What is the main gun-rights restoration path in Wyoming?

Automatic restoration after five years for qualifying first-time nonviolent Wyoming felonies; other cases generally require gubernatorial pardon or a certificate restoring rights. A case-specific review should confirm that the statutory route applies to the exact conviction before any firearm is possessed, received, transported, or purchased.

Does a Wyoming felony expungement automatically restore my federal gun rights?

Not automatically. Federal law looks to the legal effect of the relief in the jurisdiction of conviction. Under 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(20), an expungement, set-aside, pardon, or restoration of civil rights can affect whether a conviction counts for federal firearm purposes, but the result depends on the exact relief and whether firearm restrictions remain. The Wyoming order and current federal law should be reviewed before possessing or purchasing a firearm.

Can a pardon or civil-rights restoration affect gun rights in Wyoming?

Potentially. The legal effect depends on the exact order, the conviction, and current Wyoming and federal firearm law. The signed order should be reviewed rather than relying on its title alone.

What documents help with a Wyoming firearm-rights review?

Start with the charging document, judgment or disposition, sentencing order, proof that every sentence requirement is complete, a current criminal-history record, and copies of any pardon, civil-rights restoration, or prior firearm-rights order.

Wyoming Gun Rights Restoration

Q: Can a person with a felony conviction restore gun rights in Wyoming?

Possibly. Wyoming prohibits firearm possession after violent felonies and, since 2023, after nonviolent felonies as well. A 2025 revision provides automatic restoration for qualifying first-time nonviolent Wyoming felony convictions five years after sentence completion. The exact result depends on the conviction, the sentence, later history, the state where the person currently lives, and whether a federal firearm disability also applies.

Wyoming firearm-rights law is its own layer of the analysis. Wyoming prohibits firearm possession after violent felonies and, since 2023, after nonviolent felonies as well. A 2025 revision provides automatic restoration for qualifying first-time nonviolent Wyoming felony convictions five years after sentence completion.

Recent legal update

Wyoming firearm-rights law: what changed

Wyoming revised § 7-13-105 in 2025 so qualifying first-time nonviolent offenders convicted under Wyoming law receive automatic firearm-rights restoration five years after completing sentence. Violent felonies, multiple nonviolent felonies, and out-of-state convictions generally require personal action by the governor.

CCRC December 2025 firearm-rights survey ↗

2026 federal update

The federal § 925(c) program is active again.

DOJ finalized its Federal Firearm Rights Restoration rule on August 17, 2026 and is administering applications through the Office of the Pardon Attorney. DOJ announced that the first 5,000 public applicants may apply beginning November 4, 2026. A federal grant removes only the federal disability covered by that relief; independent state restrictions still require separate analysis.

Review DOJ presumptive disqualifiers →

How gun-rights restoration works in Wyoming

Automatic restoration after five years for qualifying first-time nonviolent Wyoming felonies; other cases generally require gubernatorial pardon or a certificate restoring rights. A responsible review should start with the exact statute of conviction, the sentence that was imposed, when every sentence requirement ended, and any later criminal history.

Wyoming law and the federal § 925(c) process

The federal process under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c) can address a federal firearm prohibition, but the effect of federal relief under Wyoming law is jurisdiction-specific. A person can therefore have a federal question, a state question, or both. Both layers should be resolved before any firearm is possessed, purchased, received, transported, or handled.

Does federal § 925(c) matter under Wyoming law?

A federal § 925(c) grant does not by itself establish that every Wyoming firearm restriction has been removed. State law and any independent state disability must be checked separately.

State-law reference point

A commonly cited Wyoming provision in this area is Wyo. Stat. §§ 6-8-102, 7-13-105. Statutes, cases, definitions, and restoration procedures change, so the current official law and the applicant’s complete record should be checked before relying on a general summary.

What can change the answer?

A pardon, civil-rights restoration, judicial firearm order, passage of a statutory waiting period, federal § 925(c) relief where state law recognizes it, or another qualifying firearm-rights order may alter the analysis depending on Wyoming law. The legal effect of the actual signed order matters more than the label someone uses for it.

What to bring to a Wyoming rights-restoration review

Charging document and final judgment or disposition
Sentencing order and proof of sentence completion
Current state and federal criminal-history records
Any pardon, expungement, set-aside, civil-rights restoration, federal restoration, or prior firearm-rights order
Current state of residence and prior states of residence

Federal layer: DOJ says a federal grant does not itself remove independent state firearm disabilities. Some states expressly give § 925(c) relief state-law effect in particular contexts, so the exact Wyoming rule must be checked rather than assumed. If federal relief may apply, review the Federal Restoration Required Documents Checklist before starting the federal e-application.

What will this cost? See the dedicated Wyoming gun-rights restoration cost guide for court/agency costs, records, federal fees, and Felon Justice service pricing.

Restore Gun Rights in Wyoming

Automatic restoration after five years for qualifying first-time nonviolent Wyoming felonies; other cases generally require gubernatorial pardon or a certificate restoring rights.