Three paths forward.

The DOJ's current interim rule describes what a complete application will require. You can start assembling most of it now:

• A written application;
• Certified copies of court records — charging documents, plea agreements, judgment, and proof of sentence completion;
• Two FBI fingerprint cards (FD-258) or an electronic fingerprint scan;
• Criminal-record checks from every state you have lived in since age 18 (or the last 25 years);
• Affidavits from three non-relative references who have known you for 3+ years, attesting to your character, sobriety, and non-dangerousness — under penalty of perjury;
• Your own sworn affirmation; and
• Notification of your local chief law enforcement officer, who gets 14 days to comment.

If granted, relief is published in the Federal Register.

IMPORTANT: You should review the current interim rule here.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-07-22/pdf/2025-13765.pdf

After Bruen and the Range line of cases, people with old, non-violent convictions have sued to challenge the constitutionality of federal firearm restrictions, and either won or been offered administrative relief as a settlement. Litigation may be slower and costlier than filing an application, but may ultimately expedite the granting of 925(c) relief.

These cases often turn on the specific nature of the underlying offense, the passage of time,  the applicant's post-conviction record, and the current decisions of the United States Supreme Court and the various federal Courts of Appeals. 

Where counsel helps most:

• Assessing your likelihood of success for 925(c) relief;
• Defending and litigating a federal lawsuit that makes a compelling case for your right to possess a firearm; and
• Help you navigate the administrative process for the production and submission of your 925(c) application.

Hopwood & Singhal PLLC can help you handle all of the above.