If you or someone you love has a conviction in Maryland and is looking for a pardon, this guide is written for you. Maryland's pardon process routes all applications through the Maryland Parole Commission before reaching the Governor, waiting periods vary significantly by offense type (ranging from five years for misdemeanors to twenty years for crimes of violence), and the pardon's effect on firearms rights requires specific language in the pardon document itself. There is also a notable recent development: Governor Wes Moore issued mass pardons for cannabis possession convictions in 2024 and 2025, with those pardoned convictions removed from public view as of January 31, 2026, under the Expungement Reform Act. If a cannabis conviction is your concern, it may already be resolved. I have been through the system myself, and most of the fear comes from not knowing how the process works. So let me walk you through it in plain language. None of this is legal advice, and every case is different, so treat this as a map and lean on a lawyer for the turns.
What Maryland offers: the forms of clemency
The Governor of Maryland has authority under Article II, Section 20 of the Maryland Constitution to grant reprieves, pardons, and commutations of sentence, except in cases of impeachment. Maryland offers three forms of pardon. A full unconditional pardon lifts all disabilities and penalties imposed by the conviction and absolves the recipient of guilt for the offense. A conditional pardon provides similar relief but requires ongoing compliance with conditions, and failure to meet those conditions can result in the pardon being revoked. A partial pardon restores only specified rights, such as the right to vote or the right to possess firearms, without providing the full effect of an unconditional pardon.
Who decides: the Governor and the Maryland Parole Commission
The Governor holds final authority on all pardons. The Maryland Parole Commission, located at 6776 Reisterstown Road, Suite 307, Baltimore, Maryland 21215, processes and reviews all applications before forwarding recommendations to the Governor. The Governor is not bound by the Commission's recommendation.
The Commission evaluates applications based on: the nature and circumstances of the crime; the effect a pardon would have on the victim and the community; the sentence given; any other antisocial behavior by the petitioner; the petitioner's subsequent rehabilitation; the petitioner's age and health; and the specific reason the pardon is needed. Proof of successful completion of parole or probation, plus a reasonable period of satisfactory adjustment in the community beyond the expiration of the sentence, is specifically described by the Commission as preferred for a favorable recommendation. What this means in practice is that completing supervision is the floor, not the ceiling; the Commission wants to see that the time since supervision ended has also been used well.
After the Commission reviews an application, the Secretary of State arranges for publication of notice of the pardon application in local newspapers before the Governor acts. This notice requirement is handled by the state and does not require applicants to arrange publication independently, which distinguishes Maryland from Kansas, where applicants must arrange newspaper publication themselves or risk having the pardon declared void.
The cannabis mass pardon: check before you apply
Governor Wes Moore issued a blanket pardon in June 2024 covering an estimated 175,000 individuals convicted of misdemeanor cannabis possession charges that are no longer criminal under Maryland law following the 2022 ballot initiative legalizing adult cannabis possession. In June 2025, an additional 6,938 convictions were pardoned. Under Maryland's Expungement Reform Act, which took effect January 31, 2026, all of these pardoned cannabis possession convictions are no longer viewable on Maryland Judiciary Case Search. If cannabis possession was the only conviction at issue, it may already have been pardoned and removed from public view without any action required. To verify, check Judiciary Case Search online at casesearch.courts.state.md.us or at a public kiosk at any courthouse in the state. The individual does not need to take any action to receive the cannabis pardon; it was issued by executive order to all qualifying convictions.
Waiting periods before applying
The Maryland Parole Commission applies informal waiting period guidelines that differ by offense type. Applicants for felony convictions are generally expected to have ten crime-free years after completing their sentence before a favorable recommendation will be made. The Commission may grant a waiver bringing this to seven years in appropriate circumstances. Applicants for misdemeanor convictions generally need five crime-free years after sentence completion.
For crimes of violence and for controlled substance violations, the waiting period is twenty years, which may be reduced to fifteen years with a Commission waiver. These are informal guidelines rather than statutory mandates, but they reflect how the Commission evaluates readiness for a pardon recommendation. A waiver to the standard waiting period is possible in both categories but requires the Commission to specifically agree that the circumstances justify shortening the standard timeline. Applying before the informal threshold without a compelling reason for a waiver makes a favorable recommendation significantly less likely.
Proof of successful completion of parole and probation is a prerequisite for any favorable consideration, along with a demonstrated record of law-abiding community life beyond the maximum expiration of the sentence. No pending charges, no recent criminal history, and stable employment and housing all contribute to a stronger application.
Only Maryland state convictions are eligible for a gubernatorial pardon. People convicted under federal law or the law of another state are not eligible for a Maryland pardon. Federal convictions require a Presidential Pardon through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney.
