Federal Firearm Rights Restoration FAQ: 50 Questions Answered

DOJ’s current schedule says the federal firearm rights restoration portal will reopen on January 4, 2027. The Department plans to accept only 500 additional applicants nationwide during this phase.

The official application will be available through DOJ’s Federal Firearm Rights Restoration application page. Applicants should use only a website with the official justice.gov domain.

DOJ has not announced the exact opening time. See our updated analysis of what time the January 2027 restoration portal may open.

During the November 4 public opening, NSLF observed that the portal appeared to become available at approximately 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time. DOJ reached its 5,000-applicant limit and closed the portal within only a few hours.

That does not establish when the January portal will open. It could open at midnight, around 6:00 a.m., at the beginning of the federal business day, or at another time selected by DOJ. Technical or administrative issues could also affect the schedule.

The January phase will be significantly smaller than the November phase:

Because January offers only one-tenth as many openings, the available places could fill even more quickly.

Applicants should monitor:

• DOJ’s Federal Firearm Rights Restoration homepage;
• DOJ’s official application page; and
• The email address they intend to use for the application.

Do not pay an unofficial website or private company for supposed early access. No lawyer, organization, or third-party service can issue an official DOJ application link or reserve a place outside the federal portal.

Yes. You do not need to have attempted an application in November to seek one of the January openings.

The January phase is available to new public applicants, including people who:

• Tried to access the November portal but did not obtain a place;
• Learned about the program after the November portal closed;
• Had not yet gathered their records in November;
• Were uncertain whether they qualified;
• Had never previously pursued firearm-rights relief; or
• Previously pursued a different remedy, such as a pardon, expungement, state restoration, or NICS challenge.

Missing the November window was not a denial. DOJ did not evaluate the person’s eligibility, background, or evidence merely because the portal closed before the person began an application.

However, obtaining access in January does not mean the person is a strong candidate for relief.

Anyone currently prohibited under one or more categories of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) may submit an application, but DOJ has established presumptions against relief involving particular offenses, recent convictions, continuing criminal-justice obligations, current statuses, and prior application decisions.

Before trying to obtain a January opening, determine:

1. Why you are federally prohibited;
2. Whether that prohibition still exists;
3. Whether § 925(c) can address it;
4. Whether state law separately prohibits you;
5. Whether a pardon, expungement, state proceeding, NICS challenge, record correction, or VAF/UPIN application is more appropriate;
6. Whether a presumptive disqualifier applies; and
7. Whether January is the correct time to apply.

A person who is still serving a sentence, for example, ordinarily faces a current-status presumption against relief. Someone whose applicable five- or ten-year period has not expired may be better served by preparing now and filing later rather than pursuing a premature application.

Read our detailed guide to federal firearm rights restoration eligibility.

Read more about what happened during the November portal opening and how to prepare for January 4.

No one can reserve a January opening in advance. DOJ alone controls the portal and decides when an applicant is counted among the 500-person limit.

A lawyer can prepare the case before January 4, but cannot:

• Reserve an application number;
• Obtain an application link before DOJ releases it;
• Place a client on a private priority list;
• Guarantee portal access;
• Bypass the official website; or
• Make DOJ keep the portal open.

DOJ has not published a detailed technical rule identifying the precise action that counts toward the 500-applicant limit.

The November experience suggests that successfully initiating the electronic application is the critical step. After DOJ closed the November portal to new applicants, it allowed people who had already started applications to log back in, finish, and submit them.

Merely visiting the DOJ website or clicking the public application button may not be enough.

The strongest indication that a person has successfully initiated an application is that the person:

• Completes the portal’s initial registration step;
• Receives the unique application link and PIN;
• Can log back into the application; and
• Sees the individual application in progress.

This is an inference from DOJ’s November procedures, not a published guarantee about how the January limit will be administered.

If you successfully initiate an application:

1. Save the link and PIN immediately.
2. Take a screenshot of the confirmation information.
3. Store the credentials in at least two secure locations.
4. Record the date and time of initiation.
5. Confirm that you can exit and log back in.
6. Calendar the 30-day completion deadline.

DOJ currently warns that the Office of the Pardon Attorney may not be able to recover a lost application link and PIN. If the portal has already closed to new applicants, losing those credentials could jeopardize the applicant’s ability to finish.

If you successfully initiated an application during the November opening, DOJ says you may continue working on it even though the portal is closed to new applicants.

Use the unique link and PIN provided when you started the application. The public application page may say that no new applications are being accepted, but that does not prevent an existing applicant from returning to an application already initiated.

DOJ provides 30 days from initiation to complete and submit the electronic application.

To identify the deadline:

1. Find the email containing your unique application link and PIN.
2. Identify the date you initiated the application.
3. Review any confirmation message or portal information showing when the 30-day period began.
4. Count 30 calendar days from the initiation date.
5. Treat the earliest reasonably calculated date as your working deadline if there is uncertainty.
6. Do not wait until the final day to submit.

If you initiated the application on November 4, for example, your deadline will fall approximately 30 days later—not on January 4.

Before submitting, download the application PDF and compare it against:

• Court records;
• Criminal-history reports;
• Police records;
• Sentence-completion documents;
• Military or mental-health records, when applicable;
• Prior pardon, expungement, or restoration filings;
• Character-reference information; and
• Every narrative explanation in the application.

Once submitted, the application cannot be edited. Additional documents generally cannot be uploaded afterward unless the DOJ adjudicator requests them.

If you lose the link or PIN, DOJ currently says it may be unable to recover them and that you may have to start again. Contact DOJ through the official FFRR website immediately, but do not assume that a replacement or new opening will be available.

Begin with the records that take the longest to obtain and the information needed to determine whether January is the correct filing period.

Confirm the reason for the prohibition

Obtain enough information to identify:

• The specific federal prohibition;
• Every conviction or status that may independently prohibit possession;
• Whether state law creates a separate disability;
• Whether the record is accurate; and
• Whether § 925(c) is the correct remedy.

A firearm purchase denial does not necessarily mean that § 925(c) is required. Some people need a NICS challenge or record correction rather than discretionary restoration.

Obtain state criminal-history reports

DOJ requires state criminal-history information covering the last 25 years, or since age 18 if that period is shorter.

Request records from:

• Every state where you lived during the applicable period; and
• Every state where you were arrested, even if you never lived there.

A record may be required from a state of residence even when it shows no arrests.

Collect the underlying case records

Depending on the case, begin requesting:

• Charging documents;
• Judgments of conviction;
• Plea agreements;
• Factual bases;
• Presentence reports;
• Police or investigative reports;
• Sentencing records;
• Probation, parole, or supervised-release records;
• Proof of release from incarceration;
• Proof of payment of restitution and fines;
• Proof of completed treatment or community service;
• Expungement, pardon, set-aside, or restoration orders; and
• Official proof of the date the final sentence requirement was completed.

Do not assume the date probation ended is necessarily the controlling date. A later restitution payment or unfinished requirement may affect the calculation.

Learn more about DOJ’s five- and ten-year waiting periods.

Follow our complete guide to applying for federal gun-rights restoration in January 2027.

Gather special records if they apply

Some applicants may also need:

• Mental-health commitment or adjudication orders;
• Current evaluations from licensed mental-health professionals;
• Military charge sheets, judgments, appellate records, and DD Forms 214, 214-1, or 215;
• Domestic-violence records establishing the offense and relationship;
• Foreign criminal, military, or mental-health records;
• Certified English translations; or
• Prior applications for pardon, expungement, set-aside, or restoration.

Document unsuccessful record searches

If a court, police department, or agency says a file was destroyed, sealed, or cannot be located, obtain that response in writing.

Keep:

• Copies of every request;
• Emails from clerks and agencies;
• Certified-mail receipts;
• Archive-search results;
• Destruction notices; and
• Notes identifying whom you contacted and when.

DOJ may allow a sworn explanation when an official record is unavailable, but the applicant should be prepared to document the efforts made to obtain it.

Read our guide to missing court and police records in § 925(c) applications.

Identify three character references

Each reference must:

• Be unrelated to you by blood or marriage;
• Have known you for at least three years; and
• Not be federally prohibited from possessing firearms.

Confirm that each person is willing to answer detailed questions under penalty of perjury and regularly monitors the email address you intend to provide.

Begin developing rehabilitation evidence

Useful evidence may document:

• Stable employment;
• Family responsibilities;
• Education or professional development;
• Military or public service;
• Community involvement;
• Treatment and recovery;
• Financial responsibility;
• Law-abiding conduct;
• Changed circumstances; and
• The specific continuing consequences of the firearm prohibition.

The strongest evidence is concrete, verifiable, and connected to the public-safety and public-interest questions DOJ must decide.

Read more about evidence that can strengthen a federal firearm rights restoration application.

Do not obtain generic fingerprints yet

Applicants must wait for DOJ to issue a case number and QR code, then use the designated electronic fingerprint process at a participating U.S. Post Office.

