Restoring gun rights after a felony usually requires identifying two separate questions: whether state law has restored or can restore firearm eligibility, and whether the federal disability under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) still applies. Pardon, expungement, civil-rights restoration, court petitions, and federal § 925(c) relief can have different effects.
How to get gun rights back after felony conviction
Start with the court of conviction and obtain the judgment, sentence, discharge date, and every later order. Then identify the state restoration rule and whether federal § 921(a)(20) treats the conviction as still disqualifying.
Common state restoration routes
States use very different mechanisms: automatic restoration after a waiting period, court petitions, pardons, certificates, expungement or set-aside, restoration of civil rights, or no ordinary state restoration mechanism at all.
Federal gun rights restoration
18 U.S.C. § 925(c) authorizes federal relief from firearm disabilities. DOJ reactivated the process in 2026 through a final rule and staged application program. Federal relief should not be confused with a state court restoration order.
Why the exact order language matters
A pardon or expungement can be broad, limited, conditional, or silent about firearms. Section 921(a)(20) also contains a firearms restriction clause, so the text of the relief and law of the convicting jurisdiction matter.
Use the 50-state directory
Firearm eligibility is unusually dependent on jurisdiction. Review the individual page for every state and the District of Columbia for restoration rules, carry and acquisition policy comparisons, official code links, and state-specific keyword FAQs.
Read the major court cases
Current firearm law is changing through litigation. The 25-case library covers Bruen, Rahimi, Hemani, Wolford, recent § 922(g)(1) circuit cases, ACCA sentencing, purchaser licensing, sensitive places, magazine limits, ghost guns, age limits, and other decisions affecting the answer.