The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is throwing its weight behind a groundbreaking Department of Justice (DOJ) proposal that would finally reopen a long-closed door for nonviolent Americans seeking to restore their federal gun rights.
By Larry Z for Guns America
According to DOJ estimates, over one million applicants could take advantage of this restoration program in its first year alone.
“Having litigated as-applied challenges for a number of disenfranchised individuals, it’s good to see that this proposed rule provides a pathway to restore their rights,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut.
“For years, the only mechanisms available… were the all-but-impossible pardon, seemingly illusory expungement… or an expensive and uncertain route of litigation,” he added.
A Door Closed Since 1992
Since 1968, federal law provided a means for prohibited persons to petition for firearms rights restoration through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
But in 1992, Congress blocked ATF from using any appropriated funds to process those petitions—effectively shutting the program down for over 30 years.
Now, under a new rule and an interim order from the Attorney General rescinding ATF’s authority, the DOJ itself will oversee the application process—breathing life into long-stalled rights restoration.
“This proposed rule… is long overdue,” said SAF Founder and Executive VP Alan Gottlieb. “The Second Amendment Foundation has been fighting for decades in courts to restore rights to people who are no threat to society.”
DOJ Acknowledges the Constitutional Stakes
In the rule proposal itself, the DOJ stated:
“This rulemaking reflects the Department’s commitment to the Second Amendment as an indispensable safeguard of security and liberty… [and] a policy decision that the Department must find a way to both advance public safety and ensure that the rights of the people enshrined in the Constitution are not infringed.”
That statement marks a significant tone shift from past DOJ and ATF practices, which often left rights restoration out of reach—even for individuals with decades-old, nonviolent convictions.
What Comes Next
The DOJ is currently accepting public comment on the rule through September 20, 2025.
Gun owners, legal advocates, and the general public are encouraged to weigh in on the proposal here:
👉 Federal Register Comments Portal
SAF sees this as a major milestone in restoring Second Amendment rights to Americans who’ve been unjustly sidelined by bureaucratic inertia for decades.
“The reestablishment of a federal firearms relief determination program will enable millions of Americans to regain their ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Kraut said.
Find the original article in its entirety on Guns America.
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At a minimum they should have to take an NRA gun safety course or Safe Hunter course, in order to be acquainted to the Safety Procedures of foe handling a firearm.
Foe me taking NRA Safe Hunter course at Boy Scout Camp was very important as that is when I first handled a firearm and I was taught how to safely do it. I had additional training on an M-1 in college (VMI) and 1911 Pistol training in the Navy. The rules were the same in each.