Fingerprints obtained through another process will not satisfy DOJ’s current requirement.

Section 925(c) allows a person subject to a federal firearm disability to apply to the Attorney General for individualized relief.

The application is administered through the Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney. The Attorney General—or a properly authorized designee—makes the ultimate decision.

To grant relief, DOJ must be satisfied that:

1. The circumstances surrounding the original firearm disability;
2. The applicant’s criminal and other relevant record;
3. The applicant’s present reputation;
4. The applicant’s conduct since the disabling event; and
5. Any other relevant public-safety information

demonstrate that the applicant is not likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that granting relief would not be contrary to the public interest.

This is a discretionary determination. Completing the application correctly does not create a right to approval.

The general process includes:

1. Identifying every federal and state firearm prohibition;
2. Determining whether § 925(c) is the correct remedy;
3. Evaluating DOJ’s presumptive disqualifiers;
4. Obtaining criminal-history and source records;
5. Calculating applicable waiting periods;
6. Preparing the application and supporting explanations;
7. Identifying three qualified character references;
8. Initiating the online DOJ application;
9. Paying the federal application fee;
10. Submitting fingerprints through DOJ’s designated USPS process;
11. Responding to requests from DOJ restoration specialists; and
12. Waiting for the Attorney General’s decision.

A grant under § 925(c) restores applicable federal firearm rights. It does not erase or expunge the conviction, pardon the underlying conduct, remove accurate criminal-history information, or automatically eliminate a separate state prohibition.

Begin by identifying the actual legal basis for the prohibition. Do not assume that the oldest or most serious event in your history is necessarily the reason.

A person may be federally prohibited because of:

• A felony or another offense punishable by more than one year;
• A qualifying fugitive status;
• Current unlawful controlled-substance use;
• A qualifying mental-health commitment or adjudication;
• Certain immigration statuses;
• A dishonorable discharge;
• Renunciation of U.S. citizenship;
• A qualifying domestic-violence restraining order;
• A misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; or
• More than one independent prohibition.

State law may impose an additional restriction even when federal law does not.

Useful records may include:

• The NICS Transaction Number associated with a denied or delayed purchase;
• Any written notice provided by a state point-of-contact agency;
• An FBI Identity History Summary;
• State criminal-history reports;
• Charging documents;
• Judgments and sentencing orders;
• Plea agreements and factual bases;
• Protection or restraining orders;
• Mental-health commitment orders;
• Military discharge and court-martial records;
• Pardon, expungement, set-aside, or restoration orders; and
• Documentation showing completion of the sentence.

An FBI or state criminal-history report is a starting point, not always the final answer. Repository records may omit the disposition, misstate an offense, fail to reflect post-conviction relief, or contain information associated with another person.

The source document maintained by the court or originating agency may control the legal analysis.

For example, a criminal-history report may display an arrest for several charges without showing that all but one were dismissed. A judgment may identify the final conviction but not establish whether the offense involved the required domestic relationship. A state record may say “felony” even though later relief changed how the conviction is treated under federal law.

The correct remedy depends on what the records actually establish. Our guide to federal firearm prohibitions explains how attorneys determine why a person is prohibited and which process may address it.

These processes solve different problems.

A NICS denial does not necessarily mean the person needs federal firearm rights restoration.

For example:

• If NICS associated your identity with another person’s conviction, you may need a mistaken-identity challenge and possibly a UPIN.
• If the court dismissed the charge but the state repository never reported the disposition, the source record may need correction.
• If the conviction is accurate but does not legally qualify as a federal prohibitor, the issue may require a legal challenge rather than discretionary restoration.
• If the record is accurate and the conviction creates a valid federal disability, § 925(c), a pardon, or qualifying state relief may be necessary.
• If repeated delays result from incomplete but accurate records, a VAF and UPIN may help future background checks after the underlying issue is documented.

Obtaining a UPIN does not mean the FBI has restored your gun rights. It gives NICS a way to associate you with information maintained in the Voluntary Appeal File.

Similarly, a successful challenge to one transaction does not necessarily correct the source record or prevent future delays.

Read more about:

• NICS appeals for wrongful firearm denials;
• VAF and UPIN applications; and
• The differences among a VAF, NICS appeal, and firearm rights restoration.

Do not assume that state relief automatically removed the federal prohibition—but do not assume that it had no federal effect either.

For many conviction-based firearm disabilities, federal law looks to the law of the jurisdiction in which the conviction occurred.

Under 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(20), a conviction generally is not treated as a disabling conviction under the federal felon-in-possession law if it:

• Was expunged;
• Was set aside;
• Was pardoned; or
• Was followed by restoration of civil rights,

unless the pardon, expungement, set-aside, or restoration expressly provides that the person may not ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms.

The analysis is more complicated than the label on the order.

Important questions include:

• What exact relief did the court, governor, pardon board, or other authority grant?
• Was the conviction completely set aside or merely sealed from public view?
• Did the person lose civil rights such as voting, jury service, or holding public office?
• Which civil rights were restored?
• Did restoration occur automatically or through an individualized order?
• Does the order preserve a firearm restriction?
• Does another conviction independently prohibit the person?
• Does state law still prohibit firearm possession?
• Does a different federal provision apply?
• Is the conviction a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, for which federal law contains a related but distinct restoration analysis?

A record can be hidden from an ordinary public search and still remain available to law-enforcement databases. Sealing is not necessarily expungement, and an expungement issued for rehabilitative or privacy purposes may not have the same federal effect as relief that legally nullifies the conviction.

The state where the conviction occurred generally determines what the state order did to that conviction. Federal law then determines whether that state action removes the federal disability.

Review:

• Does an expungement restore gun rights?; and
• Federal versus state gun rights restoration.

A presidential pardon and relief under § 925(c) are separate forms of federal relief.

If a full and unconditional presidential pardon is granted for the only federal conviction causing the firearm disability, DOJ states that a separate § 925(c) application may not be necessary.

A separate application may still be required if the person has:

• Another federal or state conviction;
• A qualifying domestic-violence order;
• A mental-health disability;
• A prohibiting immigration status;
• A dishonorable discharge;
• Another § 922(g) status; or
• A state-law firearm restriction that the presidential pardon cannot remove.

A presidential pardon does not expunge the federal conviction or delete the historical record. It represents official forgiveness and may remove the legal disabilities arising from the pardoned offense.

Section 925(c), in contrast, asks DOJ to determine whether the person may again possess firearms under federal law. It does not forgive the offense or alter the judgment.

The appropriate remedy depends on the client’s objectives. Someone focused specifically on firearm possession may consider § 925(c). Someone seeking broader clemency for a federal conviction may consider a presidential pardon. In some cases, multiple proceedings must be evaluated.

Read more about whether a pardon restores gun rights.

Potentially both states’ laws—as well as federal law.

Three separate questions must be analyzed:

Does the original conviction create a federal firearm disability?

Federal law determines whether the conviction falls within a category prohibited by 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).

However, federal law frequently looks to the law of the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred to determine matters such as:

• Whether the offense is considered a conviction;
• The maximum possible punishment;
• Whether the conviction was expunged or set aside;
• Whether civil rights were restored; and
• Whether the person remains prohibited from possessing firearms under the relief granted.

Did the convicting state restore or preserve any restrictions?

The law of the state where the conviction occurred generally determines the legal effect of:

• A pardon;
• An expungement;
• A set-aside;
• Restoration of civil rights;
• A certificate of rehabilitation; or
• Another form of post-conviction relief.

Moving to another state does not ordinarily change what the original state did—or did not do—to the conviction.

What firearm laws apply where the person lives now?

The current state of residence may independently regulate:

• Possession;
• Purchase;
• Registration;
• Firearm identification cards;
• Permits;
• Waiting periods;
• Open or concealed carry;
• Ammunition;
• Particular types of firearms; and
• Relief from state firearm disabilities.

A person can therefore obtain federal relief and remain prohibited under the current state’s law. Conversely, a state may permit possession even though an unresolved federal prohibition remains.

For example, a person convicted in State A who now lives in State B may need to determine:

1. Whether State A’s conviction creates a federal disability;
2. Whether State A restored the person’s civil rights;
3. Whether the restoration preserved a firearm restriction;
4. Whether federal law recognizes State A’s relief; and
5. Whether State B independently permits possession, purchase, and carrying.

A federal restoration decision does not automatically confer a concealed-carry license or override state licensing requirements.

The analysis should be completed before the person attempts to purchase, possess, borrow, transport, or handle a firearm.

Potentially, yes. A person with an old, nonviolent felony conviction may be a strong candidate for federal firearm rights restoration, but age alone does not remove the conviction or guarantee relief.

DOJ’s final rule recognizes that an applicant who:

• Has only one prior nonviolent conviction;
• Has completed the entire sentence;
• Is not subject to another firearm prohibition;
• Has satisfied the applicable time requirements; and
• Has maintained a long record of law-abiding conduct

may present a more straightforward case than someone with recent, repeated, or violent conduct.

