18 USC 925 contains specific exceptions within federal firearms law and a mechanism for relief from firearms disabilities. Its exceptions are limited; they do not create a general permission for a prohibited person to possess a gun. As of October 31, 2026, advice that individual federal restoration applications are permanently frozen is outdated.
Read the particular exception
Section 925 addresses matters including specified governmental activities, particular military-related situations, imports, and relief. Different subsections have different beneficiaries and conditions. Employment, military service, collecting, or a sporting purpose does not automatically exempt someone from every restriction in section 922. [1]
The restoration process changed
DOJ’s Federal Firearm Rights Restoration program now provides a staged process under section 925(c). The official schedule lists invited applications beginning September 25, 2026, with an initial public opening scheduled for November 4, 2026 and further phased access afterward. Check the current official portal rather than sending an old ATF application. [2]
Those dates describe program access, not a promise of approval. An application does not restore rights while it is pending.
Relief requires an individual review
The program rules require supporting records and address presumptive disqualifiers, public-safety assessment, and the scope of relief. DOJ can examine underlying conduct and circumstances rather than only the formal conviction title. Certified or reliable source records, fingerprints, references, and other required information can be important. [3]
Federal relief does not automatically erase independent state prohibitions or authorize future prohibited conduct. A state restoration also may not resolve every federal disability. Identify each separate ground before assuming one document answers the entire eligibility question.
- Obtain complete conviction, sentence-completion, and relevant status records.
- Identify federal and state prohibitions separately.
- Use current DOJ procedures and rollout instructions.
- Wait for an effective grant and verify its scope before possessing firearms.
Compare felon-in-possession elements and false statements in a firearm transaction. A belief that rights should be restored does not justify answering a purchase form inaccurately. Have the legal effect of any pardon, expungement, or restoration reviewed before attempting a transaction.
Primary sources
- 18 USC 925: Exceptions and Relief
- Justice Department: Federal Firearm Rights Restoration
- Justice Department: Restoration Program Rule
Sources checked: October 31, 2026.