New York Pardon/Expungement Process

The State of New York does not allow expungements, or “sealings,” of cases where a conviction was entered, except for some older controlled substance, marijuana, and loitering offenses. Sealing a record will prevent the public from having access or seeing the records, including fingerprint cards, photographs, court entries, and other information related to the case. The record may still be available to some entities, such as courts and law enforcement.

The Clemency Bureau at the Division of Parole prepares a file for each clemency application. The pardon panel reviews the files of the person requesting a pardon. The panel makes recommendations to the Governor’s Counsel’s office, which then reviews those recommendations and makes their own to the Executive Clemency Committee. The Executive Clemency Committee will then make a referral to the Governor. The final decision to grant a pardon is at the sole discretion of the Governor.

You can contact the Governor or the Board of Parole for an application at:

Governor, State of New York
Executive Chamber
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Director, Executive Clemency Bureau
New York State Division Of Parole
Albany, NY 12206
(518)485-8953

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