For most felony convictions not included in DOJ’s permanent or ten-year categories, a five-year presumption against relief applies. That period generally runs from the later of:

• The conviction; or
• The completion of any part of the sentence.

A decades-old conviction may therefore fall outside the time-limited presumption. But DOJ will still evaluate the complete record, including:

• What actually happened during the offense;
• Whether anyone was harmed or threatened;
• Whether a weapon was involved;
• Whether the applicant accepted responsibility;
• Conduct while incarcerated or under supervision;
• Any later arrests, charges, or convictions;
• Drug and alcohol history;
• Restraining or protection orders;
• Mental-health information relevant to public safety;
• Employment and community reputation;
• Evidence of rehabilitation; and
• The reason the applicant now seeks firearm rights.

The legal name of an offense does not always determine how DOJ will categorize it. A conviction labeled “nonviolent” under state law may have involved allegations of threats, physical force, a weapon, or another circumstance that affects the federal analysis.

Conversely, an offense with a serious title may have involved less dangerous conduct than the title suggests. The application should accurately explain the underlying facts and support that explanation with reliable records.

The applicant must still establish that restoration is not likely to endanger public safety and would not be contrary to the public interest.

Read more about restoring federal gun rights after a felony conviction.

Yes. Whether a conviction creates a federal firearm prohibition depends on the statute, maximum possible punishment, offense elements, underlying relationship, and other legal facts—not merely whether the court called it a misdemeanor or imposed jail.

Several circumstances can create a prohibition without a jail sentence.

Misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence

Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9), a qualifying misdemeanor crime of domestic violence can create a federal firearm prohibition even when the sentence involved only:

• Probation;
• A fine;
• Counseling;
• Community service;
• A suspended sentence; or
• No actual incarceration.

The federal definition requires analysis of both the offense and the relationship between the defendant and the other person. The conviction does not necessarily have to be titled “domestic violence.”

A conviction for assault, battery, disorderly conduct, or another generally worded offense may qualify if it involved the required use or attempted use of physical force—or threatened use of a deadly weapon—and the required domestic relationship.

State misdemeanors punishable by more than two years

The federal felon-in-possession statute generally applies to crimes punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. Federal law excludes most state misdemeanors punishable by two years or less.

A state may nevertheless label an offense a “misdemeanor” while authorizing a maximum sentence exceeding two years. Such a conviction can require additional analysis under 18 U.S.C. §§ 921(a)(20) and 922(g)(1).

The relevant question is normally the maximum punishment authorized by law—not the sentence the judge actually imposed.

Domestic-violence restraining orders

A person may also be prohibited under § 922(g)(8) while subject to a qualifying domestic-violence protection order. That prohibition does not require a criminal conviction or jail sentence.

Other state restrictions

State law may prohibit firearm possession based on misdemeanor conduct even when federal law does not. A person must therefore analyze federal law and the law of the state where possession would occur.

The absence of jail time does not establish firearm eligibility.

DOJ generally calculates a five- or ten-year presumption from the later of:

• The relevant conviction; or
• The date the applicant completed the final part of the sentence.

DOJ defines “sentence” broadly. It may include:

• Incarceration;
• Intermittent confinement;
• Home confinement;
• Probation;
• Parole;
• Supervised release;
• Court-ordered treatment;
• Educational programming;
• Community service;
• Electronic monitoring;
• Restrictions on movement;
• Restitution;
• Fines; and
• Other unsatisfied court-ordered penalties.

Consider this example:

• Released from incarceration: 2014
• Completed probation: 2018
• Completed community service: 2018
• Made final restitution payment: 2021

If the final restitution payment completed the last unsatisfied component of the sentence, DOJ may calculate the waiting period from 2021 rather than 2014 or 2018.

The exact date must be supported by official records whenever possible. Relevant proof may include:

• A probation or supervision discharge order;
• A certificate of sentence completion;
• A court financial ledger;
• A satisfaction of judgment;
• A restitution payment history;
• A receipt showing the final payment;
• A letter from the probation office;
• A docket entry closing the case; or
• Another government record establishing completion.

Do not rely solely on the date listed in an online court summary. A docket may show that supervision ended without showing whether restitution, treatment, or another obligation remained outstanding.

If no official record is available, DOJ may permit a sworn statement explaining the completion date, the efforts made to obtain supporting documentation, and why the official record cannot be produced.

Read our complete guide to DOJ’s five- and ten-year waiting periods.

DOJ’s permanent presumption generally applies when a person was convicted of committing, attempting, soliciting, conspiring to commit, or aiding and abetting a felony involving specified serious conduct.

The permanent categories include felony conduct involving:

• The death of another person;
• Rape, sexual abuse, or sexual assault;
• Human trafficking;
• Kidnapping;
• Intimate-partner or domestic violence;
• Burglary;
• Robbery;
• Extortion;
• Carjacking;
• Arson;
• Violent racketeering activity;
• Gang-related offenses;
• Maiming;
• Assault or battery;
• Stalking;
• Escape or rescue of a person in custody;
• Terrorism;
• Witness tampering;
• Brandishing or discharging a firearm;
• Use of an explosive; or
• Conduct substantially similar to the listed categories.

“Permanent presumption” does not necessarily mean that DOJ is legally forbidden from considering the application. It means the application will ordinarily be denied absent extraordinary circumstances.

There is no ordinary expiration date after which the presumption automatically disappears.

DOJ may examine what actually happened rather than relying only on the statute’s title.

That can work against or in favor of an applicant.

For example:

• A conviction with a generic title may involve underlying violent conduct that places it within a permanent category.
• A misdemeanor may involve conduct DOJ considers more serious than the offense label suggests.
• A burglary conviction may have involved an unarmed entry into an abandoned structure rather than entry into an occupied home.
• A firearm offense may have involved only possession in a restricted location rather than threats, brandishing, or violence.

Applicants should not minimize or rewrite the offense. They should accurately identify the facts, explain relevant context, address aggravating evidence directly, and support the explanation with reliable documents.

DOJ deliberately declined to create a rigid definition of “extraordinary circumstances.”

The Department explained that the standard is intended to preserve discretion for unusual cases in which the offense category, conviction label, or current status does not accurately reflect continuing dangerousness or risk to public safety.

DOJ has identified several factors that may be relevant:

• The relative seriousness of the actual offense conduct;
• The applicant’s age when the conduct occurred;
• Whether the applicant played a minor or limited role;
• Whether the conduct was nonviolent;
• Whether a less serious charge could reasonably have addressed the conduct;
• Whether the offense was merely possessory or based on strict liability;
• Whether a weapon was displayed, used, or threatened;
• The applicant’s remorse;
• Acceptance of responsibility;
• Atonement or efforts to repair the harm;
• An exceptionally long period without criminal conduct;
• Evidence of rehabilitation and community reintegration;
• Reliable evidence of current character and reputation;
• Changed circumstances that reduce the likelihood of recurrence; and
• Evidence that the circumstances no longer reflect present public-safety risk.

DOJ has offered examples of circumstances that may warrant individualized consideration, such as:

• A burglary conviction arising from an unarmed entry into an abandoned building where trespass may have been an equally plausible charge; or
• A firearm conviction based on possession in a protected location where the conduct was nonviolent, merely possessory, and would otherwise have been lawful.

These examples do not guarantee relief in similar cases.

Extraordinary circumstances require more than showing that:

• The conviction is old;
• The applicant completed the sentence;
• The applicant wants to hunt;
• The applicant has family members who own firearms;
• The offense was the applicant’s first conviction; or
• The applicant has avoided another felony.

Those facts may help, but they do not necessarily explain why DOJ should depart from a presumption specifically established for serious, recent, or continuing risk.

A persuasive extraordinary-circumstances presentation should connect the evidence to the statutory questions:

1. Why does the prior event not accurately predict present dangerousness?
2. What reliable evidence shows that the risk has changed?
3. Why would restoring rights be consistent with the public interest?

A person may be able to access and submit an application, but DOJ has established a strong presumption against relief while the person remains in these circumstances.

DOJ’s current-status presumptions include applicants who are:

• Awaiting sentencing;
• Incarcerated;
• Serving any portion of a criminal sentence; or
• Participating in a diversionary program in lieu of conviction.

Probation, parole, supervised release, home confinement, community service, treatment requirements, and unpaid court-ordered financial penalties may constitute continuing portions of a sentence.

If you still owe court-ordered restitution, fines, or another monetary obligation, determine:

• Whether it remains part of an unsatisfied criminal sentence;
• Whether the court entered a payment plan;
• Whether the obligation was converted into a civil judgment;
• Whether the court formally discharged or waived any balance; and
• What the official records show.

Private debt and ordinary civil obligations are different from unsatisfied criminal penalties. The judgment, sentencing order, financial ledger, and applicable law must be reviewed.

