When is a felon prohibited from possessing a firearm after conviction?

• A. Immediately after conviction.
• B. After conviction and before the 5th anniversary of release.
• C. For life after conviction.
• D. Only during probation.

Answer: (B)

Felon firearm prohibitions are tied to a finite window after release from custody. In this rule, a felon cannot possess a firearm during the period after conviction that lasts until the fifth anniversary after release from confinement or supervision. Put simply, the prohibition starts after conviction but is measured against the five-year mark following release, so the active ban is the time between conviction and five years after release. It’s not limited only to probation, and it’s not an indefinite, lifetime ban in this context.