Federal Relief Is Federal-Only: Why State Restrictions Survive § 925(c)
Cleared by the state. Still denied by the feds. Or the reverse. Here is the gap that catches almost everyone.
A § 925(c) grant removes your federal firearm prohibition — and nothing else. The DOJ states it directly: the process “does not automatically restore state or tribal firearm rights.” If your state independently bars you from possessing a firearm, federal relief does not change that. And the reverse is equally true: a state expungement or restoration does not remove a federal 922(g) disability. Two governments, two prohibitions, two fixes.
How People End Up Stuck
The most common story we hear: someone completes a state expungement or set-aside, waits the required years, gets the court order — walks into a gun store — and the NICS background check still comes back denied. The state fixed the state problem. The federal prohibition never went anywhere, because until now there was no working federal process at all.
The new rule creates the federal fix. But it also creates the mirror-image trap: an applicant who wins federal relief and assumes they are done, while their state’s law still makes possession a crime. The rule will not protect you from a state charge.
The Order of Operations Matters
Which restriction is actually blocking you determines everything: which application to file first, whether you need both, and whether the federal disclosure rules affect your state strategy. Remember — the federal application requires disclosing expunged and set-aside convictions, so the sequencing of state relief and federal relief deserves real thought, not guesswork.
Michigan Residents: One Path Is Open Right Now
While the federal window is still weeks away, Michigan state firearm rights restoration under MCL 750.224f is available today — we prepare and file these cases now. For many Michigan clients, the state piece is the one actually standing between them and the gun counter.
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.