A person completing pretrial diversion, deferred prosecution, treatment in lieu of conviction, probation before judgment, or a similar program may also face a current-status presumption. DOJ may consider participation in certain alternative programs even when the matter is expected to be dismissed upon completion.

Filing before completing the program or sentence may produce a denial that could have consequences for a later application.

Unless extraordinary circumstances exist, the better strategy is ordinarily to:

1. Complete every sentence requirement;
2. Obtain official documentation of completion;
3. Determine which waiting period applies;
4. Calculate the correct filing date; and
5. Build a record of lawful conduct after completion.

The opening of a limited portal window does not make a legally premature application advisable.

DOJ evaluates the applicant’s complete history rather than looking only at the single conviction that originally caused the firearm prohibition.

The Attorney General may consider:

• All arrests, regardless of whether charges were filed;
• All criminal charges, regardless of whether they produced convictions;
• Alternative dispositions, including deferred prosecution or probation before judgment;
• Every conviction;
• The seriousness of the underlying conduct;
• Charges dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea;
• Conduct while the applicant served a sentence;
• Compliance with probation, parole, or supervision;
• Satisfaction of financial penalties;
• The time elapsed since sentence completion;
• Restraining and protection orders;
• Threats or threatening behavior;
• Drug and alcohol history;
• Mental-health information relevant to judgment or safety; and
• Information provided by law-enforcement authorities.

An arrest is not the same as a conviction, and a dismissed charge is not proof that the alleged conduct occurred. Nevertheless, DOJ may investigate the surrounding facts and decide what weight to give them.

Multiple convictions

Multiple convictions may raise concerns about:

• Repeated conduct;
• Escalation;
• Failure to respond to prior sanctions;
• The length and consistency of rehabilitation;
• Whether the convictions arise from one incident or separate events; and
• Whether more than one independent firearm prohibition exists.

Several convictions arising from a single episode should be accurately distinguished from unrelated convictions accumulated over many years.

Later arrests

A later arrest can matter even if it did not result in prosecution. The application should accurately disclose the arrest and its outcome.

Helpful records may include:

• The arrest report;
• Prosecutor’s declination;
• Dismissal order;
• No-bill or no-charge documentation;
• Acquittal;
• Evidence identifying mistaken identity; or
• Other reliable information explaining the disposition.

Charges dismissed as part of a plea

DOJ may specifically examine conduct underlying charges dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea. A plea agreement, factual basis, transcript, police report, or presentence report may show whether the dismissed counts were:

• Unsupported alternative charges;
• Part of an agreed charging resolution;
• Based on the same conduct as the conviction; or
• Evidence of more serious conduct than the final conviction reflects.

Applicants should not omit arrests or dismissed charges because they believe those matters were erased or no longer important. DOJ requires disclosure of matters broader than the convictions that appear on an ordinary public background check.

Candor is critical. The application should accurately acknowledge unfavorable information, distinguish allegations from established facts, explain the disposition, and provide supporting records rather than pretending the event never occurred.

A qualifying misdemeanor crime of domestic violence can create a federal firearm prohibition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) even if the offense was called simple assault, disorderly conduct, or another offense that did not include “domestic violence” in its title. The analysis generally turns on the elements of the offense, the facts necessary to establish the qualifying relationship, and whether you received or validly waived the required rights to counsel and a jury.

For convictions involving a spouse, former spouse, co-parent, qualifying cohabitant, parent, guardian, or person similarly situated to a spouse, the federal prohibition generally has no automatic expiration date. A person may nevertheless become eligible through a qualifying pardon, expungement, set-aside, restoration of civil rights, or federal relief under § 925(c).

A narrower rule applies to certain dating-partner convictions entered on or after June 25, 2022. If the victim was only a current or recent dating partner—and not also a spouse, co-parent, qualifying cohabitant, or another traditionally covered relationship—the federal dating-partner prohibition may end after five years. That rule applies only if:

• You have no more than one qualifying dating-partner domestic-violence misdemeanor;
• Five years have passed since the later of the conviction or completion of any custodial or supervisory sentence;
• You have not subsequently been convicted of another qualifying violent misdemeanor; and
• You are not prohibited for another reason.

A dating-partner conviction entered before June 25, 2022, does not create a federal § 922(g)(9) prohibition based solely on the dating relationship. State law may still impose a restriction, and the same conviction may qualify under federal law if another covered relationship existed.

For § 925(c) applications, DOJ ordinarily applies a ten-year presumption against relief when the applicant was convicted of, or served any part of the sentence for, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence during the preceding ten years. Extraordinary circumstances may be considered.

Because the relationship, offense elements, conviction date, sentence, and subsequent record all matter, these cases require more than looking for the words “domestic violence” on a background report. Learn more about domestic-violence firearm prohibitions and restoration.

Not necessarily. The federal prohibition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8) generally applies only while a qualifying domestic-violence restraining order remains in effect.

If the order expired or was dismissed and it was the only basis for your federal prohibition, you may no longer need § 925(c) relief. The better next step may be confirming that the court and NICS records accurately show the order’s termination.

Before concluding that your rights returned, determine:

• Whether the order was actually terminated or merely modified;
• Whether it satisfied the federal requirements while it was active;
• Whether state law imposes a longer prohibition;
• Whether the case produced a separate criminal conviction;
• Whether another protection order remains in effect; and
• Whether you have another independent federal disqualification.

A temporary order entered without notice or an opportunity to participate may not satisfy every requirement of § 922(g)(8), although state law could still prohibit possession. Conversely, an order that has disappeared from a public court search may remain legally active.

DOJ identifies being subject to a qualifying restraining order as a current-status presumptive disqualifier. Applying while the order remains active will ordinarily result in denial absent extraordinary circumstances. If the order has ended but continues to cause a NICS denial, a record correction or NICS challenge may be more appropriate than restoration.

Yes. Receiving therapy, taking prescribed medication, seeking substance-use treatment, or voluntarily admitting yourself to a hospital does not ordinarily create the federal firearm prohibition in 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4).

Under current federal regulations, a “commitment” generally means a formal commitment by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority. The federal definition does not ordinarily include:

• A voluntary hospital admission;
• Admission for observation alone;
• Outpatient counseling;
• Treatment sought without a formal adjudication; or
• A diagnosis by itself.

An involuntary hospitalization also does not automatically answer the question. The records must show who ordered the placement, what legal procedure was used, whether the decision was temporary or final, and whether the authority made a qualifying adjudication or commitment.

State firearm laws may use broader definitions than federal law. A voluntary admission that does not trigger § 922(g)(4) could therefore still affect state eligibility, a carry permit, or another state-law right.

Mental-health treatment should not be avoided because of fear that seeking help automatically eliminates firearm rights. The legal issue is usually the existence and effect of a formal order or adjudication—not the responsible decision to obtain treatment.

If you apply for § 925(c) because of another prohibition, DOJ may still consider relevant mental-health history when evaluating public safety. That is different from saying that treatment itself made you federally prohibited.

Usually, if an available qualifying relief program exists, you should pursue that remedy first.

DOJ’s rules make an applicant presumptively disqualified from § 925(c) relief when:

• The applicant has a § 922(g)(4) mental-health disability;
• The state, territory, federal department, or agency that imposed it has an available relief-from-disabilities program;
• The applicant is eligible but has not applied;
• The application remains pending; or
• The available program denied relief.

If the appropriate authority grants relief through a program that satisfies the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, the federal § 922(g)(4) prohibition may be removed. If that was your only prohibition, you would not need separate § 925(c) relief.

If the jurisdiction or agency has no qualifying relief program, you may apply directly to DOJ. As of November 4, 2026, DOJ identifies Arkansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Wyoming, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands as jurisdictions without such programs, but DOJ warns that its list may change.

A federal application based on a mental-health adjudication or commitment requires substantial documentation, including:

• The commitment or adjudication order;
• Medical records stating the diagnosis that led to it;
• Any petition underlying the proceeding;
• Any later order restoring competency or rights; and
• A current certification from a licensed mental-health professional addressing whether the original condition no longer exists or is successfully treated or stably managed.

The first step is therefore identifying the exact authority that created the disability and determining whether its relief program can remove the federal prohibition.

Yes. DOJ expressly permits applications from people prohibited because of a qualifying court-martial conviction, a discharge under dishonorable conditions, or another military-related disability.

A military record may create more than one independent prohibition. For example:

• A qualifying general court-martial conviction may create a felony prohibition under § 922(g)(1);
• A qualifying military domestic-violence conviction may implicate § 922(g)(9);
• A discharge under dishonorable conditions may independently trigger § 922(g)(6); and
• A military mental-health adjudication or commitment may implicate § 922(g)(4).

Relief from one disability does not necessarily eliminate the others. A discharge upgrade, for example, may address the discharge-based prohibition without changing the legal effect of the court-martial conviction. Likewise, action involving the conviction may not automatically change the discharge characterization.

