§ 925(c) Required Documents: The Complete Checklist
The records take weeks to gather. The window lasts until 5,000 people beat you to it. Start here.
Every § 925(c) applicant must submit state criminal records covering the last 25 years (or since age 18) from every place they have lived — plus conviction-specific documents, electronic fingerprints, and character references. Records must be true digital copies; if one is genuinely unavailable, a sworn statement can substitute. This is the slowest part of the entire application. Start now.
Everyone Submits
- State criminal history from each state you have lived in over the last 25 years (or since you turned 18) — showing your arrests or your clean record. If a statewide report is unavailable, local law-enforcement records may substitute.
- Electronic fingerprints per DOJ specifications.
- Character references who can speak to your record, reputation, and conduct since the prohibition.
Felony Convictions Add
- The charging document (indictment or complaint)
- The judgment of conviction
- An official document showing the date you completed the final requirement of your sentence — supervision, restitution, or community service, whichever came last
- If applicable: plea agreement, factual basis, presentence report
Other Situations
- Misdemeanor domestic violence: charging document, investigative reports, proof of the victim relationship, judgment, sentence-completion proof — and any police report involving domestic violence since the original arrest
- Mental-health prohibitions: the commitment or adjudication order, diagnosis records, and a current certification from a licensed mental-health professional
- Veterans: DD-214, 214-1, and/or 215; court-martial cases add the charge sheet (DD-458), judgment, and appellate-completion certificate
- Prior expungement or set-aside applications: a copy of your application and any decision — whether or not it was granted
- Foreign residence: equivalent records from abroad, with certified English translations
If a Record No Longer Exists
Courthouses flood. Archives purge. Decades-old files disappear. The rule anticipates this: you may submit a sworn statement that (1) includes the details the document contained and (2) describes your efforts to obtain it and why it is unavailable. Done properly, this keeps an application complete. Done casually, it invites denial — this is one of the places experienced preparation earns its keep.
Format Rules
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, bmp, doc, docx, txt, pdf, xls, xlsx. Non-English documents require an English translation plus the translator’s certificate of completeness and accuracy.
Find Out Where You Stand
Every case is different, and relief is never guaranteed. What we do is prepare and file the strongest application your record supports — and tell you honestly what your state’s law still requires, because federal relief alone may not finish the job.
Free consultation. Clear pricing before you commit. Payment plans available.
Program status as of August 18, 2026. Source: justice.gov/ffrr. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Not legal advice.