Gun Rights
DOJ Gun Rights Restoration Application Online: How the New 2026 Process Works
Searches for the new DOJ gun rights restoration application have surged because the federal government has created a functioning application process under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c). The important distinction is that DOJ has announced the process and published detailed preparation requirements, but the broader public application portal is not yet open as of August 27, 2026.
Direct answerAs of August 27, 2026, DOJ says the online Federal Firearm Rights Restoration application is coming soon. The first broader public window is scheduled for November 4, 2026, when the first 5,000 public applicants may apply. The program is administered through the Office of the Pardon Attorney under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c), not through a general ATF application page.
Where the federal application will be filed
DOJ directs applicants to its Federal Firearm Rights Restoration program. The department identifies the Office of the Pardon Attorney as the component handling individual applications. DOJ currently labels the online application as OMB Form #1123-0017 and states that the online form is coming soon.
That matters because applicants should avoid unofficial websites that look like federal application portals. The safest approach is to begin at Justice.gov and follow the links from the official FFRR page.
The announced 2026 rollout dates
DOJ has described a staged launch. The department says invited candidates may begin applying September 25, 2026. The first broader public opening is planned for November 4, 2026, with the first 5,000 public candidates able to apply. DOJ then plans another public opening on January 4, 2027 for 500 more candidates.
Because rollout details can change, applicants should verify the dates on DOJ’s official page before relying on them.
What the online process requires
The federal process is more than completing a web form. DOJ says applicants must submit the application, provide required records, submit electronic fingerprints, and obtain three qualifying character references. The department may also request additional information while the application is under review.
- Review whether you are federally prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).
- Identify every presumptive disqualifier that applies.
- Collect conviction and sentence-completion records.
- Collect state criminal-history records for the required lookback period.
- Select three eligible character references.
- Follow DOJ instructions for USPS electronic fingerprints after filing.
Do not confuse eligibility to apply with likelihood of approval
DOJ states that anyone currently federally prohibited under one or more categories of § 922(g) can apply. That does not mean everyone has a realistic path to immediate approval. The final rule creates current-status, permanent, ten-year, five-year, and reapplication presumptions. A person subject to a presumption generally must show extraordinary circumstances to overcome it.
Before submitting, review the presumptive-disqualifier guide and the state-law rules for your current residence.
What you can do before the portal opens
The best use of the pre-launch period is document preparation. For a felony-based disability, DOJ asks for the charging document, judgment, and an official document showing when the final sentence requirement was completed. Plea agreements, factual bases, and presentence reports may also be required when applicable.
Applicants should also check whether fines, restitution, community service, supervision, or other sentence requirements remain outstanding because DOJ’s new rule treats unsatisfied criminal penalties as part of the sentence.
Frequently asked questions
As of August 27, 2026, DOJ says the online application is coming soon. The broader public opening is scheduled for November 4, 2026.
DOJ says individual applications are administered through the Office of the Pardon Attorney under the new Federal Firearm Rights Restoration program.
No. DOJ’s current FAQ states that ATF previously administered the program, but applications under the new process must go through the Office of the Pardon Attorney.
DOJ identifies the online application as OMB Form #1123-0017.
Yes. Court records, sentence-completion records, criminal-history records and information for three character references can take time to obtain.
Verify before acting. Federal firearm law is highly fact-specific. A restoration application, state-law change, pardon, qualifying restoration order, or completed sentence is not by itself permission to possess or purchase a firearm unless every applicable federal and state prohibition has been removed.
General information only. This article is not legal advice and is not permission to possess, receive, transport or purchase a firearm. Verify the current law and the legal effect of your actual court orders.
Case review
Want the next question answered for your record?
Send the conviction, jurisdiction, sentence-completion date and goal.
