Convicted felons across the country could soon get a second shot at legally buying and possessing firearms this spring, and a Metro Detroit man says he plans to be among the first in line. The Department of Justice is preparing to revive the 18 U.S.C. § 925(c) process, which would let some people with past nonviolent convictions petition the Attorney General for relief from federal firearms disabilities. Local applicants and their attorneys say the shift could be life‑changing for people who have completed their sentences and rebuilt their lives.
Local 4 first reported that Terrance Caren, whose last conviction came in 2002 and who regained state firearm rights in Troy last year, is now preparing to seek federal relief. According to ClickOnDetroit, Caren’s attorney says many people in Michigan are already calling for help as the rule nears completion.
What the DOJ's proposed rule would do
Last year, the Justice Department published a proposed rule that would formally revive the 925(c) application process and return decision-making authority to the Attorney General rather than the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. As detailed by the Department of Justice, the rule is intended to restore rights for applicants who are not likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety while keeping firearms away from people judged too risky.
Numbers, fees and guardrails
The proposal in the Federal Register estimates the program could affect roughly 1 million applicants in its first year. It calls for a 20 dollar filing fee, with waivers for indigent applicants, and an application the department says would take about an hour to complete. The proposed rule lays out strict guardrails, including presumptive ineligibility for people with certain domestic violence histories, people required to register as sex offenders, and many people with violent convictions, while still preserving case-by-case discretion. The Federal Register also makes clear that federal relief would not remove independent state-level prohibitions.
State law remains decisive
Legal scholars warn that a federal grant of relief does not automatically wipe away state restrictions, so an applicant could qualify under federal rules yet still be blocked from possessing a gun under state law. The Duke Center for Firearms Law explains that state restoration systems and state-level civil rights rules can leave people unable to possess guns locally even if they win federal relief. The Duke Center for Firearms Law notes that the federal rule explicitly preserves those limits.
What comes next
The Office of the Pardon Attorney says an online 925(c) application will be released after the final rule is published and that updates will appear on its Federal Firearm Rights Restoration page. On the department’s information page, the status of the online application is listed as “coming soon.” DOJ Office of the Pardon Attorney updated that guidance on Feb. 18.
Local reaction and practical questions
Attorneys and would-be applicants in Michigan say they are already preparing to assemble court records, letters of support and evidence of rehabilitation, and many expect the paperwork to be onerous. “They are going to be very particular about whom or whose rights they are going to restore,” Barton Morris told ClickOnDetroit, and he estimated that hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan could apply.
Legal implications
Under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c), the Attorney General may grant relief if it is established to his satisfaction that the circumstances regarding the disability, and the applicant’s record and reputation, are such that the applicant will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety. Denials can be subject to judicial review. See 18 U.S.C. § 925 for the statute’s language. The proposal in the Federal Register explains that the department will publish notices when relief is granted and will build procedural safeguards, including opportunities for law enforcement and victim input, into the new process, per the Federal Register.
