Pardon Application Process and Instructions

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Note: All applicants deemed eligible for review will be contacted for a phone interview.
Board of Pardons and Paroles will no longer accept the old pardon application after March 1, 2018
Effective December 1, 2017 the fee for the state Criminal History Checks will rise to $75

1. Absolute Pardon: You may apply to the Pardons Board for an Absolute pardon, which is an absolute erasure of your criminal record three (3) years after the date of disposition of your most recent misdemeanor conviction and five (5) years after the date of disposition of your most recent felony conviction. You cannot apply for erasure of one offense and not another. Only your entire criminal history will be considered for a full pardon.    

For inmates or those on probation, or on any form of parole and you are seeking an Absolute pardon (the expunging of your record), or commutation of your sentence, please use the “Application for Commutation by Current Offender” form. You can get this form at www.ct.gov/bopp , by sending a request to your Correctional Counselor,or by calling the Pardons Unit at the Board of Pardons and Parole at (203) 805-6643. If you are currently under any form of supervision you are also required to submit a Supervising Officer Questionnaire, completed by your current Parole/Probation Officer. You can get this questionnaire at www.ct.gov/bopp , or by calling the Pardons Unit at the Board of Pardons and Parole at (203) 805-6643. If you are applying for an Absolute pardon, your application may also be considered by the Board for Certificate of Employability.

1. Determine if you are eligible for a pardon.
2. Read the Frequently Asked Questions section of the BOPP website.
3. Follow the instructions in the ‘Documents Needed to Complete the Pardon Application’ found on the BOPP website.
4. Complete, print and mail this online “Application for a Connecticut Absolute Pardon” form, along with the following completed documents:
   
   The “Background Investigation Authorization” form (page 11 of the Application for a Connecticut Absolute Pardon) must be signed, witnessed and notarized by a Notary Public.
   
   A minimum of three (3) “Absolute Pardon Reference Questionnaire” forms must be completed by the individual making a character reference for you. Only one reference may come from a family member who is related to you by blood or marriage. References may attach a dated and signed letter to the Questionnaire as long as they indicate they understand you are applying for an absolute pardon and they complete the remainder of the form, including signature and date. Form must be within one year of application.
   
   Attach a photocopy of your current driver’s license or state identification card. If the address is different on your license than in your application, please indicate why in the application.
   
   Attach any other documentation you wish the Pardon Board to consider (ex: certificates, resumes, evaluations, etc.). Attach proof of employment or your source(s) of income (e.g. unemployment, disability payments, most recent W-2 form, letter(s) from source of financial support, etc.)
   
   If you are only applying for a Certificate of Employability, a separate application must be submitted with a Supervising Officer Questionnaire completed by the Parole Officer if you are under Parole supervision and attached.

Please Note: Applications are processed continuously on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the high volume of applications, applications will not be accepted in person. Make and keep a copy of the application and all documents for your personal records as applications and supporting documentation will not be returned to you. If you would like to confirm that your application has been received, use Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested. The Pardons Board is not responsible for lost applications.

Documents Needed for Pardon Application

It is important that complete and accurate documents be provided when the application is submitted to the Pardons Board. 

• Fill out the Criminal History Request form found in the Pardon Application.  
• Mail or bring the form to the DESPP-Division of State Police, Bureau of Identification, 1111 Country Club Road, Middletown, CT 06457-2389; telephone (860) 685-8480. 
  • You must submit a complete set of fingerprints with the form, along with a $75 check or money order payable to "Treasurer-State of CT". You can obtain your fingerprints from any local police department (ask the police to use the green DPS 125c form or its local equivalent), or at the DESPP-Division of State Police, Bureau of Identification for an additional $15 fee.  DESPP may use an electronic fingerprint system (AFIS), in place of the fingerprint card, if you have the fingerprints taken at their Middletown facility.   
  • Even if you drop the Criminal History Request (Pardon) form off in person, the criminal history will still be mailed to your address. 
• DO NOT MAIL THE FORM OR THE FEE TO THE BOARD OF PARDONS AND PAROLES. 
• DO NOT SEND YOUR ENTIRE PARDON APPLICATION TO THE STATE POLICE! 
• IMPORTANT NOTE:  The only criminal history report that is valid for a pardons application is the one included with the Pardon Application. Criminal history reports produced by the Division of the State Police for purposes other than pardons are not valid for pardons processing.  Criminal history report must be dated within one year of application.  If criminal history exceeds the one year, your application will be returned.   

• Obtain a copy of the police report(s) for any arrest that resulted in a conviction that has occurred within the last ten (10) years.  If the arrest was more than ten (10) years ago, you are not required to obtain a report
  • If no police report is available for an arrest that was less than ten (10) years ago, get a letter from the arresting police department stating that no report(s) exists.
  • You may find the arresting department’s name and police case number on the criminal history sheet supplied by the State Police. The fee for copies varies by police department.

• If you have ever served a period of probation, you must obtain a letter from the office of Adult Probation that supervised you, indicating the date on which you discharged from any period or periods of probation and the status of your discharge ( i.e. probation was successful or unsuccessful).

IMPORTANT NOTE:  

If you do not disclose a conviction in your application and it is later discovered by the Pardons Board, after you have been granted a pardon, your pardon may be revoked and you may be prosecuted for perjury.

The State Police may not have every criminal conviction. If you were convicted of crimes that are not listed on the criminal history sheet, you must explain those convictions in your application. You are required to obtain the official criminal record(s) for out of state convictions and you must mention those convictions in your application.