With some exceptions, Indiana generally prohibits a person from owning or possessing any machine gun or operating a loaded machine gun.¹ However, this prohibition does not apply to any person possessing a machine gun “under applicable federal statutes.”²

Federal law requires machine guns to be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and generally prohibits the transfer or possession of machine guns manufactured after May 19, 1986.³

In addition, Indiana requires state law enforcement officers to issue a certification if requested by an individual so the individual can obtain a machine gun or other federally regulated firearm (as long as the individual is not prohibited by law from possessing the firearm, or the subject of a proceeding that could result in the individual being prohibited).⁴ Law enforcement officers in Indiana may be held personally liable for willful violations of the law requiring them to issue certifications.⁵

In 2019, Indiana repealed a ban on transferring an assault weapon to a person under the age of 18 and replaced it with a ban on transferring a machine gun to a person under the age of 18.⁶

 See our Machine Guns policy summary for a comprehensive discussion of this issue.