This page tracks major federal developments affecting prohibited-person firearm law, sentencing, public carry and firearm-rights restoration. See the separate 25 major gun-law court cases library for case-by-case analysis.
September 2026 Gun Felony research updates
- Federal Gun Rights Restoration Opens September 25, 2026: What the First Phase Means
- Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Required Documents: 2026 Checklist
- Federal Gun Rights Restoration Presumptive Disqualifiers Explained
- Federal Gun Rights Restoration Character References: Who Qualifies and What DOJ Requires
- Electronic Fingerprints for Federal Gun Rights Restoration: USPS Process Explained
- Federal Gun Rights Restoration Denied? Judicial Review, Reapplication and Next Steps
- Who Can Apply for Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Under § 925(c)?
- Does Federal Gun Rights Restoration Restore State or Tribal Gun Rights?
- 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4) Mental Health Relief and the New Federal Restoration Program
- How to Correct Criminal History Errors Before a Federal Gun Rights Restoration Application
- DOJ Says Federal Handgun Dealer Ban for 18-to-20-Year-Old Adults Cannot Be Criminally Enforced
- Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Application Fee: $30, Waivers and Payment Rules
September 18, 2026 — DOJ/OLC addresses handgun dealer sales to adults ages 18–20
DOJ announced an Office of Legal Counsel opinion concluding that 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) cannot constitutionally be criminally enforced against federally licensed dealers who sell handguns to otherwise law-abiding adults ages 18 through 20. The opinion addresses the age-based federal dealer restriction and does not eliminate separate prohibited-person laws or state restrictions.
August 17, 2026 — DOJ finalizes § 925(c) restoration process
DOJ announced a final rule establishing a functioning Federal Firearm Rights Restoration program. DOJ describes a staged rollout beginning with invited applicants on September 25, 2026, followed by a first public application window on November 4, 2026.
June 25, 2026 — Wolford v. Lopez
The Supreme Court held Hawaii’s default rule prohibiting licensed concealed carry on private property open to the public unless the property owner gave express authorization violated the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. Property owners retain authority to exclude firearms from their property.
June 18, 2026 — United States v. Hemani
The Supreme Court held Hemani’s § 922(g)(3) prosecution, based solely on unlawful controlled-substance use while possessing a gun in his home, inconsistent with the Second Amendment. The Court called the decision narrow and expressly did not decide § 922(g)(1), laws targeting addicts or present intoxication, or cases supported by individualized dangerousness evidence.
2026 — Sentencing guideline amendments adopted for November 1 effective date
The U.S. Sentencing Commission submitted amendments to Congress on April 30, 2026 and specified November 1, 2026 as the effective date absent congressional action. Researchers should distinguish adopted future amendments from the guideline manual currently in effect.
June 5, 2025 — Smith & Wesson v. Mexico
The Supreme Court unanimously held that Mexico’s complaint did not plausibly allege aiding and abetting sufficient to fit PLCAA’s predicate exception, so the federal civil-liability statute barred the suit.
March 26, 2025 — Bondi v. VanDerStok
The Supreme Court rejected a facial challenge to ATF’s ghost-gun rule and held that at least some weapon-parts kits and partially complete frames or receivers can fit the Gun Control Act’s statutory definitions.
November 1, 2025 — Amendment 834 becomes effective
Amendment 834 revised §2K2.1 to address machinegun conversion devices with tiered specific offense characteristics and related conforming changes.
June 21, 2024 — United States v. Rahimi
The Supreme Court upheld application of § 922(g)(8) to the respondent and clarified that Bruen requires a historical analogue rather than a historical twin. Litigation over other § 922(g) categories continues.