The Justice Department has finalized a new process that allows people prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law to apply to have their Second Amendment rights restored. Officials estimate that 30 million Americans could be eligible to seek relief, although approval will not be automatic.

Applicants must convince the attorney general that the circumstances behind their prohibition, along with their record, reputation and conduct, show they are unlikely to endanger public safety. The department will review applications individually and determine whether restoring a person’s rights would serve the public interest.

The rule creates strong presumptions against applicants whose history indicates a threat; violent felons, registered sex offenders, illegal aliens and others considered dangerous would remain ineligible unless extraordinary circumstances exist.

Congress established a restoration process decades ago, but it has been largely unavailable since 1992 because lawmakers barred the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from spending money to process applications. The new Justice Department system takes effect 30 days after publication and removes only federal restrictions, not state prohibitions.

While federal law can impose a lifetime firearms ban even after someone has completed a sentence and lived for years without an offense, this new process would give these individuals in question a chance to argue that their current behavior no longer justifies losing a constitutional right.

Moving forward, the Justice Department will need to distinguish between individuals with old, nonviolent convictions and applicants whose histories suggest a continuing danger. These decisions are likely to influence future court challenges over whether or not lifetime gun bans remain constitutional, even when applied without considering an individual’s risk.

Officials are expecting strong interest, with up to 30 million people potentially eligible, while gun-control advocates have questioned whether reviewers can examine applications carefully to prevent dangerous people from being approved. The program is likely to become politicized, as approving even a small share of applications would return gun rights to thousands of people, and it would only take a single high-profile failure to bring demands to restrict or eliminate the process.

For millions of Americans with felonies or other federal disqualifications, approval could mean the ability to buy and keep a firearm at home, as well as buy ammunition and use firearms to hunt. It could also remove a big barrier for security work and jobs that require carrying a firearm, although employers and licensing boards would still make decisions.

Getting there will take paperwork, as applicants will need fingerprints, criminal records and character references that show how they have lived since the event that cost them their rights. Court documents, steady employment, treatment records and years without arrests could become important evidence.

The first public opening is limited to 5,000 applications, so many will likely have to wait for later rounds.

While approval is a big step, a state prohibition can still make possession illegal even after DOJ restores federal rights, so applicants will need to check both systems before touching or purchasing a gun. Until a written decision is issued, the current ban remains enforceable, and applying it does not protect anyone from prosecution.