafax@atf.gov. They’re all cool cats up there and often go out of their way to take care of you.
Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?
Just like us, they long to be close to you.
Are gun trusts complicated?
Not at all. The process might look complicated from the outside, but our easy-to-follow instructions and documents walk you straight through it.
How long does it take to get my documents?
Your trust documents arrive in your inbox within minutes of ordering. If your order needs a human double-check, we’ll take the extra time and you’ll still hear from us promptly. Shrink and lamination orders ship in 5 to 10 business days after we receive your signed scans.
Are there recurring costs, and can I change my trust later?
You pay once. Zero. Zilch. Nada. All changes after that are free, forever, and the amendment templates are included with every order. Start here: 199trust.com/change-request. (Trust issued before July 2016? It needs the ATF 41F amendment; you’ll find it here.)
How many NFA trusts have you done, and how long have you been in business?
We started in August of 2012. Since then we’ve completed more than 30,000 trusts, and not one has been denied or delayed by the ATF. Not convinced? Hear it from a random sampling of our customers instead.
Can I have more than one trust, or more than one item?
Yes to both, with no limits. Plenty of customers split gear between projects or properties, and one trust can purchase and hold an unlimited number of items.
Should I transfer my personally-registered NFA items into a trust?
Yes, and since January 1st, 2026 it’s completely free (the old $200 stamp fee is gone entirely). It’s worth doing: multiple people can legally possess your items, your beneficiaries avoid probate (ATF Form 5, also free), your estate planning is clearly spelled out, and you can add or remove Co-Trustees as life changes. You’ll file a Form 4 for each item, same as buying new, just without the $200.
How do Co-Trustees work?
The people allowed to possess your items without you present are your Co-Trustees. They must be 18 or older and legally allowed to possess firearms, and each one signs and notarizes the trust plus submits fingerprint cards and photos with any Form 1 or Form 4. There’s no limit to how many you can have, they can live in other states (check that state’s laws, and file an ATF Form 5320.20 if items move across state lines), and the included amendment templates make it easy to add people when the time comes. One warning: if a trust service or lawyer sells you documents letting anyone other than a Co-Trustee possess the NFA items, run far and fast.
Can minors be beneficiaries?
Yes. Should you pass before they turn 18, a Co-Trustee or the Successor Trustee holds the items until they come of age and can take proper distribution.
Are your trusts multi-generational?
No, they are living revocable trusts. Multi-generational trusts are gimmicky, especially for NFA items. With 41F regulations and property passing to beneficiaries tax free via ATF Form 5, they’re pointless and overly complicated.
When do I add items to the assignment sheet?
When you physically possess the serialized property. Making an SBR on a Form 1? You already have the lower, so assign it to the trust before you submit. Buying on a Form 4? The item isn’t yours until the approval comes back and the dealer releases it, so add that serial number once it’s in your hands.
Do I need to register the trust with my state, open a bank account, or fund it?
Registration depends on where you live: most states don’t require it, but some do, and a quick call to your county records office will tell you. A bank account is optional; your documents are suited for one, just grab an EIN at irs.gov. And if you want to fund the trust so it isn’t sent in blank, the classic $1 bill works: Make: US Federal Reserve. Model: $1 bill. Serial#: XXXXXXXX.
I have my gun trust now. What next?
Once your documents are signed and notarized, submit a copy of the trust paperwork with your ATF Form 4 or Form 1, plus Form 23 with fingerprint records and photos for each responsible person, when you’re ready to purchase. Your local Class 3 dealer will help with the paperwork, and a Cerberus LiveScan dealer can handle fingerprints, photos, and eForm submission in minutes. Find your nearest dealer with our locator. Otherwise the trust doesn’t get submitted to the ATF. We keep only the unfilled copy from your order, so make extra hardcopies and digital backups of the completed trust.
What free tools are included with my trust?
Three big ones. The QR Code Trust: an engravable QR code (SVG for lasers, PNG for printing) linked to a secure view page with digital inventory, distribution management, and storage for tax stamps and supporting documents; view pages are encrypted and you can delete yours anytime. The Gun Bag Mini Trust: we shrink your signed trust to quarter size for your range bag or wallet, free at 199trust.com/carry-size-trust, with $35 lamination on a keyring available. And Clanka, our trust assistant chatbot: it runs on an open-source AI model (not a big provider), remembers your trust details so you never re-explain yourself, keeps conversations private and encrypted, and never touches sensitive data. Start with the QR Vault at 199trust.com/qr-trust
I have an NFA-specific question. Can you help?
We’ll do our best and we’re knowledgeable, but the best source for up-to-the-minute NFA answers is the ATF’s NFA branch at (304) 616-4500 or nfafax@atf.gov. They’re all cool cats up there and often go out of their way to take care of you.
Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?
Just like us, they long to be close to you.