If you or someone you love has a conviction in Missouri and is looking for relief, this guide covers both the pardon process and the important expungement alternative. Missouri's expanded expungement law (§ 610.140), updated in 2018, now covers many non-Class A felonies and most misdemeanors, and for many people it is a more straightforward path than a pardon because it actually seals the record. The pardon process itself routes all applications through the Board of Probation and Parole, has a minimum 18-to-24-month timeline, requires exhaustion of judicial remedies like expungement before applying, and requires that the applicant be fully discharged from supervision for at least three years. Know your options before choosing a path, and evaluate expungement first if you have any reason to believe it may apply to your conviction. 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 Missouri offers: the forms of clemency
The Governor of Missouri has authority to grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons under Article IV, Section 7 of the Missouri Constitution, for all offenses except treason and cases of impeachment. The Governor may impose conditions, restrictions, and limitations on any clemency grant.
Missouri offers two types of pardon. A full pardon restores all rights of citizenship and removes any disqualification or punitive collateral consequence stemming from the conviction, without conditions or restrictions. A partial pardon provides limited relief and can take a variety of forms depending on the circumstances; restoration of rights is one example of a partial pardon that restores specific civil rights without providing the full scope of relief.
A commutation of sentence reduces or modifies an active sentence for someone currently incarcerated; it can modify a sentence to time served or a lesser term. A reprieve temporarily delays the execution of a sentence.
Who decides: the Governor and the Board of Probation and Parole
The Governor of Missouri holds final authority on all clemency decisions. All applications for pardon, commutation of sentence, or reprieve are required by statute (§ 217.800 RSMo) to be referred to the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole for investigation and recommendation before the Governor acts. The Board is composed of seven full-time members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate to six-year terms, with no more than four members from the same political party. The chair of the Board is designated by the Governor. This structure means that every application must go through the Board regardless of the circumstances; there is no mechanism to petition the Governor directly without going through the Board's investigation process.
After receiving an application, the Board initiates a thorough investigation of the case. For non-confined applicants, the Probation and Parole office where the applicant resides conducts the investigation. For confined applicants, the institutional process handles the investigation. The investigation covers the circumstances of the offense, the applicant's conduct and history since conviction, the current circumstances of the applicant's life, and all material submitted with the application. Upon completing the investigation, the Board reviews the information and determines its recommendation. The Board then submits a letter of recommendation to the Governor, along with the complete investigative report and all materials the applicant submitted. The Governor is not bound by the Board's recommendation and makes the final decision on whether to grant or deny clemency. All applicants receive written notification of the Governor's final decision. Because all applications must go through the Board regardless of the Governor's interest, the Board's investigation is a mandatory step; there is no shortcut from the application to the Governor's desk.
Before you apply: exhaust judicial remedies first
Missouri's executive clemency process requires applicants to demonstrate exhaustion of all judicial remedies before applying. This means that if you are eligible for expungement under Missouri's expungement statute (§ 610.140), you should pursue expungement before applying for a pardon, not as an alternative to it.
Missouri's expungement law was significantly expanded effective January 1, 2018. The updated statute allows expungement of many non-Class A felony convictions and most misdemeanors, subject to exceptions for violent offenses, sex offenses, public corruption offenses, and driving offenses involving alcohol or commercial driver's licenses. Missouri's expungement process also restores firearms rights under both state and federal law. For many people with Missouri convictions, expungement is a more accessible and complete remedy than a pardon, because an expungement actually seals the record rather than simply adding a pardon notation to it.
If expungement is not available for your conviction type, if the offense falls within one of the exception categories, or if you have been through the expungement process and additional relief is still needed, then the pardon process is the appropriate path. An attorney familiar with Missouri post-conviction law can evaluate whether your specific conviction is eligible under the § 610.140 framework and advise on sequencing between the two options.
Who is eligible for a pardon in Missouri
To be eligible to apply for a pardon in Missouri, an applicant must meet all of the following:
You must be fully discharged from your sentence, including all probation and parole, for at least three years. If your conviction resulted in probation with a suspended sentence and no imprisonment, you are generally not eligible for a pardon.
You must not have received any new criminal convictions (excluding minor traffic offenses) within the three years immediately before applying.
You must not have any criminal charges currently pending against you.
You must not have been denied executive clemency of any kind within three years of applying. If the Governor personally denied your application, the waiting period extends to five years from the date of the Governor's denial.
