Michigan Gun Rights Restoration Lawyer
Your probation ended years ago. You have a steady job, a home, and no new convictions. Then deer season comes around, a relative offers you a rifle, or you think about buying a firearm near Lansing, and one question stops everything: Can I legally possess it?
This is about more than owning a firearm. It is about feeling fully free after serving a sentence, rebuilding a life, and doing the work expected of you. It can also mean returning to the woods, the range, or family traditions that a conviction put on hold.
Michigan gun rights restoration depends on the exact conviction, when you finished every part of the sentence, and whether federal law still bars possession. Coontz Law helps you figure out which rules apply before you file something, buy something, or create a new legal problem for yourself.
Do You Need a Court Order, or Does Michigan Law Restore Your Rights Automatically?
Not everyone with a felony conviction needs to file a petition.
Under Michigan’s felony firearm restriction, a person with a felony that is not a “specified felony” is generally prohibited from possessing a firearm until three years have passed after all fines are paid, imprisonment is served, and probation or parole is completed.
A specified felony works differently. The waiting period is five years after those obligations are completed, and the circuit court must also restore your firearm rights.
Michigan also imposes an eight-year firearm and ammunition restriction after certain misdemeanor domestic violence convictions. That period begins after the person has paid fines, served any imprisonment, and completed probation.
Under this law, Michigan generally treats an offense as a felony if it is punishable by more than one year, including qualifying convictions from another state or federal court.
Which Felonies Still Require a Circuit Court Petition?
A “specified felony” includes several categories of offenses, including felonies involving physical force or a substantial risk of it; certain controlled-substance conduct; unlawful firearm possession or distribution; unlawful use of explosives; and burglary or breaking and entering of an occupied dwelling or arson.
That classification can turn a case from an automatic restoration question into a court-petition case. It may be less obvious than people expect from the conviction name alone.
Before filing a Michigan gun rights restoration application, we review the offense, sentence, discharge information, and criminal history. Guessing wrong about eligibility is a lousy way to start a second-chance case.
What Must You Prove Before a Judge Can Restore Your Rights?
For a person who must petition, the court is not deciding whether five years feels like enough time. The legal standard is specific.
The restoration rules require clear and convincing evidence, meaning the proof shows the claim is highly probable and leaves little serious doubt, that:
- You properly filed the petition;
- At least five years have passed since you paid all fines, served all imprisonment, and completed all probation or parole connected to the prohibited offense; and
- Your record and reputation show that you are unlikely to act in a way that endangers others.
Employment history, community ties, conduct since the conviction, and credible character evidence can help the court evaluate who you are now.
Restoration does not erase the conviction or ask the judge to ignore it. It gives you a way to show how you have lived since. A strong petition connects the person described in the old record with the person standing before the court now—and proves the difference.
You can file only one restoration petition in 12 months, so there is little benefit in treating the first filing like a practice run.
Where Does a Michigan Gun Rights Restoration Application Get Filed?
A petition goes to the circuit court in the county where you live, not automatically to the court where the old conviction happened.
Someone convicted years ago in Detroit but now living in Lansing would generally file in Ingham County. A resident of Charlotte, St. Johns, Owosso, or Howell would look to the circuit court in Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee, or Livingston County.
The filing should establish eligibility and provide the judge with evidence that addresses the legal standard, rather than handing the court a stack of documents and hoping the point is obvious.
Why a Michigan Court Order Is Not Automatically a Federal Green Light
Michigan and federal firearm law are separate systems. A state restoration order addresses Michigan law, but it does not automatically eliminate all federal restrictions.
Federal firearm law separately prohibits firearm possession for several categories of people, including many people convicted of crimes punishable by more than one year in prison and people with qualifying misdemeanor domestic violence convictions.
In August 2026, the Department of Justice announced a new federal firearm rights restoration process, with public applications scheduled to open in stages beginning November 4, 2026.
A Michigan petition and a federal restoration request are different forms of relief. Whether you need federal relief after a Michigan restoration depends on the source of the federal prohibition and what effect the state relief has under federal law. We look at both before telling you that your rights are “restored.” Half an answer is dangerous here.
What Can Coontz Law Do Before You File Anything?
This is not an area where “probably eligible” is a useful answer. We start by determining whether you are actually prohibited under Michigan law, federal law, or both. Depending on the case, we can:
- Review the conviction and determine whether Michigan treats it as a specified felony;
- Verify when every part of the sentence was completed and calculate the waiting period;
- Identify whether a set-aside, pardon, or another form of relief may change the analysis;
- Prepare the petition and supporting evidence for the circuit court;
- Prepare you for the hearing and questions the record may raise; and
- Flag a remaining federal prohibition instead of assuming a Michigan order solves it.
Coontz Law was founded on the simple principle that individuals who have completed their sentences deserve a clear pathway to regain their rights.
This does not mean promising an outcome or treating restoration as automatic. It means identifying the right legal route and preparing the case with the seriousness a second chance deserves.
We exist in large part to address consequences that do not disappear when the criminal case ends. We will tell you what the law allows, what it does not, and what needs to happen next.
Know Where You Stand Before You Touch a Firearm Again
If you are currently prohibited from owning a firearm, filing a petition does not give you temporary permission to possess a gun while the case is pending. Get the status question answered first.
Schedule a case review with Coontz Law. We can review your record, determine whether Michigan gun rights restoration is available now, and explain what must happen before you can legally possess a firearm again.
At Coontz Law, we proudly serve clients in the following areas within Michigan County:
Additional Questions About Restoring Your Gun Rights in Michigan
Does Expungement Restore Gun Rights in Michigan?
A conviction that has been expunged or set aside generally is not subject to Michigan’s felony firearm restriction unless the order expressly keeps a firearm or ammunition restriction in place. Federal consequences require a separate analysis.
Can I File for Restoration If My Felony Conviction Was in Another State?
Yes, in some circumstances. If you live in Michigan, an out-of-state or federal conviction can trigger Michigan’s firearm prohibition, and a qualifying person may petition the circuit court in the Michigan county where they live. A federal conviction can create a separate federal prohibition that a Michigan court order does not remove.
Can I Possess a Gun While My Restoration Petition Is Pending?
No, not if you are still prohibited. Filing the petition does not suspend the restriction, so wait for valid relief before possessing, purchasing, or handling a firearm.
Legal References Used to Inform This Page:
To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal and other resources during the content development process:
- MCL § 750.224f, Possession of firearm or distribution of ammunition by person convicted of felony; circumstances; penalty; applicability of section to expunged or set aside conviction; definitions.
- MCL § 28.424, Restoration of rights by circuit court; petition; fee; determination; order; circumstances.
- U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Firearm Rights Restoration.
- 18 U.S.C. § 922, Unlawful acts.
- U.S. Department of Justice. Attorney General Blanche Launches New Process to Restore Federal Firearm Rights (2026).