With the firearms registration requirements under Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024, An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws, now weeks away, gun owners across the Commonwealth are trying to work out exactly when they have to comply. Unfortunately, some of the information circulating online is wrong and certain attorneys are incorrectly stating in video posts that the registration deadline is October 2nd. It is not.

On September 18, 2026, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) issued Guidance #5, its updated set of Frequently Asked Questions on the new law. It confirms that individuals are not required to comply with the registration and serialization requirements of G.L. c. 140, §§121B and 121C until October 28, 2026, under Section 157 of the Act.

Here is what you need to know:

Do I have to register all my firearms?
Yes. But you are not required to register them in the new system until October 28, 2026. If you already registered your firearms through the existing transaction portal, you do not have to register them again.

How do I know if my firearms are already registered?
If you have an FA-10 form from a Massachusetts dealer sale, a personal registration, or a personal transfer, that firearm has been registered. If you are unsure, you can request your records from the Firearms Records Bureau for a fee. EOPSS also notes that there is no penalty for registering a firearm again, so when in doubt, registering is the safe choice.

Where do I register?
The serialization and registration systems are already live and can be reached through the MIRCS portal on Mass.gov.

I’m buying from a dealer. Do I also have to register in the portal?
No. The dealer records the transaction.

I registered a frame or receiver. Do I have to register it again once it is built into a firearm?
Yes. Once the firearm is completed, it must be registered again.

Does my firearm need a new serial number?
If your firearm already has a serial number, you do not need to request one from the MIRCS Serialization System. Firearms made before October 22, 1968 are exempt from serialization.

I’m moving to Massachusetts. What about me?
New residents have 60 days to obtain a Massachusetts firearms license, and must register their firearms once the license is issued.

What about nonresidents?
A nonresident traveling in or through Massachusetts, or possessing a rifle or shotgun under one of the exemptions in G.L. c. 140, §129C, does not have to register that firearm.

This is why experience matters!

When you choose a lawyer to advise you on Massachusetts firearms law, experience matters. Attorney Guida is the former Director of the Massachusetts Firearms Records Bureau, the agency that administers firearms licensing and registration records in the Commonwealth. He served as Counsel to the Firearms Licensing Review Board, was a member of the Gun Control Advisory Board, and prosecuted firearms cases as an Assistant District Attorney. He has trained and advised local, state and federal law enforcement on firearms licensing and firearms-related investigations is a Founding Member of the American Council of Second Amendment Lawyers and a referral attorney for self-defense insurance providers, including USCCA.

Massachusetts firearms law and firearms rights is what we do and all we do…..

If you have questions about registering your firearms, an inherited collection, a frame or receiver build, or any other issue under the new law, don’t rely on a social media post or a guess about the date. Get the right answer before October 28th.

Contact the Law Office of Jason A. Guida dba 2nd Amendment Legal at (617) 383-4652.

This post is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Quick takeaways: 1) Federal restoration of firearms rights is on the horizon, but still at least 4 months away (As of August, 2026) 2) Federal restoration of firearms rights will likely not restore your rights in Massachusetts and 3) Our firm has been in touch with DOJ and will be helping clients restore their rights as soon as the application is available to the public.

Introduction

For the first time in more than thirty years, the U.S. Department of Justice is reopening a real path for people with federal firearms disabilities to get their gun rights back. On August 17, 2026, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that DOJ is reviving the long-dormant relief-from-disabilities process under 18 U.S.C. § 925(c) — a statute that has existed since 1968 but has been effectively unusable since 1992, when Congress stopped funding ATF’s ability to process applications under it.

If you’ve been prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a past conviction or other disqualifying event, this is significant news. But there are still important steps left before anyone can actually apply, and the details of eligibility matter a great deal. Here’s where things stand.

How We Got Here

DOJ published its proposed rule in the Federal Register in July 2025, opening a public comment period that closed in October 2025. The proposal drew an unusually high level of public engagement, with the overwhelming majority of commenters supporting the idea of restoring a functioning relief process. After a lengthy review period — and a stretch where federal rulemaking activity was slowed by a government shutdown — DOJ announced last week that it is moving forward with a final version of the rule, shifting authority over these decisions from ATF to the Attorney General.

Who the Rule Is Meant to Help — and Who It Isn’t

Restoration under this process is neither automatic nor guaranteed. Applicants will need to show that they are not likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that restoring their rights would not be contrary to the public interest. DOJ’s framework looks at the circumstances of the original disqualifying offense, the person’s record and reputation since then, and their conduct overall.

Individuals who have had their state firearms rights restored (in Massachusetts via the Firearms Licensing Review Board) appear to receive preferential treatment under the proposed regulations.

Certain categories are presumptively ineligible absent extraordinary circumstances, including:

1) People convicted of violent felonies (such as murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, or robbery); 2) people required to register as sex offenders; 3) people with drug distribution convictions or domestic violence convictions within roughly the last decade; 4) people with any felony conviction within the last five years; and 5) people who are current fugitives, unlawfully in the country, or subject to an active restraining order.

What this Means for Massachusetts Residents

It’s also worth remembering: this is a federal process. Someone who successfully restores their federal firearm rights will still likely be prohibited under Massachusetts state law. Generally, only individuals who have had their state rights restored by the Massachusetts Firearms Licensing Review Board will be able to fully exercise their 2nd Amendment rights in the Commonwealth. (More information about the Firearms Licensing Review Board can be found on this website).

Timeline: What’s Actually Happening and When

This is the part we’re watching most closely, because the announcement is not the same as the rule being in effect.

The rule still needs to be formally promulgated — meaning published as a final rule in the Federal Register — which we expect to happen within the next 30 to 60 days. Once that happens, the rule’s effective date and the mechanics of how DOJ will phase in applications will be locked in.

Separately, DOJ has indicated that the public-facing application website will not go live immediately. Based on DOJ’s own projected rollout, we expect the application portal to become active roughly 120 days out. Until that site is active, there is no way to file an application under this process, no matter how strong someone’s case for restoration may be.

In short: nothing can be filed yet, and applicants should be very wary of anyone claiming otherwise or offering to “get ahead of the line” before the rule is even final.

What We’re Doing

We are actively monitoring this rulemaking as it moves toward finalization, and we intend to keep tracking it through the rule’s publication, its effective date, and the eventual opening of the application website. Once the process is actually live, we fully intend to work with clients on eligibility review, documentation, and the application itself — including the separate question of what a federal restoration does and doesn’t do for someone’s status under Massachusetts law.

We’ll continue to post updates here as this develops, including when the final rule is published and when the application portal opens. If you have a past disqualifying conviction and have been waiting for a path like this, now is a good time to start thinking through your situation so you’re ready to move once the process is actually available — but there is no need to rush into anything before the rule is final.