Do not assume that every adverse discharge has the same federal consequence. The precise characterization, court-martial record, approved sentence, appellate history, and DD Form 214 must be reviewed.

For a military-based § 925(c) application, DOJ may require:

• DD Form 214, 214-1, or 215;
• The charge sheet, DD Form 458;
• The court-martial judgment;
• The certificate of completion of appellate review; and
• Records concerning any discharge correction, upgrade, clemency, set-aside, or other military relief.

Military applicants may also have potential remedies through a service Discharge Review Board, Board for Correction of Military Records, military appellate process, or presidential pardon. The correct strategy depends on which military action created each prohibition. Learn more about firearm-rights issues affecting veterans and former service members.

A VA disability rating by itself does not make a veteran federally prohibited from possessing firearms.

Historically, veterans whom VA determined needed fiduciary assistance managing their benefits could be reported to NICS without a separate judicial finding that satisfied the federal mental-health prohibition. In 2026, VA announced that it would stop reporting veterans solely because they participate in the VA Fiduciary Program and would work with the FBI to remove prior reports based only on fiduciary participation.

That means a current or former fiduciary appointment, standing alone, should not automatically require a § 925(c) application. However, a veteran may still have another independent prohibition arising from:

• A court or other lawful authority’s mental-health commitment;
• A finding of incompetency in a criminal or court-martial proceeding;
• A qualifying conviction;
• A dishonorable discharge;
• A domestic-violence order; or
• Another § 922(g) category.

If a past VA fiduciary determination remains in NICS despite the policy change, the appropriate remedy may be correction of the VA or NICS record—not discretionary restoration. DOJ also states that a person whose rights have already been restored through the VA fiduciary process, and who has no other prohibition, does not need to apply under § 925(c).

The critical question is whether the VA fiduciary determination was the sole source of the NICS entry or whether another adjudication, commitment, or prohibition exists in the record.

These are three different legal issues.

Current unlawful drug use: Section 922(g)(3) prohibits a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a federally controlled substance from possessing firearms or ammunition. The inquiry is not limited to whether the person has a drug conviction.

DOJ’s restoration rule creates a current-status presumption against relief for unlawful users of or persons addicted to controlled substances. The rule makes a limited exception when the applicant’s only unlawful substance use or addiction involves marijuana.

That exception affects DOJ’s restoration presumption. It does not make marijuana federally lawful or establish that a current marijuana user may lawfully possess firearms under § 922(g)(3). State-authorized medical or recreational marijuana remains marijuana use under federal law.

An old drug conviction: A drug conviction may create a separate felony prohibition if the offense was punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. DOJ also applies a ten-year presumption against restoration to certain drug-trafficking offenses when the conviction or any part of the sentence falls within the preceding ten years. An old simple-possession case requires examination of its maximum authorized penalty, final disposition, and subsequent relief.

Substance-use treatment: Attending rehabilitation, counseling, or a recovery program does not itself create a firearm prohibition. In fact, documented recovery may be relevant evidence of rehabilitation. DOJ may nevertheless examine the underlying substance use, its recency, relapses, treatment history, testing, and present stability when evaluating public safety.

Applicants must answer questions about drug use truthfully. A person should not characterize current use as “past” merely because no arrest or conviction occurred. Learn more about drug use, marijuana, and federal firearm restrictions.

The answer depends on the person’s exact immigration category.

A lawful permanent resident—a green card holder—is not prohibited merely because the person is not a U.S. citizen. A green card holder would ordinarily need federal restoration only if another prohibition applies, such as a felony conviction, domestic-violence conviction, qualifying mental-health adjudication, or unlawful drug use.

A person illegally or unlawfully present in the United States is prohibited under § 922(g)(5)(A). A person admitted under a nonimmigrant visa is generally prohibited under § 922(g)(5)(B), unless a statutory exception applies.

Possible exceptions for nonimmigrant visa holders include certain people who:

• Possess a valid U.S.-issued hunting license or permit;
• Were admitted for lawful hunting or sporting purposes;
• Serve as qualifying foreign-government representatives;
• Are qualifying foreign law-enforcement officers on official business; or
• Receive an authorized federal waiver.

DOJ permits applicants from every § 922(g) category, including people prohibited because of immigration status. However, DOJ treats being illegally or unlawfully present—or being admitted under a nonimmigrant visa—as a current-status presumptive disqualifier. An application will ordinarily be denied absent extraordinary circumstances while that status continues.

Before applying, determine whether:

• You are actually prohibited under § 922(g)(5);
• A statutory exception already applies;
• Your immigration record is inaccurate or outdated;
• A pending or available immigration remedy could change the analysis; or
• Another independent firearm prohibition exists.

For many noncitizens, correcting the immigration record, establishing an existing exception, or resolving the underlying status is more appropriate than seeking discretionary restoration. A green card, employment authorization document, visa, parole document, or pending immigration application should never be evaluated by its label alone. Learn more about firearm ownership by green card holders and other noncitizens.

For each felony conviction underlying your firearm prohibition, DOJ asks applicants to provide as many of the following records as they can obtain:

• The indictment, information, complaint, or other charging document;
• The judgment of conviction;
• An official document establishing when you completed the final requirement of your sentence;
• The plea agreement, if applicable;
• The factual basis for the plea;
• The presentence report or another document prepared for sentencing; and
• Any later pardon, expungement, set-aside, vacatur, restoration order, or certificate of rehabilitation.

A misdemeanor domestic-violence case may require additional records, including the investigative reports, documentation establishing the relationship between the parties, and records concerning any subsequent domestic-violence incident.

Start with the clerk of the court in which the case was prosecuted. Ask for the complete criminal case file, not merely the judgment or public docket. Depending on the jurisdiction, different records may need to come from different offices:

• Court clerk: charging document, judgment, plea documents, sentencing orders, docket, and post-conviction orders;
• Probation or parole agency: discharge certificate and supervision-completion date;
• Court finance or restitution office: payment ledger, satisfaction of judgment, or proof of final restitution payment;
• Prosecutor or law-enforcement agency: police reports and investigative materials;
• Department of corrections: custody, release, parole, and sentence-completion records;
• Former defense attorney: plea agreement, discovery, sentencing memorandum, and other copies retained in the attorney’s file; and
• Federal probation office or sentencing court: presentence report, which may be subject to special access restrictions.

Ask whether each document is a certified copy or a reliable copy provided by the records custodian. DOJ requires true digital copies of court or government records.

Do not assume that one document tells the complete story. A judgment may show the sentence imposed without showing when probation ended or restitution was finally paid. Those dates can affect DOJ’s five- or ten-year presumptions.

DOJ requires state criminal-history reports covering the shorter of:

• The last 25 years; or
• The period since you turned 18.

Within that period, you need a report from:

1. Every state where you lived, even if you were never arrested there; and
2. Every state where you were arrested, even if you never lived there.

For example, suppose you lived in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida during the relevant period and were arrested while visiting Georgia. You would ordinarily need reports from all four states.

A state of residence must provide either:

• An official record showing arrests and convictions; or
• Official documentation showing that the search returned a clear record.

An arrest state should provide the official criminal-history record and, when necessary, the court disposition showing what happened afterward.

If a state does not offer a statewide report, DOJ permits records from the relevant locality. That may require contacting the county sheriff, local police department, court, or another designated records repository.

Applicants who lived or were arrested outside the United States during the relevant period may also need corresponding foreign law-enforcement records. Any foreign-language document must be accompanied by an English translation and the translator’s certification of completeness and accuracy.

An FBI Identity History Summary is useful, but it does not replace the state criminal-history reports DOJ requires.

The FBI report can help identify:

• Arrests transmitted to the FBI;
• Missing or incomplete dispositions;
• Incorrect names or identifiers;
• Duplicate entries;
• Records associated with another person; and
• Cases that require correction before filing.

However, the federal database may not contain every state or local event, and it may not establish that a particular state returned a clear record. DOJ separately requires an official report—or official clear-record documentation—from every relevant state of residence and arrest.

You therefore may need all of the following:

• An FBI Identity History Summary for your own review;
• State criminal-history reports from every required state;
• Court dispositions for individual cases;
• Local records if statewide reporting is unavailable; and
• Corrections from the agency responsible for an inaccurate entry.

The fingerprints submitted after starting the DOJ application are also not a substitute for gathering these state reports.

If your FBI or state report contains an error, DOJ instructs applicants to dispute it with the agency responsible for the record. Depending on the problem, this may require an FBI or source-agency record correction rather than—or before—a restoration application.

A missing record does not automatically prevent you from applying, but DOJ expects you to make reasonable, documented efforts to obtain it.

First, determine whether the document is actually unavailable. A sealed file, an archived file, and a destroyed file are different situations. Consider contacting:

• The court clerk;
• The court’s archive or records center;
• The prosecutor;
• The arresting police department;
• The county sheriff;
• The probation or parole agency;
• The state department of corrections;
• Your former attorney;
• A state archive; and
• Any agency that maintains historical criminal records.

