In California, if an offender was convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony and he/she was not sentenced to state prison or under the authority of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, he/she can petition for a dismissal.
A California Governor’s pardon is granted only to those individuals who have demonstrated exemplary behavior following a conviction for a felony. An applicant must wait a period of ten years after being discharged from probation or parole before being eligible to apply for a pardon and the applicant must have been free from any criminal activity during that time period.