Justice Department creates pathway to restore gun rights for convicted felons

Aug 17, 2026

On August 17, 2026, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a new Justice Department regulation establishing an online portal for convicted felons to apply to restore their gun rights. The rule bypasses a 1992 congressional ban on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives processing such requests. While violent offenders and sex offenders remain barred, the department expects 330,000 applicants in the first year, drawing praise from Second Amendment advocates.

DOJ gun rights restoration process

▪The Justice Department will grant gun rights restoration on a case-by-case basis, evaluating an applicant's record and reputation to determine if they pose a public safety threat.
▪Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a new regulation on August 17, 2026, establishing an online portal for individuals with felony convictions to apply to restore their gun rights.

Second Amendment expansion under Trump

▪The Trump administration's gun rights restoration rule is part of a broader effort to ease firearms restrictions, which included rolling back and modifying several gun regulations earlier in 2026.
▪The Justice Department recently decided against challenging a court ruling that struck down regulations on firearm suppressors and certain guns.

Felony conviction eligibility criteria

▪Federal law prohibits individuals convicted of crimes punishable by more than one year, undocumented immigrants, dishonorably discharged military veterans, and people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from possessing firearms.
▪Prior to the August 17, 2026 regulation, individuals with felony convictions could generally only regain their gun rights if they received a presidential pardon.

Violent offenders remain barred

▪Former pardon attorney Liz Oyer was fired from the Justice Department in 2025 after refusing to restore the gun rights of actor Mel Gibson, who had a 2011 domestic violence conviction.
▪Under the new Justice Department rule, registered sex offenders, violent criminals, and undocumented immigrants will remain barred from owning firearms absent extraordinary circumstances.

Congressional funding restrictions history

▪The Trump administration's new rule bypasses the congressional restriction on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives by establishing an online application system directly through the Justice Department.
▪Federal law has long allowed individuals with felony convictions to petition for firearm rights restoration, but Congress has blocked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from processing applications since 1992.

Expected application volume

▪The Justice Department estimates that approximately 330,000 people will apply to restore their gun rights during the first year of the new initiative.
▪An estimated 30 million Americans are currently legally barred from owning firearms due to criminal convictions.