Restoration of Firearm Rights

General Information 

  • The form provided below is a convenience, only for use in the Dinwiddie County Circuit Court.
  • If you choose to represent yourself, it is your responsibility to know the law.
  • A fee of $101 is due at the time of filing. We accept cash, checks, money orders, and credit/debit cards. There is a 4% surcharge on all credit/debit card transactions.
  • The Commonwealth has 21 days to respond to your petition.
  • You will need to go by the Dinwiddie County Sheriff's Office to obtain a complete set of fingerprints on a form provided by the CCRE to accompany the final order that will be sent to the Central Criminal Records Exchange.

Instructions

  1. Complete the Petition for Restoration of Firearm Rights and attach the Restoration of Civil Rights letter from the governor. 
  2. Submit the petition with the filing fee of $101.00 ($89.00 filing fee and $12 Sheriff's Fee to serve your petition)
    • In-person: Bring your completed paperwork and filing fee to the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Monday through Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm 
    • Mail: Send your completed paperwork and payment to, Dinwiddie Circuit Court, PO Box 63, Dinwiddie, VA 23841.

  3. The Clerk's Office will serve the Commonwealth Attorney and they have 21 days to respond. 

    1. If the Commonwealth objects to your petition, a hearing will be set for you to come to Court. You will receive a notice of hearing in the mail of your court date. 

    2. If the Commonwealth does not object to your petition, the Clerk's Office will call to inform you that you will need to submit a copy of your fingerprints that you have obtained from the Dinwiddie County Sheriff's Office. You will need to personally bring a copy of the fingerprints to the Clerk's Office. Once we have received the fingerprints we will give you a copy of the Final Order restoring your firearm rights. You can skip to the step 5 for the final step. 

  4. If the Commonwealth objects to your petition, you will need to come to court on the hearing date that you received. At the hearing, the judge will grant or deny your petition. If granted, you will need to submit a copy of your fingerprints that you have obtained from the Dinwiddie County Sheriff's Office. You can obtain a set of fingerprints before or after the hearing. You will need to personally bring a copy of the fingerprints to the Clerk's Office. If approved, you can not receive a copy of the Final Order until we have received your fingerprints.

  5. If the Petition for Restoration of Firearm Rights is granted, the Clerk's Office will submit a copy of the Final Order and fingerprints to the State Police, CCRE division. It usually takes 30 to 60 days for the State Police to update the CCRE database to show that your Firearm Rights have been restored. It is recommended that you wait at least 60 days before you purchase a firearm. You can confirm with the State Police they have received the Final Order and the CCRE database has been updated. The State Police contact information can be found on their website, https://vsp.virginia.gov/services/firearms/restoration-of-firearm-rights/