Ask each office to respond in writing. A letter or email stating that the file was destroyed, sealed, transferred, or could not be located helps establish what occurred.

If the required document remains unavailable for reasons outside your control, DOJ allows you to submit a sworn statement containing:

1. A description of the missing document and the information it contained;
2. The facts you understand the document would show;
3. Every effort you made to obtain it;
4. The offices and individuals you contacted;
5. The approximate dates of those requests; and
6. The reason the document could not be obtained.

Attach supporting proof such as correspondence from the clerk, records-request receipts, archive-search results, destruction notices, and docket entries.

A sworn statement should not be used as a shortcut for records that could have been obtained with additional follow-up. It should accurately distinguish between what you personally remember, what another record establishes, and what you believe the missing document contained. Learn more about applying when old court or police records are missing.

DOJ wants a document from a court or government agency establishing when you completed the final requirement of the sentence.

Depending on the case, acceptable evidence may include:

• A probation or parole discharge certificate;
• A court order terminating supervision;
• A department-of-corrections release record;
• A clerk-certified docket entry;
• An official restitution or court-finance ledger;
• A satisfaction-of-judgment document;
• A receipt showing the final court-ordered payment;
• An official community-service completion record;
• A certificate showing completion of court-ordered treatment or programming; or
• A letter from the supervising agency confirming that every sentencing requirement was completed.

The judgment alone may not be sufficient. It usually establishes what the court ordered, not when each obligation was completed.

If incarceration ended in 2015, probation ended in 2018, and court-ordered restitution was finally paid in 2021, DOJ may treat 2021 as the relevant completion date. That later date can affect whether a five- or ten-year presumption has expired.

Before relying on a date, compare the judgment, docket, supervision records, and payment history. If those records conflict, resolve the discrepancy before filing rather than selecting the earliest or most favorable date without support.

DOJ requires three references. Each reference must:

• Have known you for at least three years;
• Be unrelated to you by blood or marriage; and
• Not be federally prohibited from possessing firearms under § 922(g).

A spouse, parent, child, sibling, in-law, or other relative by blood or marriage cannot serve as one of the required references.

An employer, supervisor, coworker, business associate, clergy member, community leader, neighbor, coach, military colleague, or longtime friend may qualify if that person meets DOJ’s requirements.

Choose references who know different parts of your present life and can speak from firsthand experience. For example:

• A supervisor may describe your dependability and responsibilities;
• A community member may describe volunteer service and reputation;
• A longtime friend may describe your stability, judgment, family responsibilities, and conduct over time.

A prestigious title is less valuable than meaningful personal knowledge. Three people who barely know you and can offer only generic praise may be less persuasive than three credible people who have observed your conduct for years.

Before listing anyone, explain that DOJ will ask serious questions under penalty of perjury. Confirm that the person:

• Is willing to participate;
• Has known you for at least three years;
• Checks the email address you will provide;
• Understands the relevant parts of your history;
• Can truthfully make DOJ’s required affirmations; and
• Is not personally prohibited from possessing firearms.

DOJ requires each reference to make several affirmations under penalty of perjury. These include confirming that:

• You have not committed a non-minor crime during the past five years;
• You are not unlawfully using or addicted to a controlled substance, subject to DOJ’s stated marijuana distinction;
• You do not regularly abuse alcohol, prescription medication, or other intoxicants;
• You are not currently experiencing a mental-health condition that impairs your judgment or behavior;
• You are a person of good character and reputation;
• You have not attempted, threatened, or used unlawful violence—or attempted or threatened suicide—during the past five years; and
• You would not pose a danger to yourself, your family, an intimate partner, or the public if permitted to possess a firearm.

A reference should not agree merely as a favor. If the person does not know enough to answer truthfully, select someone else.

DOJ sends the reference an email from Criminal Justice Information Services containing an access link and PIN. The reference may complete the form or decline.

If a reference declines, DOJ allows the applicant to update the reference through the application-status page. If a reference does not respond:

1. Confirm that the person received the email;
2. Ask the person to check spam and junk folders;
3. Verify that the email address was entered correctly;
4. Continue checking the application-status page; and
5. Replace the reference if DOJ’s system permits or follow the restoration specialist’s instructions.

DOJ does not promise to email the applicant when a reference fails to complete the form. Monitoring the status page is the applicant’s responsibility. An application requiring three references may remain incomplete if one never submits the required form.

DOJ’s central questions are whether you are likely to endanger public safety and whether restoring your rights would be contrary to the public interest. A persuasive statement should help answer those questions with specific facts and supporting evidence.

A strong narrative ordinarily addresses:

1. What happened: Identify the offense and describe it accurately. Do not minimize the conduct or contradict established court records.
2. Responsibility: Explain what you accept responsibility for and what you learned.
3. Relevant context: Provide context without using hardship, substance use, youth, or other people’s conduct as an excuse.
4. Completion of sentence: Explain when and how you completed incarceration, supervision, restitution, treatment, and every other requirement.
5. Conduct since then: Describe employment, education, family responsibilities, military service, treatment, sobriety, community involvement, and other evidence of stability.
6. Later incidents: Address subsequent arrests, protection orders, relapses, disciplinary problems, or other unfavorable facts directly.
7. Present character: Explain the responsibilities and trust you now hold in your family, workplace, profession, or community.
8. Reason for seeking relief: Explain why restoration matters and how you intend to exercise restored rights safely and lawfully.
9. Public safety: Address training, judgment, storage, sobriety, conflict management, treatment compliance, or other facts relevant to the risks DOJ must evaluate.
10. Public interest: Explain why restoration would be consistent with—not contrary to—the public interest.

Useful supporting evidence may include:

• Long-term employment records and promotions;
• Professional licenses and certifications;
• Education and training;
• Military and public-service records;
• Volunteer and charitable service;
• Treatment completion and sustained-recovery records;
• Evidence of family or caregiving responsibilities;
• Awards, commendations, and performance evaluations;
• Evidence of financial and residential stability;
• Records correcting inaccurate criminal-history information; and
• Specific declarations from people with firsthand knowledge.

The strongest applications connect each claim to evidence. “I have changed” is a conclusion. Ten years of stable employment, increasing responsibility, completed treatment, community service, and consistent firsthand accounts show DOJ how that change occurred.

The statement should sound like the applicant—not like a generic apology generated for every case. Learn more about evidence that can strengthen a § 925(c) restoration application.

Do not assume that sealing, expungement, dismissal, or the absence of a conviction allows you to omit a matter from the federal application.

DOJ expressly requires applicants to disclose past convictions even when they were:

• Expunged;
• Set aside;
• Pardoned;
• Vacated or otherwise amended through post-conviction relief; or
• Subject to a restoration of rights.

Include the order granting the relief and accurately explain its legal effect. A state order can be important evidence even when it did not completely remove the federal firearm prohibition.

DOJ may also consider:

• Arrests that never resulted in charges;
• Charges that were dismissed;
• Diversionary dispositions;
• Deferred adjudications;
• Probation before judgment;
• Charges dismissed as part of a plea agreement;
• Protection or restraining orders;
• Military apprehensions and qualifying pretrial restraints; and
• Other relevant conduct uncovered during the investigation.

A dismissal is not a conviction, and an arrest does not establish guilt. The application should state the outcome precisely and include the official disposition. It should not describe a dismissed charge as a conviction—or pretend the arrest never occurred.

Follow the instructions on each portal screen carefully. If a particular field tells you not to place a vacated or pardoned conviction in that specific table, disclose it in the section designated by the application and attach the relief order. Do not interpret a field-specific instruction as permission to conceal the case entirely.

The safer approach is complete, accurate, and properly explained disclosure. An unfavorable event that is candidly documented can often be addressed. An omission that DOJ later discovers can damage the applicant’s credibility and may independently support denial.

Wait for DOJ’s instructions. Do not obtain fingerprints before the application process generates the required case number and QR code.

After you complete the required portion of the application, you should receive an email from Criminal Justice Information Services, or CJIS. The email will contain:

• Your federal restoration case number;
• Instructions for submitting fingerprints; and
• The QR code required for the transaction.

DOJ currently accepts only electronic fingerprints submitted through a participating United States Postal Service location. Fingerprints taken by a local police department, private fingerprinting company, attorney’s office, commercial livescan provider, or on a paper fingerprint card will not satisfy this requirement unless DOJ changes its published instructions.

Not every post office offers electronic fingerprinting. Use the location finder provided in the DOJ or USPS email to identify a participating location.

Bring:

• The CJIS email containing your QR code;
• An accepted form of identification;
• The payment method accepted by that post office; and
• Any USPS registration or confirmation information you received.

DOJ currently identifies the following as acceptable forms of identification:

• State-issued driver’s license;
• State-issued nondriver identification card;
• U.S. passport or passport card; or
• Uniformed Services military identification card.

