The California Constitution gives the Governor the right to pardon someone convicted of a crime in California. A pardon can restore some, but not all, rights lost due to a conviction. It does not erase or seal a record. California Constitution, Article 5, §8.

Pardons are very rare and given out in exceptional circumstances.

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Someone convicted of a crime in a California state court can apply to the Governor for a pardon. There is no right to a pardon. The Governor can't pardon convictions from other state or federal courts. If you have more than one felony conviction, the Governor can't grant a pardon without the approval of the California Supreme Court. 

Governors are not required to consider a pardon. The Governor's Office has more information about what they consider or look for in an application.

Find out more about pardons and sex offenses or PC 290 registration. Learn more

• what a pardon can do
  • Allow someone convicted of a felony to serve on a jury
  • In limited cases, restore gun rights (with federal approval) if the conviction didn't involve the use of a dangerous weapon
  • In limited cases, relieve a sex offender of their registration requirement but only if they are found factually innocent of the offense
  • Allow someone convicted of a felony to be considered for a probation officer or parole agent position (but not other law enforcement roles)
  • Help your chance of getting a professional license from a state board
• what a pardon can't do
  • Erase a conviction or seal a criminal record
  • Allow you to say you don't have a criminal record (though this may be possible if your case was dismissed/expunged first)
  • Prevent the conviction from being used as a prior if you're convicted later of a different crime
  • Restore gun rights for convictions involving the use of dangerous weapons
  • May help, but can't necessarily stop deportation (this is a complex area of law, talk to an immigration lawyer)

By Certificate of Rehabilitation

If you live in California, you may be able to apply for a Certificate of Rehabilitation in the county where you live or were convicted. Check if you qualify.

If the judge grants your request for a Certificate of Rehabilitation, it gets sent to the Governor's Office. This is considered an application for a pardon. The certificate also gets sent to the Board of Parole Hearings and the California Supreme Court. You don't need to do anything else unless the Governor's Office contacts you. 

How to ask for a Certificate of Rehabilitation

Directly to the Governor

If you don't qualify for a Certificate of Rehabilitation or don't have one, you can apply to the Governor directly for a pardon. You will also need to give the District Attorney notice of your application. You do not need a lawyer to apply for a pardon.

The Governor's Office may then refer the application to the Board of Parole Hearings, which does an investigation and sends its recommendation to the Governor. You don't need to do anything else unless the Governor's Office contacts you. 

Get instructions from Governor's Office

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• How we review applications
• Applying for a pardon

People who have been convicted of a crime in California may apply for a pardon. The Governor of California cannot grant a pardon for a conviction from another state or a federal proceeding.

The Board of Parole Hearings, a division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, investigates pardon applications. The investigation will include a review of the applicant’s criminal history records, court and police records, and the applicant’s prison record (or C-File), if any.

Pardon applicants will be notified if the Governor takes action on their application or if additional information is required to process their application. If your contact information changes after you apply for a pardon, please notify the Governor’s Office by email at pardons@gov.ca.gov.

Update regarding pardons and sex offense registration pursuant to Penal Code 290: The California Department of Justice will not terminate the requirement to register on the basis of a gubernatorial pardon unless it includes a finding of innocence. More information about petitioning for removal from the registry is available on the California Courts’ self-help website. 

In deciding whether to grant a pardon, the Governor’s Office will carefully review each application and consider:

• the impact of a pardon grant on victims and survivors and others in the community, including whether the grant is consistent with public safety and in the interests of justice and, if relevant, any extraordinary circumstances that justify restoration of firearm rights or a pardon in a sex offense case;
• the age and circumstances of the offense and the age of the applicant at the time;
• the applicant’s self-development and conduct since the offense, including whether the applicant has made use of available rehabilitative programs and has identified and addressed treatment needs; and
• the applicant’s need for a pardon.

The Governor is not required to consider an application and there is no set timeline for review. There is no application fee and a lawyer is not required to apply for a pardon.

The Governor cannot grant pardons to applicants with more than one felony conviction without the approval of the California Supreme Court. The Governor’s Office requests this approval if needed.

There are two ways to apply for a pardon in California: by Certificate of Rehabilitation or a direct pardon.

One way to apply for a pardon is to first petition for and obtain a Certificate of Rehabilitation from the Superior Court in the county where the applicant currently resides or the county in which the applicant was convicted. When a court grants a petition for a Certificate of Rehabilitation, it becomes an automatic application for a pardon and the court is required to send the order to the Governor’s Office.

Applicants who are eligible for a Certificate of Rehabilitation are encouraged to use that path to file a pardon application. Visit the Judicial Council’s self-help website or contact the Public Defender’s Office in your county of residence for information on how to petition for a Certificate of Rehabilitation.

If a judge granted you a Certificate of Rehabilitation before January 2019 and you did not receive notice of a pardon grant, your application was closed. If you would like Governor Newsom to consider your Certificate of Rehabilitation pardon application, submit a completed Reapplication for Clemency Form (1 page) to the Governor’s Office by email to pardons@gov.ca.gov. If you do not have access to email you can send it by mail to Office of the Governor, Attn: Legal Affairs/Parole and Clemency, 1021 O Street, Suite 9000, Sacramento, CA 95814. The Governor’s Office cannot accept in-person delivery. Please do not send original documents because application materials cannot be returned.

California law requires Certificate of Rehabilitation applicants to provide notice to the Governor’s Office when they file their petition for Certificate of Rehabilitation in Superior Court. The Governor’s Office can accept copies of these notices only by email to pardons@gov.ca.gov, or mail to the Office of the Governor, Attn: Legal Affairs/Parole and Clemency, 1021 O Street, Suite 9000, Sacramento, CA 95814. The Governor’s Office cannot accept in-person delivery.

The second path to apply for a pardon is to submit an application for a direct pardon directly to the Governor’s Office.

You may apply for a direct pardon without a lawyer.

1. Submit a completed Pardon Application (2 pages) to the Governor’s Office. You may but are not required to submit additional information or copies of relevant documents in support of your application, such as letters of support or certificates of achievement; and
2. Submit a completed Notice of Intent to Apply for Clemency (1 page) to the district attorney(s) in the county or counties of the conviction(s) for the offense(s) for which you are requesting a pardon.

Send your completed application and any additional information or supporting documents to the Governor’s Office by email at pardons@gov.ca.gov.  If you do not have access to email, you can send the documents by mail to the Office of the Governor, Attn: Legal Affairs/Parole and Clemency, 1021 O Street, Suite 9000, Sacramento, CA 95814. The Governor’s Office cannot accept in-person delivery. Please do not send original documents because application materials cannot be returned.

If you submitted a direct pardon application before January 2019 and you did not receive notice of a pardon grant, your application was closed. If you would like Governor Newsom to consider your request for pardon, submit a new direct pardon application.