How Much Does an NFA Gun Trust Cost in Texas?
Last updated: August 11, 2026
Prices vary a lot depending on how the trust gets drafted. Here's what actually drives the cost.
Attorney-drafted trusts
A Texas estate planning or firearms attorney drafting a gun trust from scratch, with a consultation, typically charges somewhere in the range of $300–$1,000+, depending on the firm and how much customization is involved. You're paying for attorney time — reviewing your specific situation, answering questions, and often bundling the trust with other estate planning work.
Self-service online trusts
Template-based online services — like this one — generate the trust document from a standard, Texas-specific template based on the information you enter into a form. There's no attorney time spent on your individual file, which is why the price is dramatically lower (ours is $50). The tradeoff is that it's a standard template, not a one-on-one drafting session — appropriate for straightforward situations, less appropriate if yours is unusually complex.
Free templates
Free gun trust templates exist online, usually from forum posts or generic legal-form sites. The risk is that many aren't Texas-specific, aren't kept current with ATF rule changes (like the 2016 "responsible person" requirements), or were written for a different state's trust law entirely. A trust that gets rejected or challenged later can end up costing far more in time than any amount you saved upfront.
What actually determines whether you need a $50 template or a $500 attorney
- Single state, single grantor, straightforward beneficiaries → template is usually fine.
- NFA items intended to be used or stored across multiple states → talk to an attorney.
- Trust ownership tied to a business → talk to an attorney.
- Complicated family situations (blended families, contested estates) → talk to an attorney.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you're not sure which category you fall into, a short consultation is usually worth it before you commit to either path.