Congress protects registration information

SEC. 5848. RESTRICTIVE USE OF INFORMATION. (a) GENERAL RULE.—No information or evidence obtained from an application, registration, or records required to be submitted or retained by a natural person in order to comply with any provision of this chapter or regulations issued thereunder, shall, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, be used, directly or indirectly, as evidence against that person in a criminal proceeding with respect to a violation of law occurring prior to or concurrently with the filing of the application or registration, or the compiling of the records containing the information or evidence.

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What to notice

1. The problem exposed by Haynes

   Earlier in 1968, the Supreme Court held that the old registration requirement could force a person to incriminate himself. Congress rewrote the NFA that October. This provision limits how information supplied to comply with the law may be used.

2. A specific protection

   The text covers violations occurring before or at the time the information was filed or compiled. It does not grant immunity for future unlawful conduct.

3. False information remains different

   Subsection (b), directly below the excerpt, preserves the use of the information in proceedings concerning false statements. The registration system depended on accurate submissions.

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