# Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Type: Company

Source: Legal & RegTech Intelligence Brief — https://getlegalbrief.com/entity/bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives
Canonical HTML page: https://getlegalbrief.com/entity/bureau-of-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives

## Timeline

- **2026-08-17**: DOJ finalizes new restoration rule — Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a final rule establishing an online application portal for certain people with felony convictions to seek federal firearm-rights restoration.
- **2026**: DOJ rolls back slate of gun regulations — The Justice Department moved earlier in 2026 to roll back and modify multiple firearms regulations as part of the Trump administration's broader easing of gun restrictions.
- **1992**: Congress bars ATF from processing restoration applications — Congress effectively prohibited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from processing federal firearm-rights restoration applications, leaving the statutory petition right without a functioning mechanism.

## Recent coverage (1 stories)

### DOJ Ends 34-Year Freeze on Felony Gun Rights Restoration Applications
2026-08-17 22:11:49 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 3

The Justice Department finalized a rule Aug. 17, 2026 creating an online portal for nonviolent felons to seek federal firearm-rights restoration. It is the first functioning federal mechanism since Congress froze ATF processing in 1992. Legal practitioners should watch for APA challenges and state-law conflicts.
Full story: https://getlegalbrief.com/story/doj-gun-rights-restoration-rule-34-year-freeze-legal

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