Firearm Rights Attorney

North Carolina Firearms Restoration and Gun Rights Restored: The basics, if you have a nonviolent felony conviction in North Carolina or in another jurisdiction it may be possible to restore your gun rights. For example, in North Carolina, if an applicant meets the statutory criteria it may be possible to restore their gun rights through a “petition for restoration of firearm rights.” 

Gun Rights: Questions & Answers

  1. I am trying to restore my gun rights, what are the most common ways to restore them according to a firearm attorney in Greensboro? 
    1. The most common methods to restore gun rights in North Carolina, are Expungements, restoration of gun rights motions, and challenging a permit denial (typically a pistol purchase permit).
  2. How do those methods for Firearm Rights Restoration work in North Carolina? 
    1. Expungements – As far as expungements go, having an underlying conviction may be the reason your gun rights were taken away, and in some instances once that conviction has been expunged the hindrance will be removed, and gun rights can be restored.
    2. Restoration of Gun Rights – As far as restoration of gun rights, that often takes the form of petitioning the court to have the gun rights restored, and is done without an expungement. In this instance, perhaps there is a conviction that is not eligible for expungement in NC, so that method won’t be available, however, petitioning the court still may be an option.
    3. Gun Permit Denial Challenge – As far as challenging permit denials, this method is as it sounds. Sometimes a permit was improperly denied, and challenging the denial will be a path to restore gun rights. Other times, the denial reason was proper, but there are grounds to challenge it.
  3. I applied for a Pistol Purchase Permit and got denied, what should I do now? 
    1.  If you are denied for a Pistol Purchase Permit, the sheriff will send you a letter that should state the reason for the pistol purchase permit denial / gun permit purchase denial. Make sure to hang on to this letter because if you want to challenge the denial your gun purchase attorney will need to see the letter with the specific reason(s) your permit was denied.
  4. I was convicted of a felony 10 years ago, when am I eligible to try for an expungement? 
    1. Typically, gun privileges that are lost upon any felony, are not eligible for expungement until 20 years after completion of the sentence.
  5. What are some of the most common reasons for the denial of a pistol purchase permit? 
    1. One of the more common reasons is that a prior conviction had an element of domestic violence. When looking at a person’s background check or F3,  there will be a space with a “dv, and then a place for y or n” next to it. In other words, it is asking if there was domestic violence “yes or no?” When that box is checked with an N, there is a greater chance of challenging the permit denial because that means it did not involve domestic violence.
  6. Besides restoring my gun rights, what other benefits might be had from trying to get an expungement?
    1. Besides resorting gun rights, an expungement may help in securing a job, or when trying to find housing such as rentals.
  7. I want to protect my guns, and keeps them in the family, I have heard of an NFA gun trust, but what is it, and what does it do?
    1. The simplest answer is that an NFA gun trust is an estate document just like any other trust. What makes an NFA gun trust unique is that it is a special trust designed for “Class 3” firearms. Class 3 firearms are fully automatic firearms, suppressors (often called silencers), and short barrel rifles or shotguns. An NFA gun trust also makes it much easier to purchase these typeof guns. Beyond Class 3 firearms, a gun trust is also great for those that have amassed a collection that they want to protect and keep in their family. Besides protecting the guns, an NFA gun trust is amendable, multi-generational, avoids probate, and is a way to protect your assets.”

Contact a Greensboro Attorney at our law firm to help you with all of your gun rights restoration and gun trust situations. Our lawyers in Greensboro are here to help!