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 processed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth Office. If the
office finds a petition has merit, it will conduct a thorough investigation. These investigations may take at least a year to complete.
Should you have any questions concerning the procedure for petitioning for
a simple pardon, please contact Jennifer Crown at the contact information
provided below.
Please direct all questions to:
Jennifer Crown, Clemency Specialist
Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
Post Office Box 2454
Richmond, Virginia 23218-2454
(804)692-2542
or use our Inquiry Form
