Federal + State Firearm Rights

Firearm Rights Restoration by State

Federal firearm-rights restoration and state firearm law are separate. Start with your state to see the official state-law starting point and the records worth organizing for the federal process.

Start With Your State

These pages are educational guides. They do not determine whether a person may possess a firearm and they are not a substitute for legal advice. Each page links to an official state source and explains why federal and state relief must be considered separately.

Florida

Florida separates general civil-rights restoration from firearm authority. The Florida clemency system recognizes specific authority to own, possess, or use firearms as a distinct form of clemency.

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Texas

Texas law has its own post-felony firearm restrictions, while federal law remains a separate question.

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Georgia

Georgia treats restoration of civil and political rights and restoration of firearm rights as different processes.

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California

California has broad state firearm prohibitions for many felony convictions, and state relief can involve court remedies or gubernatorial clemency depending on the case.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania law contains both firearm disabilities and specific court procedures that may provide relief in qualifying cases; gubernatorial pardons can also matter.

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Ohio

Ohio provides a court process called relief from weapons disability for qualifying persons.

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North Carolina

North Carolina allows a court petition for restoration of firearms rights in a limited class of qualifying nonviolent-felony cases.

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Tennessee

Tennessee firearm restrictions after a felony depend heavily on the type of conviction and the form of relief obtained.

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Arizona

Arizona has specific statutes governing restoration of firearm rights after felony convictions, with different treatment for dangerous and serious offenses.

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Michigan

Michigan law restricts firearm possession after felony convictions and provides a court petition process for restoration in qualifying cases.

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Alabama

Alabama's pardon system can restore civil and political rights, but firearm authority is not automatic in every pardon.

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Arkansas

Arkansas distinguishes a general pardon from a pardon or request that specifically includes restoration of firearm rights.

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Connecticut

Connecticut uses the Board of Pardons and Paroles for pardon relief, including its Absolute Pardon process.

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Delaware

Delaware law gives an unconditional gubernatorial pardon broad effect, including restoration of the right to purchase or possess deadly weapons, subject to lawful conditions and other limits.

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Illinois

Illinois uses the Firearm Owner's Identification system, and firearm-rights relief after a felony can require administrative or judicial action depending on the conviction.

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Iowa

Iowa provides a specific Governor's process for pardon and restoration of firearm rights, separate from automatic voting-rights restoration.

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Kansas

Kansas firearm restrictions after a felony are highly offense- and time-specific under state statute.

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Louisiana

Louisiana's Department of Public Safety and Corrections states that restoration of firearm rights is sought through a pardon that includes restoration of firearms rights.

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Maine

Maine law prohibits firearm possession by certain convicted persons unless the person obtains relief available under state law.

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Maryland

Maryland says a gubernatorial pardon is the state path for restoring firearm rights after a Maryland disqualifying conviction, and firearm restoration must be specifically addressed.

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Colorado

Colorado firearm disabilities and restoration questions depend on the exact conviction, sentence history, and current state law.

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Hawaii

Hawaii has its own prohibited-person rules for firearms and ammunition, separate from federal law.

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Idaho

Idaho law distinguishes between general civil-rights restoration and firearm restrictions tied to particular felony convictions.

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Indiana

Indiana firearm restrictions after conviction can depend on offense type, domestic-violence history, and other statutory disqualifiers.

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Kentucky

Kentucky's ordinary civil-rights restoration does not restore firearm rights; the state directs felony firearm-rights questions toward the pardon process.

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Massachusetts

Massachusetts firearm eligibility can depend on conviction history, licensing law, and specific statutory relief procedures.

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Minnesota

Minnesota restores many civil rights at discharge, but people convicted of a defined crime of violence remain subject to a firearm disability unless separate relief is granted.

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Mississippi

Mississippi firearm-rights restoration can involve executive clemency or other state-law relief depending on the conviction and disability.

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Missouri

Missouri law generally prohibits firearm possession by people convicted of felonies, subject to the exact scope of current state law and any qualifying relief.

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Montana

Montana restores some rights after sentence completion, but firearm questions can still turn on the exact conviction and state-law disability.

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Nebraska

Nebraska's Board of Pardons can restore specified civil rights, and state law allows firearm authority to be expressly addressed in appropriate pardoned cases.

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Nevada

Nevada firearm restrictions after conviction depend on the offense and the particular form of pardon or restoration obtained.

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New Hampshire

New Hampshire firearm restrictions after conviction are offense-specific and should be reviewed together with any annulment, pardon, or other relief.

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New Jersey

New Jersey uses gubernatorial clemency and court expungement as different forms of relief, each with different legal effects.

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New Mexico

New Mexico firearm rights after conviction can depend on offense type, time, pardon status, and current state law.

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New York

New York firearm eligibility after conviction is closely tied to licensing law, conviction history, and certificates or executive relief.

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North Dakota

North Dakota firearm restrictions after conviction depend on the offense, time elapsed, and the current prohibited-person statute.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma firearm restrictions after felony conviction can depend on the offense and whether a full pardon or other qualifying relief has been granted.

View Oklahoma

Oregon

Oregon firearm eligibility after conviction can involve statutory prohibitions, expungement or set-aside relief, and other case-specific remedies.

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Rhode Island

Rhode Island firearm restrictions after conviction depend on the offense and the legal effect of any pardon, expungement, sealing, or other relief.

View Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Carolina firearm rights after conviction depend on the offense, pardon status, and the scope of current state and federal law.

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South Dakota

South Dakota firearm restrictions after conviction depend on offense type, timing, and whether qualifying relief has been granted.

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Utah

Utah firearm eligibility after conviction can depend on felony classification, expungement, pardon, reduction, and other state-law relief.

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Vermont

Vermont firearm restrictions after conviction are narrower than in some states, but federal law can still independently prohibit firearm possession.

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Virginia

Virginia separates restoration of civil rights from restoration of firearm rights; firearm restoration generally requires additional relief.

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Washington

Washington provides a court process for restoration of firearm rights in qualifying cases, subject to offense and waiting-period restrictions.

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West Virginia

West Virginia firearm restrictions after conviction can depend on offense type and whether a court or executive form of relief applies.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin generally prohibits firearm possession by people convicted of felonies unless qualifying relief changes the legal effect of the conviction.

View Wisconsin

Wyoming

Wyoming firearm rights after conviction can depend on offense type, expungement, pardon, and restoration under current state law.

View Wyoming

RESTORE²ᴺᴰ now has guides for all 50 states. Each guide separates the state-law question from Federal Firearm Rights Restoration. Federal relief under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c) does not automatically remove a state or tribal firearm prohibition.

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