If a felony conviction took away your right to own a firearm, Texas law alone will not give it back, and that surprises a lot of people. The U.S. Department of Justice has reopened the long-dormant federal relief process under 18 U.S.C. section 925(c), and for many Texans, filing a federal application is the step that actually restores their federal gun rights. This page explains how that process works, why Texas’s own rules don’t solve the federal problem, and what to do before the program opens its doors.

Why completing your sentence in Texas doesn’t restore your federal gun rights

Texas Penal Code section 46.04 lets a person possess a firearm at their own home five years after finishing confinement, parole, or supervision. A lot of Texans read that and assume their rights are back. They aren’t, not federally. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. section 922(g) still treats that person as a prohibited possessor, because Texas’s five-year rule only limits state prosecution risk. It doesn’t touch the separate federal ban at all.

A Texas governor’s pardon doesn’t automatically fix this either. Even a full pardon from the Governor doesn’t restore firearm rights by itself, the pardoned person has to separately petition the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, which grants firearm relief only in extreme and unusual circumstances where the lack of firearm rights is preventing the person from earning a living (37 Tex. Admin. Code section 143.12). Reporting suggests the Board’s own rules expect applicants to have also pursued federal relief, which is exactly the process on this page.

How the federal relief process works

The Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney, not ATF, which used to handle this, now administers federal firearm rights restoration under 18 U.S.C. section 925(c). Here’s the process as DOJ has published it:

1. Start the online application. Once you submit the first part, you receive a QR code by email.
2. Get fingerprinted at a participating U.S. Post Office, but only after you have that QR code; DOJ is explicit that fingerprints taken beforehand won’t count.
3. Finish and submit the complete application within 30 days of starting it, or you’ll have to start over from scratch.
4. Pay the filing fee, currently $30, plus separate fingerprint and records fees that vary by jurisdiction. A fee waiver for financial hardship is expected but details haven’t been published yet.

DOJ has said it will open the application to the first 5,000 applicants on a first-come, first-served basis starting November 4, 2026, after a smaller test run of 500 applications to check the online payment system. Given how many people nationwide are affected by this single reopening, those 5,000 slots are likely to fill extremely fast, which is why getting your documents together now, before the window opens, matters.

Who this applies to in Texas

This federal process is available to anyone barred from owning a firearm under the federal Gun Control Act, whether the conviction was a Texas state felony, a federal felony, or something from another state. A few Texas-specific points worth knowing:

• If your only disqualifying conviction is federal and you’ve received a full federal pardon, your firearm disability may already be resolved, check with an attorney before assuming you need to reapply.
• If your case involves a mental-health commitment rather than a conviction, DOJ generally expects you to pursue any state-level relief first, Texas does offer such relief, so this would apply to you.
• A Texas pardon, an expunction, or an Order of Nondisclosure can help your state record, but none of them automatically clear the federal disability, that’s a separate determination DOJ makes case by case, weighing your record and whether restoring your rights would be contrary to public safety.
• Some disqualifications are effectively permanent, some expire after a set number of years, and some depend on your current legal status. If you’re not sure which applies to you, that’s exactly the kind of question worth getting answered before you file.

What we help with

We help people figure out whether they’re likely eligible, assemble the documentation DOJ will want (records, proof of rehabilitation, a resume of the factors DOJ weighs), and prepare a complete, accurate application, so you’re not scrambling to gather paperwork while a 30-day clock is running and a limited number of 2026 application slots are disappearing. For Texas cases with extra complexity, multiple convictions, an unresolved state-level firearm restriction, or a case that looks borderline for DOJ’s extraordinary circumstances standard, we can also point you toward an attorney for a second opinion before you file.

Frequently asked questions

Does getting my Texas record expunged restore my gun rights?
Not by itself. An expunction, nondisclosure order, or even a full pardon changes your Texas record or state-law exposure, but federal law looks at this separately. Unless your conviction is formally vacated or you obtain federal relief, the federal firearm ban can remain in place even after your Texas record is cleared.

I’m past the 5-year mark under Texas’s home-possession rule, am I fine now?
At the state level, possibly, for firearms kept at your own home. Federally, no, that Texas rule has no effect on the separate federal prohibition under 18 U.S.C. section 922(g). You’d still need either a vacated conviction, a Texas pardon plus a separate Board of Pardons and Paroles firearm-specific grant, or federal relief under section 925(c).

When can I actually apply?
DOJ’s current published timeline has the application opening November 4, 2026, limited to the first 5,000 applicants. There’s no guarantee that window stays open for long once it starts, which is why preparing your documentation in advance is worth doing now rather than waiting.

How much does it cost?
DOJ lists a $30 federal application fee, plus separate, jurisdiction-dependent costs for fingerprinting and pulling your criminal history records.

This page is general information about a federal legal process, not legal advice, and it isn’t a substitute for reviewing your specific situation with a licensed attorney, firearm-disability law involves real exceptions and fact-specific judgment calls that deserve a second, qualified review before you rely on them.