Feds Launch App to Speed Up Getting Your Gun Rights Back
Published Date: 10/7/2026
Notice
Summary
The Department of Justice is launching a new electronic system to handle applications for restoring federal firearms rights. This system will help track and decide on these requests faster and more securely, starting right after November 6, 2026. If you’re applying to get your firearms rights back, this change affects you and aims to make the process smoother without extra costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 6 costs, 0 mixed.
New Electronic System for 925(c) Applications
The Office of the Pardon Attorney will use a new electronic system called the Firearms Rights Restoration Electronic Records Database (FRRERD) to receive, track, and adjudicate applications under 18 U.S.C. 925(c). The FRRERD will be hosted on the FBI's eDO within the NGI system and will interface with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS); the routine uses in this notice become effective after November 6, 2026.
Wide Range of Sensitive Records Collected
Applicants will have to provide or authorize release of a broad set of personal records, including biometric data (fingerprints), medical and mental-health records, juvenile and criminal records, military and consular records, and contact information. The system will collect these records via webforms such as an Application to Restore Federal Firearms Rights and an Authorization for Release of Medical Information (Mental Health).
Named Grants Published in Federal Register
If the Attorney General grants restoration of federal firearms rights, the Department will identify those applicants by name in the Federal Register. The notice explicitly states disclosure to the public via the Federal Register of grants of restoration.
Possible Disclosure to Consumer Reporting Agencies
Records in the FRRERD may be disclosed to consumer reporting agencies without the prior written consent of the individual, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(12) and 31 U.S.C. 3711(e).
Records Retained Until NARA Schedule Approved
All records in the FRRERD will be maintained without a destruction schedule while the Department's draft schedule is under review by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). After approval, records will be retained according to the NARA schedule and permanent records will be transferred to NARA when appropriate.
Disclosures to Licensing, Law Enforcement, and Courts
The FRRERD permits disclosures to federal, state, local, tribal, foreign, and international law enforcement and licensing agencies that conduct firearms eligibility checks or require information for suitability determinations; records may also be disclosed in court proceedings and to victims, complainants, and Members of Congress acting on an individual's behalf.
Access and Amendment Requirements for Records
To access or request amendment of records in the system, individuals must submit written requests that include full name, current address, date and place of birth, and must be signed and either notarized or submitted under penalty of perjury. Some records may be exempt from access or amendment under 5 U.S.C. 552a(j) and/or (k).
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Key Dates
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