If you lost your gun rights because of an old felony, you have probably been watching the news and waiting. A lot of people are.
Here is where things actually stand, and what your choices look like right now.
What happened with 925(c)
There is a federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 925(c), that lets the Attorney General give people back their federal gun rights. It has been on the books for decades. But Congress cut off the money for it in 1992, so for more than thirty years nobody could use it.
In February 2025, President Trump signed an executive order telling the Justice Department to take a hard look at Second Amendment rights. The DOJ answered by working to bring the 925(c) program back to life.
That is real progress. But as of today, the application is still not open. The DOJ’s own website says the online application will be ready “soon after the final rule is released.” The rule is not final yet. Nobody can tell you the date.
So if you are waiting, you are waiting on a government timeline with no deadline attached to it.
Some people are already getting relief
Here is the part a lot of folks miss. Even while the program is being rebuilt, the DOJ has granted relief to a few people.
On May 29, 2026, the Justice Department published a notice in the Federal Register listing four people whose federal firearm rights were restored that March. One of them was Wayne Gunther Heussman, who had filed suit in Pennsylvania.
Four people is not a lot. I want to be straight with you about that. It does not mean everyone who files a case gets the same answer. But it does show that things can move for the right person with the right record.
The court path: what it is, and what it is not
The other option is going to federal court and asking a judge to rule that the federal gun ban cannot be used against you.
This grew out of a few big cases. In 2022 the Supreme Court decided New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which changed how courts test gun laws. Judges now have to look at history and tradition.
Then in 2024 the Sixth Circuit decided United States v. Williams. You may have read that this case threw out the federal gun ban for people with nonviolent felonies. It did not. I want to be clear about that, because I keep seeing it repeated.
Here is what Williams really said:
- The federal ban on felons having guns is still constitutional on its face.
- Congress can take guns away from people it reasonably treats as dangerous.
- But a person can ask a court to rule that the ban is unconstitutional as applied to him, because he is not dangerous.
- That person has to prove it. The government does not have to prove you are dangerous.
- The judge looks at your whole record, not just the one conviction.
That is still a big deal. It opened a door that used to be shut. And the Sixth Circuit covers Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, so it matters a lot around here.
But it is a door. It is not a guarantee.
The Supreme Court also decided United States v. Rahimi in 2024. There the Court upheld a different federal gun ban and repeated that laws keeping guns away from felons are “presumptively lawful.” Judges read that line. It means you have to make a real showing about your own life. Pointing at a case name is not enough.
Who tends to have a stronger case
Nobody can promise you an outcome. But some records read better than others. Judges tend to look at things like:
- What the conviction was actually for. Crimes against a person are much harder to get past.
- How long ago it happened.
- Your entire record, including other charges and arrests.
- What your life has looked like since. Work, family, treatment, staying clean.
- Where you live, because the law is not the same in every part of the country.
The honest answer is that this takes a real look at your file. Anyone who tells you yes or no before reading your record is guessing.
One more thing people get wrong
Federal relief only fixes the federal problem.
Your state has its own rules about who can own a firearm. Winning in federal court, or getting a 925(c) grant, does not automatically wipe those out. That is a separate question, and it has to be looked at on its own.
Where that leaves you
You have two roads, and they are not the same.
Waiting on the 925(c) program means waiting for a date nobody has yet. When it opens it will probably be simpler and cheaper than a lawsuit.
Going to federal court means starting now. It takes work. It costs money. It can be lost. For some people it is still the better choice, because they have a strong record and they do not want to give up more years of their life waiting.
I have filed these cases for people charged with a federal gun crime, and for people who were never charged with anything at all and simply want their rights back. In my experience the arguments are often stronger for that second group. Someone who has stayed out of trouble for a long time has a story a judge can actually see.
The only way to know which road fits you is to have someone read your actual history.
Let’s find out where you stand
If you are tired of waiting and you want to know whether you are a candidate, reach out. We will go through your record together and give you a straight answer — even if that answer is “not yet.”
Call: (866) 202-9097
Or fill out our eligibility calculator form here: See if you qualify!
This article is general information about the law. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not make you my client. Every record is different, and no result is ever guaranteed. If you want advice about your own situation, talk to a lawyer who has reviewed your file.