On her 15th day of freedom as a pardoned participant in the Jan. 6 riot, Rachel Powell drove through western Pennsylvania’s gray winter to the county courthouse in Franklin. She needed to check off applying for a gun permit from her homecoming to-do list.

With her two youngest children trailing behind, Ms. Powell walked into the Venango County Sheriff’s Office, where a sign advised visitors to “Keep Calm and Carry.” She swept her long dark hair from her face and began filling out the concealed-carry application, only to stop short at the existential dilemma posed by Question G:

Are you now charged with or have you ever been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year?

If she answered yes, her application could not be processed. If she answered no, she feared being charged again with breaking the law.

“Can I make a note that I answered this way because I have a presidential pardon?” asked Ms. Powell, who once owned an AK-47 rifle and a Glock pistol.

The two clerks behind the desk could provide little guidance, never having dealt with a presidential pardon. Neither could a deputy sheriff, who advised her to consult a lawyer because he did not want her to get into more trouble.

“Drumroll, please,” Ms. Powell finally said. “I’m marking no.”