The application process step by step
Step one: obtain the application. The Application for Pardon and required supporting checklist are available from the Maryland Parole Commission. Contact the Commission at (410) 585-3200 or visit the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services website at dpscs.maryland.gov.
Step two: assemble certified court documents. The application must be accompanied by certified copies of the docket entries for every criminal conviction in Maryland, including convictions for which a pardon is not being sought. These certified copies must be stamped by the court with the words "True Copy, Test," must bear the Clerk of the Court's signature, and must carry the court's seal. Obtain these from the Clerk of the Court where each conviction occurred.
Step three: specify the relief being sought. The applicant must specify the grounds for the pardon request and the specific relief being sought. This is not a formality: Maryland's application process asks the applicant to identify precisely what civil liberties were lost and what restoration is being sought. If firearms restoration is part of the goal, this must be expressly stated in the application, because a pardon does not automatically restore firearms rights even if a full unconditional pardon is granted. Firearms restoration must be specifically requested, addressed, and included in the pardon document itself. Do not assume that a full pardon automatically includes firearms restoration; it does not under Maryland law.
Step four: submit to the Maryland Parole Commission. Send the completed application, certified court documents, and all required supporting materials to the Maryland Parole Commission, 6776 Reisterstown Road, Suite 307, Baltimore, Maryland 21215. The Commission reviews the application and makes a recommendation to the Governor. The Secretary of State then arranges for newspaper publication of notice of the application.
Step five: the Governor's decision. The Governor reviews the Commission's recommendation and makes a final decision. The Governor is not bound by the recommendation and retains full discretion to grant or deny.
What a pardon does and does not do in Maryland
A full unconditional pardon in Maryland lifts all disabilities and penalties imposed because of the conviction and absolves the recipient of guilt for the offense. In Maryland, a pardon is described as recognizing that the person has paid their debt to society and adjusted well to community life since completing the sentence. It restores the right to serve on a jury, the ability to pursue occupational licenses that were previously barred, and the right to possess regulated firearms if that right is specifically addressed in the pardon order. The pardon also serves as evidence of rehabilitation in the applicant's own record and is recognized in contexts where a conviction would otherwise be disqualifying.
Firearms rights are not automatically restored by the grant of a pardon. Maryland's Parole Commission is direct on this: firearms rights must be separately restored in the order granting the pardon, and their restoration remains at the sole discretion of the Governor. A pardon that does not expressly restore firearms rights does not restore them. Federal firearms laws may impose additional restrictions on top of any state pardon; consult an attorney before attempting to purchase or possess a firearm after receiving a pardon.
A pardon does not expunge the criminal record. The power to expunge is reserved exclusively for the courts in Maryland; the Governor cannot direct expungement. A pardon alone does not remove the conviction from public view and it will still appear on most background checks. However, if the Governor granted an unconditional pardon within the past ten years, that pardon can serve as a basis for filing a petition for expungement in court under Maryland's expungement statute, which is a separate judicial proceeding from the pardon process. An attorney who handles Maryland expungements can evaluate whether an expungement petition is available given the specific conviction and pardon history.
If a subsequent crime is committed after a pardon is received, the pardoned conviction can still be used in the sentencing process for the new offense.
Voting rights in Maryland are restored automatically upon release from incarceration; a felony conviction does not cause permanent loss of voting rights, and a pardon is not required to vote. The only exception in Maryland is a conviction for buying or selling votes, which results in a permanent prohibition.
A note on federal convictions
If the conviction is a federal conviction rather than a Maryland state conviction, the Governor of Maryland and the Maryland Parole Commission cannot help you. Federal clemency is granted by the President of the United States, and applications go through the Office of the Pardon Attorney within the United States Department of Justice.
Where this leaves you
Maryland's pardon waiting periods are longer than most states in this series, particularly for violent offenses and drug felonies where twenty years of post-sentence law-abiding conduct is the informal Commission guideline. For felony convictions more generally, the ten-year standard is meaningful and should be a genuine benchmark in planning. If the waiting period applies to your situation and you are approaching it, start gathering documentation well in advance: certified copies of docket entries from each court of conviction must be properly stamped and sealed, and obtaining those documents can take weeks. The Commission's review process adds additional time, and there is no set timeline for the Governor's ultimate decision. Firearms restoration requires express language in the pardon document and is at the Governor's sole discretion, so if firearms restoration is part of your need, state it clearly and specifically in the application and understand that it is not guaranteed even if the full pardon is granted. And if the conviction is a cannabis possession charge, check first whether the mass pardon issued in 2024 or 2025 already covers your case before investing time in the individual application process.