Department of Justice restores federal firearm rights

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has finalized and relaunched a federal process to restore firearm rights to individuals who lost them due to criminal convictions. This program, which had been effectively unavailable for approximately 34 years due to congressional funding restrictions on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), has been moved to the Office of the Pardon Attorney under the Attorney General’s statutory authority.

Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that nine individuals have already had their rights reinstated. The DOJ plans a phased rollout for new applications: an invited applicant pool opens on September 26, 2026, followed by the acceptance of 5,000 general public applications on November 4, 2026, and an additional 500 on January 4, 2027. Once fully operational, the system is expected to handle approximately 330,000 applications annually.

The new regulations incorporate several changes, including provisions for technical Gun Control Act violations that trigger temporary rather than permanent ineligibility, and allowing affidavits for applicants unable to secure specific required records. The DOJ stated that relief may only be revoked if the underlying application is proven to be fraudulent.