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Simple Pardons

A simple pardon is granted by the Governor on behalf of the Commonwealth and declares that a person convicted for a crime has been officially forgiven for that crime.  (A notation will appear on a person’s criminal record, but a simple pardon will not remove a conviction from the criminal record.)

Requirements

To petition for a simple pardon you must be free of all conditions set by the court for a period of five years; if any felony was involved, you MUST have applied for and been granted a Restoration of Rights before appealing for the pardon.  If these conditions have all been met, you must then include the following information in a letter to the Governor:

• full name and any previous names and aliases;
• Social Security number;
• date of birth;
• mailing and street address;
• phone numbers;
• dates, courts, sentences or other dispositions of all misdemeanor and felony convictions;
• a complete statement of details for each conviction; and
• an explanation of why the Governor should grant a pardon. 

Please note:  This letter serves as your official petition; there is no official form you need to fill out.

You should provide all the relevant information you wish to have considered.  Please note that the petition process does not include any hearing, meeting or conference with the petitioner or persons on the petitioner’s behalf. If a petition is denied, another cannot be filed for two years after the date of the denial.

Simple pardon petitions are sent to the Virginia Parole Board.  If the Board finds a petition has merit, it will conduct a thorough investigation.  These investigations may take as long as a year to complete.

Should you have any questions concerning the procedure for petitioning for a simple pardon, please contact Patricia Tucker at the contact information provided below.

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Please direct all questions to:

Patricia Tucker, Director of Extradition and Clemency
Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
Post Office Box 2454
Richmond, Virginia 23218-2454
(804) 692-0105

or use our Inquiry Form