Gun Rights
DOJ Gun Rights Restoration Portal Opens November 4: First 5,000 Applicants
Quick answer The Department of Justice says its federal firearm-rights restoration portal will open to the public on November 4, 2026, and the first 5,000 applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. As of October 26, DOJ still lists the online application as “Coming soon.” Applicants should organize required records before the window opens.
What is happening on November 4, 2026?
The Department of Justice is entering the first broad public phase of its renewed Federal Firearm Rights Restoration program under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c). DOJ says the November 4 opening is limited to the first 5,000 public applicants and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
This is not an automatic restoration program and submitting an application does not authorize anyone to possess, receive, purchase, transport, or handle a firearm while a federal or state prohibition remains in effect.
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Why the first 5,000 matters
DOJ has not announced an unlimited November public opening. Its current FAQ says the first 5,000 people to apply on November 4 will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The Department says a later public phase is planned for January 4, 2027 for 500 additional applicants, when the $30 application fee begins.
That makes preparation important. Speed without complete records can create its own problem: DOJ says an initiated e-application must be completed within 30 days or the applicant may have to start over.
What should federal applicants organize before November 4?
Applicants should not wait for the portal to open before beginning document collection. Depending on the case, DOJ may require court records, proof of sentence completion, criminal-history records, prior relief records, and other documents.
- Charging document, indictment, complaint, or equivalent record
- Judgment of conviction
- Official proof showing when the final requirement of the sentence was completed
- Plea agreement, factual basis, presentence report, or similar records when applicable
- State criminal-history records required by the federal process
- Information for three qualifying character references
Start with Felon Justice’s Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Required Documents guide and use your Account Portal to organize the three required character references.
Do not get fingerprints before DOJ tells you to
DOJ’s current instructions say applicants must obtain fingerprints after submitting the first part of the e-application and receiving a QR code by email. The fingerprints must then be taken through a participating United States Post Office. DOJ says fingerprints obtained anywhere else will not be accepted for this process.
Who can apply?
DOJ says people federally prohibited under one or more categories of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) may apply, including people prohibited because of a felony conviction. Being allowed to submit an application is different from being likely to receive relief. The final rule contains current-status, permanent, 10-year, five-year, and reapplication presumptions that can materially affect a case.
Review the Federal Firearm Rights Restoration Presumptive Disqualifiers before deciding that an old or nonviolent conviction automatically qualifies.
Federal conviction applicants should pay special attention to sentence completion
For many felony cases, the timing analysis turns on when the last requirement of the sentence was completed. DOJ’s materials identify supervision, restitution, and community service as examples of sentence requirements that can matter. A person who finished incarceration years ago may still have a different completion date if another sentence obligation continued later.
If your record includes a federal conviction, use the Felon Justice Eligibility Review to organize the basic facts, or sign in to your Account Portal to update conviction history, sentence-completion dates, residences, character references, and documents.
What happens after the application starts?
DOJ describes the process in three broad stages: prepare, complete the application, and wait for a decision. The complete application process can include the online form, required records, USPS electronic fingerprints, and three character references. Restoration specialists may later request additional information.
Does a federal grant erase state firearm restrictions?
No. DOJ expressly states that federal relief does not automatically remove an independent state or tribal firearm restriction. Applicants should review both the federal disability and the law of the relevant state before possessing or acquiring a firearm. See our Gun Rights Restoration by State guides.
What should you do before November 4?
- Confirm the exact conviction jurisdiction and statute.
- Identify the actual sentence-completion date.
- Collect official conviction and sentence records.
- Review possible presumptive disqualifiers.
- Identify three qualified character references and confirm they are willing to participate.
- Do not obtain fingerprints early; wait for DOJ’s QR-code instructions.
- Monitor the official DOJ FFRR website for the live portal.
Federal conviction in your record?
Felon Justice is offering a free 10–15 minute call with the legal team before the November 4 public opening. The call is intended to help identify threshold issues and document-readiness questions; it does not guarantee eligibility, an application slot, or restoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
DOJ currently says the first broad public opening is November 4, 2026.
DOJ says the first 5,000 public applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
As of October 26, 2026, DOJ’s FFRR site still lists the online application as “Coming soon.” Applicants should monitor the official DOJ site for the live portal.
DOJ says an initiated e-application must be completed and submitted within 30 days or the applicant may have to start the process over.
No. DOJ says fingerprints must be obtained after the first application step and after the applicant receives a QR code. The required fingerprints must be taken through a participating USPS location.
DOJ’s current rollout page says the $30 application fee begins with the January 4, 2027 public phase. Applicants can still face separate costs for fingerprints and records.
No. Filing or starting an application does not itself remove a federal or state prohibition.
No. DOJ states that federal relief does not automatically remove independent state or tribal firearm restrictions.
Official sources
- DOJ Federal Firearm Rights Restoration
- DOJ FFRR Frequently Asked Questions
- DOJ Application Process
- DOJ Required Documents
- DOJ Electronic Fingerprint Instructions
Last reviewed October 26, 2026. This article is general information and does not guarantee eligibility, an application slot, acceptance, or restoration. Do not possess or acquire a firearm unless you are legally permitted to do so under all applicable federal, state, tribal, and local law.
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.
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