Felons’ Gun Comeback — What’s Hidden?

Judge writing at desk with gavel and Lady Justice statue — Photo: sebra / Shutterstock

The Justice Department activated a long-dormant process to restore federal gun rights case by case to some people with felony records, with applications rolling out in stages during 2026.

Story Snapshot

Justice Department set a staged 2026 launch for federal firearms-rights restoration.
The rule uses 18 U.S.C. 925(c) to review requests one person at a time.
Violent felons and registered sex offenders are presumptively ineligible.
Waiting periods of five and ten years were described in coverage of the plan.

What DOJ Announced and When It Starts

The Justice Department said it will open a federal pathway in 2026 for some people barred from guns to seek restoration of rights. The department’s website states the program will launch in stages after the final rule is published, with an application portal following soon after. The agency framed this as a federal process tied to law, not a blanket amnesty. The department’s public pages describe the staged timeline but do not publish every form yet.

The department grounded the program in a specific law, 18 U.S. Code 925(c), which lets the Attorney General review requests and grant relief when a person is not likely to act in a way that threatens public safety. A 2025 press release said the department submitted a proposed rule to explain how that authority would work in practice. That rulemaking is the legal base for the new reviews and the staged opening in 2026.

Who May Qualify and Who Is Excluded

Officials said reviews will happen case by case. Staff will weigh a person’s record, reputation, and signs of risk, rather than grant relief by default. The department also described firm limits. People with violent felony records, registered sex offenders, and people in the country unlawfully will be presumptively ineligible, except in extraordinary cases. That approach aims to filter out those who pose clear danger while letting others apply for review.

Coverage of the government plan also described waiting periods tied to the offense class. Reports said the draft framework used a ten-year wait after a sentence for serious crimes and five years for other offenses before a person could apply. The final text was not quoted in those reports, so some details may vary, but the timing windows show the plan seeks measurable benchmarks, not ad hoc decisions.

How This Fits Law and Courts

Congress wrote 18 U.S. Code 925(c) to allow people under a federal gun ban to ask for relief from the Attorney General. In past decades, funding and policy choices made that path largely unusable for individuals. The department’s new rulemaking moves to restart that process within current law. A Congressional Research Service note explains that 925(c) permits applications and that federal relief does not override any separate state gun ban that may still apply.

The change also tracks a wider trend since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision. Agencies have been revisiting rules through executive actions rather than new laws. During spring 2026, the department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced broader regulatory reforms for gun owners and businesses. This restoration track sits within that set of actions, but remains individualized and linked to public-safety judgments.

What It Means for Public Safety and Politics

The Solicitor General told the Supreme Court that a new initiative would address the issue by allowing case-by-case restoration. That signaled to the justices that executive action could resolve some disputes without broad rulings. For families worried about crime, the department’s exclusions and safety test aim to block high-risk cases. For people who completed sentences long ago, the path offers a way to show they changed.

🚨 BREAKING: DOJ opens new pathway to restore federal gun rights for certain barred individuals

Attorney General Todd Blanche on Monday launched a new process to allow certain people who are barred from possessing firearms to apply for restoration of their federal firearm… pic.twitter.com/Xqm6Hd08L3

— Mayegun (@mayegun1805) August 17, 2026

Many Americans across the political spectrum feel the system is rigged and slow to fix real problems. This move tries to balance rights, safety, and clear rules. It offers a legal off-ramp for people who prove they are not a threat, while keeping guardrails for violent offenders. The department has posted the program basics and timeline. The application portal and detailed standards will show how well the promise matches results once the staged launch is fully live.