The post office electronically transmits the fingerprints to the FBI. DOJ states that the results will then be associated with your restoration application, and you should receive a notification when the FBI receives them.

A prior FBI Identity History Summary, concealed-carry fingerprint submission, employment background check, military fingerprint record, or NICS transaction does not replace this application-specific fingerprint requirement.

Beginning with the January 4, 2027 filing window, DOJ charges a $30 nonrefundable application fee.

After submitting the application, the applicant is redirected to Pay.gov. DOJ currently permits payment by:

• Direct bank transfer through ACH;
• Credit card;
• Debit card; or
• PayPal.

The $30 payment is only DOJ’s processing fee. Other possible expenses include:

• USPS electronic fingerprinting;
• State criminal-history reports;
• FBI criminal-history records;
• Certified court documents;
• Police and investigative reports;
• Archived-record retrieval;
• Probation or corrections records;
• Medical records and professional evaluations;
• Certified translations;
• Military records;
• Record-correction proceedings; and
• Legal representation, if retained.

These expenses will vary considerably. Someone with one recent case and one state of residence may have relatively modest record costs. Someone with several old cases, multiple states of residence, military service, mental-health records, or missing documents may incur substantially more.

DOJ permits applicants to request a waiver or reduction of the $30 application fee and requires the applicant to explain why relief from the fee should be granted. Indigency may support a waiver or reduction. As of November 4, 2026, DOJ states that additional instructions concerning fee-waiver requests will be provided later.

A waiver of DOJ’s application fee would not necessarily waive charges imposed by courts, state police agencies, USPS, medical providers, or other third parties.

Yes. The online application is designed to allow you to save your work and return using the unique application link and PIN.

Once you successfully initiate the application:

1. Save the unique link immediately;
2. Record the PIN exactly as issued;
3. Store both in more than one secure location;
4. Confirm that you can log back into the application;
5. Record the initiation date and time; and
6. Calendar the 30-day submission deadline.

Do not rely solely on leaving the application open in one browser window. Save the information in a secure password manager or another protected location accessible to the applicant and authorized legal team.

DOJ currently warns that the Office of the Pardon Attorney may be unable to recover a lost application link and PIN. If you lose them, you may have to start a new application.

That could create a serious problem during a capped filing period. If the January portal has already accepted its 500 applicants, losing access may mean that you cannot start over until DOJ offers another opening.

The applicant should also maintain continuing access to the email address used for the application. DOJ uses that address for fingerprint instructions, reference updates, requests from restoration specialists, and the final decision notice.

Correct every known error before final submission whenever possible.

Before submitting, download or review the complete application and compare:

• Names and identifying information;
• Case numbers;
• Statutory citations;
• Conviction and judgment dates;
• Sentence-completion dates;
• Addresses and residential history;
• Arrest history;
• Reference email addresses; and
• Every uploaded attachment.

DOJ’s public guidance does not promise applicants an unrestricted ability to reopen and edit every part of a finally submitted application. If you discover a material error afterward, do not ignore it and do not submit a second application unless DOJ instructs you to do so.

Instead:

1. Preserve a written description of the error;
2. Identify the correct information and supporting record;
3. Check the application-status page for an authorized correction or upload function;
4. Follow any case-specific instructions provided by DOJ; and
5. Notify the assigned restoration specialist promptly if DOJ contacts you.

Do not send official case documents through a general DOJ contact form when the form states that it is not intended for official, case-related, or time-sensitive submissions. Ask DOJ for the correct case-specific submission method.

If DOJ determines that the application is incomplete, it will provide an opportunity to correct and resubmit it. That is different from voluntarily supplementing an otherwise complete application with new evidence.

An immaterial typographical error may not require the same response as an incorrect conviction, omitted arrest, wrong completion date, or inaccurate answer to an eligibility question. When in doubt, preserve credibility by raising a material mistake rather than hoping the government will not notice it.

DOJ has not published a guaranteed processing time or decision deadline.

The program is new, and applications may require:

• FBI fingerprint and criminal-history processing;
• Verification of state and local records;
• Review of court, correctional, military, medical, or immigration documents;
• Responses from three character references;
• Contact with law-enforcement agencies;
• Additional questions from a restoration specialist; and
• Individualized public-safety and public-interest review.

A case involving one well-documented conviction may move differently from a case involving multiple jurisdictions, missing records, conflicting dispositions, mental-health evidence, military proceedings, or later arrests.

Applicants should monitor:

• The DOJ application-status page;
• The email address associated with the application;
• Spam and junk folders;
• Reference-submission status; and
• Requests from an assigned restoration specialist.

DOJ says applicants are responsible for keeping their email addresses current and monitored. The Office of the Pardon Attorney may contact the applicant by email with additional questions, and applicants should respond promptly.

When a decision is made, DOJ will send an email directing the applicant to retrieve the decision letter through the portal. Filing an application does not create a right to a decision within a particular number of days or months.

It may. The investigation is not necessarily limited to the documents and three references chosen by the applicant.

The application authorizes government representatives to obtain relevant information from sources that may include:

• Courts;
• Criminal-justice agencies;
• Local law enforcement;
• Probation and corrections agencies;
• Employers;
• Schools;
• Residential-management agents;
• Retail establishments;
• Military departments;
• Medical or mental-health providers, when appropriately authorized; and
• Other sources with information relevant to the application.

DOJ’s final rule specifically permits consideration of information provided by local law enforcement. It may also investigate criminal history, dismissed charges, conduct while incarcerated or supervised, substance use, protection orders, threats, mental health, and other circumstances relevant to public safety.

That does not mean DOJ will contact every employer, neighbor, doctor, or police department in every case. It means an applicant should not assume that the investigation will be confined to the favorable information voluntarily submitted.

Before filing, review whether a government inquiry could uncover:

• An arrest missing from the applicant’s records;
• An employment disciplinary matter;
• A protection order;
• A police call that did not result in charges;
• An inconsistent explanation of the offense;
• Undisclosed substance use; or
• Another fact requiring explanation.

The goal is not to disclose irrelevant private information. It is to ensure that every required answer is complete, accurate, and consistent with the records DOJ is likely to obtain.

No—filing an application does not suspend or temporarily remove the federal prohibition.

Until DOJ grants relief, a person who remains prohibited under § 922(g) generally may not:

• Own or possess a firearm;
• Possess ammunition;
• Receive or transport a firearm or ammunition;
• Borrow a firearm;
• Handle a firearm while hunting;
• Possess a firearm at a shooting range; or
• Maintain access or control over another person’s firearm.

Possession does not necessarily require ownership. Temporarily holding or controlling a firearm may constitute actual possession. Keeping a firearm in a home, vehicle, safe, or other location over which the prohibited person exercises control may create a constructive-possession issue.

A hunting license, shooting-range membership, state carry permit, or pending § 925(c) application does not override a federal prohibition.

A prohibited person should not ask a spouse, friend, or family member to nominally “own” firearms while allowing the prohibited person access to them. Any transfer or storage arrangement must prevent the prohibited person from exercising possession, custody, or control and must comply with federal and state law.

Relief is not effective merely because DOJ received the application, assigned a case number, requested fingerprints, or began its investigation. The applicant must wait for an actual grant and should also confirm whether any independent state prohibition remains.

DOJ provides 30 days after the incompleteness notification to correct and resubmit the application.

This is separate from the initial 30-day period for completing an application after it is started. Applicants may therefore encounter two different deadlines:

• Initial deadline: 30 days from initiating the online application to complete and submit it;
• Correction deadline: 30 days after DOJ notifies the applicant that a submitted application is incomplete.

Read the notice carefully. Identify every requested correction rather than responding only to the first item. A complete response may require:

• A missing court document;
• A clearer or properly certified copy;
• An official sentence-completion record;
• A state criminal-history report;
• A sworn statement concerning an unavailable record;
• A corrected answer;
• Additional explanation;
• Completed fingerprints; or
• Action involving a character reference.

Submit the response through the method identified in DOJ’s notice and preserve proof of timely submission.

If the applicant does not correct and resubmit within 30 days, DOJ states that the application will be closed. A closed application may result in a “no action” disposition rather than a decision on the merits, and the applicant may have to begin the process again during a future filing opportunity.

A grant means the Attorney General or an authorized designee has determined that restoring your federal firearm rights is not likely to endanger public safety and would not be contrary to the public interest.

DOJ will send an email directing you to retrieve the written decision from the application portal. Preserve:

• The complete decision letter;
• The restoration order;
• The effective date;
• Your application and case numbers;
• Any correspondence concerning the scope of relief; and
• Any Restoration Personal Identification Number, or RPIN, subsequently issued.

The grant removes the applicable federal firearm disability as provided in the decision. However, applicants should not assume that every database updates instantaneously.

DOJ states that it will share restoration information with the FBI and that the FBI will update NICS. DOJ may also issue an RPIN that can be used during future firearm transactions.