Only Missouri state court convictions are eligible. Federal convictions and out-of-state convictions are not eligible for a Missouri pardon. If the conviction is federal, the appropriate path is through the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the United States Department of Justice.
The application process step by step
Step one: obtain the correct application form. Missouri has two official forms: one for confined applicants and one for non-confined applicants. Both are available to download from the Missouri Department of Corrections website at doc.mo.gov. There are no fees to apply.
Step two: complete the application. The application requires personal information, details about each conviction for which clemency is being sought, the reasons for seeking clemency, and references. All required information must be included; incomplete applications will be returned without processing.
Step three: submit to the Missouri Parole Board. Mail the completed application packet to the Missouri Parole Board, 3400 Knipp Drive, Jefferson City, Missouri 65109. Contact: (573) 751-8488.
Step four: Board investigation. After submission, the Board initiates an investigation. For non-confined applicants, the local Probation and Parole office where the applicant resides conducts the investigation, which covers the circumstances of the offense, the applicant's conduct and community life since completion of the sentence, employment, family situation, evidence of rehabilitation, and all information submitted in the application. This investigation is the primary driver of the 18-to-24-month minimum timeline, as each case requires detailed review and fieldwork. The stronger and more complete the application materials are when submitted, the better positioned the application is during the investigation phase.
Step five: Board recommendation to the Governor. Upon completing the investigation, the Board submits its recommendation and all supporting materials to the Governor. The Governor reviews everything and makes a final decision. There is no set time frame for completion of the clemency process or for the Governor's decision. The process takes a minimum of 18 to 24 months from application to resolution.
What a pardon does and does not do in Missouri
A full pardon in Missouri restores all rights of citizenship and removes all disqualifications and punitive collateral consequences stemming from the conviction. Missouri's pardon document states that the pardon "obliterates" the effects of the conviction and relieves the recipient of all obligations, rights lost, and legal disabilities associated with it. A full pardon restores the right to vote (if not already restored), the right to hold public office, jury eligibility, professional licensing eligibility, and firearms rights under both state and federal law.
Voting rights in Missouri are automatically restored upon completion of sentence, including parole and probation. A pardon is not needed to vote; it is needed for the other collateral consequences listed above. This is a notable distinction: many people in Missouri who have served their sentences and completed supervision may not know they can already vote without any clemency action.
Jury eligibility is permanently and forever lost following a felony conviction under Missouri law (§ 561.026). This permanent disqualification is one of the more significant collateral consequences of a Missouri felony conviction, and a pardon is the primary way to restore eligibility to serve on a jury.
A full pardon does not erase the conviction from the criminal record. The Missouri State Highway Patrol maintains the criminal history record as an open record available to the general public, and the pardon is added as a notation to that record. A Missouri pardon "forgives, but does not forget." This means that even after receiving a full pardon, an employer conducting a background check may still see the conviction, now accompanied by the notation that a pardon was granted. If the goal is to prevent the conviction from appearing on background checks, the court-based expungement process under § 610.140 is the appropriate path. A pardon and an expungement accomplish different things and serve different purposes; some people pursue one, some pursue the other, and for certain situations consulting an attorney about both is the right approach.
A note on federal convictions
If the conviction is a federal conviction, the Governor of Missouri and the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole 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. The federal and state processes are entirely separate.
Where this leaves you
Missouri's pardon process is well-structured and documented, with official forms, a clear submission address, a statutory requirement that every application be investigated, and written notification to applicants at the end. The minimum 18-to-24-month timeline is the primary planning consideration: applications submitted today will not be resolved for a year and a half at minimum, and there is no set time for the Governor to act after receiving the Board's recommendation. Before committing to the pardon process, evaluate whether expungement under § 610.140 applies to your conviction, because Missouri's expanded expungement law covers more offense types than a pardon would address for most people seeking record clearance, and an expungement actually seals the record where a pardon does not. The three-year eligibility requirements mean that anyone recently discharged from supervision should plan ahead and meet with an attorney when approaching the window. If expungement is unavailable, you meet the eligibility requirements, you have exhausted judicial remedies, and a full pardon's "obliteration" of the conviction's collateral consequences is what you need, the process described above is the path. Apply thoroughly, be patient with the timeline, and follow up with the Board if significant time passes without any communication.