The Department of Justice (DOJ) began allowing federal gun rights restoration for the first time since 1992, removing a 30-year funding restriction (the 'Schumer Amendment') that previously blocked the ATF from processing these applications.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) has supported this shift in DOJ policy, which moves restoration authority to the Office of the Pardon Attorney. The DOJ's FY 2026 budget allocates $448,000 for the Office of the Pardon Attorney to process gun rights restoration applications for individuals not considered 'dangerous to public safety'.
GOA strongly opposed a 2025 DOJ proposal to merge the ATF with the DEA, calling it a 'Trojan horse' for gun control that would 'supercharge' federal surveillance and enforcement against gun owners. Despite supporting specific policy changes, GOA and the Gun Owners Foundation (GOF) have continued to file lawsuits against the DOJ, recently calling a 2025 DOJ brief regarding the '$200 tax' on NFA items an 'open attack on the Second Amendment.”
The DOJ is implementing 'zero tolerance' reforms to reduce enforcement actions against licensed gun dealers for, as reported, 'paperwork errors,' a move praised by gun rights advocates.
The DOJ and ATF are releasing 34 notices of final and proposed rulemaking following a comprehensive review of existing regulations conducted in accordance with Executive Order 14206, Protecting Second Amendment Rights. Consistent with ATF's commitment in 2025 to rebuild trust with Federal Firearms and Explosives Licensees (FFLs/FELs) and industry stakeholders, this review included a consideration of industry and expert feedback and concerns. The landmark release is the first in a series of regulatory updates ATF plans to issue.
The resulting rules are an effort to reduce unnecessary burdens on law-abiding citizens and businesses while modernizing regulatory frameworks that no longer reflect current law, agency practice, or court precedent. The aim is simpler, clearer regulations that do not compromise ATF's ability to perform its critical missions to protect American communities from violent crime.
“The Second Amendment is not a secondclass right,” said U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Department of Justice is ending the weaponization of federal authority against law-abiding gun owners. We will continue to vigorously defend their rights as the Constitution demands.”
Robert Cekada, who was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ATF Director, also emphasized the need to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens and businesses. “ATF's mission is to protect public safety and enforce the law – and these reforms reflect our commitment to doing that through regulations that are clear, legally sound, and narrowly tailored to that purpose. Our enforcement focus from here on out is on willful violators and criminal actors, not inadvertent compliance issues by responsible owners and licensees.”
Summaries of the rules will be uploaded at atf.gov. ATF encourages broad public participation in its regulatory process and invites input on the proposed changes.