Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 (FOPA)

The Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 (FOPA) amended the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Gun Control Act). Among other changes, FOPA amended provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 921 et seq. and created 18 U.S.C. § 926A, which provides a “safe passage” protection for the interstate transport of firearms under specified circumstances. The congressional findings accompanying FOPA state that the Gun Control Act and other federal firearms laws had not adequately protected the rights of law-abiding citizens to acquire, possess, and use firearms for lawful purposes.

Among FOPA's significant amendments to the Gun Control Act were:

  • Narrowing the definition of “dealer” by providing that a person who makes occasional sales or exchanges of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or hobby is not considered to be engaged in the business of dealing in firearms;
  • Eliminating federal recordkeeping requirements for sales of ammunition, while retaining recordkeeping requirements for armor-piercing ammunition;
  • Prohibiting the establishment of any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions by the federal government, subject to statutory exceptions;
  • Prohibiting the possession or transfer of machine guns manufactured after May 19, 1986, subject to specified exceptions. 
    • This provision is commonly known as the Hughes Amendment; and
  • Creating a “safe passage” provision protecting the interstate transport of firearms when the firearm is lawful to possess at both the point of origin and the destination, and is transported in accordance with the statute.

[Last reviewed in August of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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