“Pardon” is not a universal firearm-restoration switch. Federal and state pardons operate within different legal systems.
State pardon vs. presidential pardon
Governors or state boards generally address state convictions. The President’s pardon power applies to federal offenses. One sovereign ordinarily cannot pardon another sovereign’s conviction.
Read the actual pardon language
Some pardons expressly restore rights; some are conditional; some leave firearm restrictions in place. The issuing jurisdiction’s statutes and cases determine legal effect.
Federal § 921(a)(20) matters for state convictions
Federal law contains rules for convictions that have been pardoned, expunged, set aside or followed by restoration of civil rights, including an exception when the relief expressly restricts firearms.
A pardon may not solve every disability
Other convictions, domestic-violence prohibitions, restraining orders, immigration status, drug-user status, supervision conditions or state weapon restrictions can remain.
How to research your own record
- Get the judgment, charging statute and sentencing/discharge records.
- Identify the exact state and federal firearm disabilities that may apply.
- Verify whether any expungement, pardon, set-aside or restoration order changes the conviction for firearm-law purposes.
- Check current statutes and controlling appellate decisions before possessing, receiving or purchasing a firearm or ammunition.
Use the 50-state + D.C. directory, the § 922(g) guide, and the federal restoration guide for the next layer of research.