The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a new process allowing eligible individuals prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law to apply for restoration of their federal firearm rights. Attorney General Todd Blanche finalized the federal regulation on August 17, 2026, establishing a process for the individualized consideration of applications under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c). The statutory route created by Congress had been effectively unavailable to most individuals seeking relief from federal firearms disabilities for more than three decades.
Restoration of federal firearm rights will not be automatic or guaranteed. Each applicant must demonstrate to the Attorney General’s satisfaction that the circumstances behind the original prohibition, together with their record, reputation and subsequent conduct, show they are not likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety. Granting relief must also not be contrary to the public interest.
Applications will be considered on their individual facts and circumstances, with strong presumptions against relief where a person’s crimes, conduct or status indicate a heightened risk to public safety. Absent extraordinary circumstances, violent felons, registered sex offenders, illegal aliens and others considered to present an ongoing danger will remain presumptively ineligible for relief.
Any restoration granted through the process applies only to the relevant federal firearms disabilities. It does not override separate restrictions imposed under state law, meaning an individual who secures federal relief may still be prohibited from possessing a firearm under the laws of a particular state.
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The regulation revives the individualized consideration process authorized by Congress through 18 U.S.C. § 925(c) and forms part of the Trump administration’s policy on protecting Second Amendment rights. Blanche said the federal government should not permanently strip individuals of a constitutional right without considering whether they still pose a danger to public safety. The new process gives eligible applicants a formal route to seek restoration while retaining safeguards for cases involving an ongoing risk.
U.S. Pardon Attorney Edward Martin said the Department had worked under Blanche’s direction to establish the program. Martin referred to 30 million Americans who have lost their Second Amendment rights and described the initiative as providing a pathway for restoration. The Department has not said that all of those individuals will qualify, with eligibility and any decision to restore rights governed by the requirements of the final rule.
President Donald Trump directed the administration to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans, with the new restoration process forming part of that policy. The regulation has been submitted to the Office of the Federal Register and will take effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Applicants seeking restoration can use the Justice Department’s Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Program for eligibility information, application instructions and access to the Department’s application process.