Before attempting a purchase:

1. Read the grant carefully and confirm which federal disabilities it covers;
2. Confirm that no separate federal prohibition remains;
3. Determine whether state or local law independently prohibits possession;
4. Retain a copy of the grant and any RPIN;
5. Allow the government’s records to update; and
6. Address any continuing NICS problem through the appropriate challenge or record-correction procedure.

A federal grant does not excuse a false answer on ATF Form 4473. Answer each question according to the legal effect of the grant and the instructions accompanying the form.

If NICS continues to deny a transaction after a grant, obtain the NICS Transaction Number from the dealer and determine which record caused the denial. A restoration grant may have been valid while a separate or outdated record still requires correction.

No. Federal firearm-rights restoration removes applicable federal disabilities. It does not automatically eliminate an independent state, tribal, territorial, or local prohibition.

After receiving federal relief, you may still need to determine:

• Whether the convicting state continues to prohibit possession;
• Whether your present state of residence recognizes the federal restoration;
• Whether a state restoration order is also required;
• Whether state law restricts particular firearms or ammunition;
• Whether you qualify for a purchase or ownership permit;
• Whether you qualify for a concealed-carry license; and
• Whether another conviction, order, or status creates a separate state restriction.

A concealed-carry license is a separate state-law authorization. A federal grant does not require a state to issue one.

The grant also does not automatically:

• Expunge or seal a conviction;
• Vacate the judgment;
• Restore a professional license;
• restore voting or jury rights;
• Change a military discharge;
• Remove the conviction from every background check; or
• Eliminate immigration consequences.

The correct sequence may require federal restoration, state restoration, record correction, or another form of relief. Our guide to federal versus state firearm-rights restoration explains why the two systems must be evaluated separately.

If DOJ grants relief, you should expect the grant to become public.

Section 925(c) requires the Attorney General to publish notice of a grant in the Federal Register, together with the reasons for the action. DOJ’s current public guidance states that the applicant’s name and the date of the grant will be published.

Because the program is new, the level of detail DOJ will routinely include in each published notice remains to be seen. Applicants should assume that:

• Their name will be publicly associated with a federal firearm-rights restoration;
• The date of the grant will be public; and
• At least some explanation of the government’s reasons may be published.

DOJ’s current guidance does not state that the names of denied applicants will be published in the Federal Register. A denial letter, application, investigative record, and related agency communications may nevertheless be subject to federal recordkeeping, privacy, litigation, or disclosure rules.

An applicant should not submit private medical, family, or employment information casually. At the same time, necessary evidence cannot be withheld merely because it is sensitive. The application should include what DOJ needs to evaluate public safety and the public interest while avoiding irrelevant personal information.

These dispositions have different meanings and different consequences.

Denial

A denial means DOJ reviewed the completed application and was unable to determine that restoring the applicant’s rights would be consistent with public safety and the public interest.

Following a denial:

• The federal prohibition remains;
• The applicant may seek judicial review in the appropriate federal district court;
• The applicant may be able to reapply after an applicable waiting period; and
• The denial itself may create an additional presumption against a later application.

Indeterminate

An indeterminate decision means DOJ did not have enough information to grant or deny the application.

This may occur when important facts or records cannot be established. The applicant may begin the process again after obtaining additional information, but the new application should directly address the deficiency that produced the indeterminate result.

Submitting the same evidence again is unlikely to change the outcome.

No action

“No action” is an administrative closure without a decision on the merits. DOJ identifies possible reasons such as:

• The applicant requested withdrawal;
• The applicant died before a decision;
• The applicant failed to respond to DOJ inquiries;
• The application remained incomplete; or
• Another administrative circumstance required closure.

An applicant whose case is closed with no action may generally begin the application process again. However, that may require waiting for another portal opening and paying another application fee.

Section 925(c) permits a person whose application was denied to file a petition for judicial review in the United States district court for the district where the person resides. The court may permit additional evidence when excluding it would result in a miscarriage of justice.

That does not mean every denial should be litigated.

Judicial review may deserve serious consideration when:

• DOJ applied the wrong legal standard;
• The denial relied on an inaccurate record;
• DOJ overlooked material evidence;
• The decision misclassified the offense or sentence;
• The agency treated a nonqualifying event as a prohibition;
• The stated reasons conflict with the administrative record; or
• The case presents an important legal issue that another application will not fix.

Reapplication may be more appropriate when:

• A required record was missing;
• A reference or third party failed to respond;
• New rehabilitation evidence is now available;
• A temporary status or presumption will expire;
• A record can be corrected;
• A state or agency remedy remains available; or
• The applicant can materially strengthen the evidentiary presentation.

The reason for denial matters. DOJ currently states that:

• A permanent presumptive disqualifier continues to apply to later applications absent extraordinary circumstances;
• A five- or ten-year presumption generally remains until its period expires;
• A current-status presumption should ordinarily be addressed by waiting until the status changes; and
• A denial for another reason may create a new five-year presumption against relief.

Do not assume that filing another application preserves the right to challenge the original denial. The denial letter and applicable procedural deadlines should be evaluated promptly before choosing between litigation, correction, and reapplication.

Yes. DOJ does not require applicants to retain an attorney. The application can be completed without legal representation.

The more important question is whether you can independently determine:

• The exact federal prohibition;
• Whether state relief already changed it;
• Whether a presumptive disqualifier applies;
• The correct sentence-completion date;
• Which states must provide criminal-history reports;
• Which court and investigative records are required;
• How to address missing or contradictory documents;
• What unfavorable information must be disclosed;
• How to present rehabilitation without minimizing the offense; and
• Whether § 925(c) is the correct remedy.

National Security Law Firm generally charges a $5,000 flat fee for standard federal firearm-rights restoration representation. More complex matters may be $7,500, depending on the number of cases, jurisdictions, missing records, military or mental-health issues, prior denials, and other complications. The written engagement agreement controls the fee and precise scope.

Depending on the engagement, NSLF’s work generally includes:

• Identifying the federal firearm prohibition;
• Evaluating eligibility, timing, and presumptive disqualifiers;
• Reviewing convictions, orders, criminal-history reports, and prior relief;
• Developing a case-specific document plan;
• Requesting and organizing required records;
• Following up on missing or incomplete records;
• Reconciling conflicting dates and dispositions;
• Preparing sworn statements for genuinely unavailable records;
• Developing the rehabilitation and public-interest presentation;
• Preparing the applicant’s narrative;
• Helping select and prepare qualified references;
• Completing and reviewing the portal application;
• Organizing supporting exhibits;
• Coordinating fingerprint and application requirements;
• Monitoring reference completion and application status; and
• Responding to routine DOJ requests for additional information.

Government fees and third-party costs—such as fingerprints, state criminal-history reports, certified records, translations, medical evaluations, and expert services—are generally separate.

Unless expressly included, the representation does not automatically cover federal-court litigation, a presidential pardon, state restoration proceedings, expungement, a discharge upgrade, immigration relief, or an unrelated NICS challenge.

No attorney can guarantee a portal spot or a grant. Legal representation is intended to ensure that the application is accurate, complete, strategically developed, and supported by the best available evidence.

National Security Law Firm began developing and submitting federal firearm-rights restoration matters before DOJ created its present public portal.

When DOJ announced the new process, Duane “DAK” Kees—the former United States Attorney who leads NSLF’s federal firearms and presidential-pardon practices—contacted the Office of the Pardon Attorney to determine what would happen to clients whose matters had already been submitted or presented through the earlier process.

On August 19, 2026, DOJ confirmed in writing that it was reviewing a list involving approximately 25 NSLF clients and instructed the firm not to submit duplicate applications through the new portal for those clients while that review continued.

Those clients were separate from the group NSLF represented for the first general public portal opening.

When the portal opened on November 4, 2026, it became available at approximately 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time and reached its 5,000-applicant limit within a matter of hours. According to the firm’s internal records:

• NSLF represented approximately 80 portal-ready clients during that opening;
• The firm successfully initiated an application for every portal-ready client it represented;
• The team preserved the application links, PINs, and initiation information;
• Clients received individualized instructions concerning their deadlines and next steps; and
• DAK personally contacted the clients to explain what had occurred and what would happen next.

That experience gave NSLF direct familiarity with the live portal, including:

• The information required to initiate an application;
• The importance of immediate access when a capped window opens;
• The 30-day completion period;
• The application’s document and disclosure fields;
• The fingerprint process;
• The character-reference system;
• The applicant-status page; and
• The practical problems that arise when records are incomplete.

NSLF cannot guarantee that DOJ will open the January portal at a particular time, that the technology will function the same way, that any applicant will secure one of the 500 places, or that DOJ will grant an application.

What the firm can provide is a team that has prepared these matters since before the public portal existed, communicated directly with the Office of the Pardon Attorney about the transition, and successfully navigated the first nationwide public opening for approximately 80 separate clients.