If you or someone you love has a conviction in New Jersey and is looking for relief, this guide covers two paths: the pardon and New Jersey's unusually strong Clean Slate expungement law. For most people with eligible convictions, expungement is the more accessible and complete path because it seals the public record. A pardon forgives the conviction and can open eligibility for expungement even when the conviction was previously ineligible, but the conviction stays on the record until a separate expungement order is obtained. New Jersey also went through an extraordinary period of clemency activity under Governor Phil Murphy, who granted 455 pardons and commutations in roughly 18 months of his clemency initiative, more than all New Jersey governors combined over the prior 30 years. Murphy left office in January 2026, and the current environment under his successor is something to track before applying. 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 New Jersey offers: the forms of clemency
The Governor of New Jersey has exclusive clemency authority under Article V, Section 2, Paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution, except in cases of treason and impeachment. The Constitution also provides for the creation of an advisory commission to assist the Governor on pardons. The forms of clemency include pardons, commutations, reprieves, and the suspension or remission of fines and forfeitures.
A full pardon forgives the offense and restores all civil rights, including the right to serve on a jury and the right to hold public office. It can remove collateral consequences including barriers to employment and professional licensure. A conditional pardon provides forgiveness subject to conditions such as continued good behavior. A commutation reduces the length or severity of a sentence for someone currently serving one; it does not forgive the conviction, and the collateral consequences of the conviction may still apply after a commutation.
Who decides: the Governor and the Clemency Advisory Board
The Governor of New Jersey has exclusive authority over all clemency decisions and is the sole decision-maker. The Board has no power to grant clemency, and its recommendations to the Governor are confidential and not binding on the Governor's final decision.
In June 2024, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order 362 establishing New Jersey's first-ever six-member Clemency Advisory Board to review applications and make recommendations. The Board's members represent diverse perspectives on and experience with the criminal justice system and executive clemency, including individuals with direct system experience. A 2025 Executive Order continued and updated the Board's operation. The Board's confidential, non-binding recommendations are intended to ensure the Governor's decisions are informed by a range of expertise rather than relying solely on the executive's own review of each application.
The fundamental goal of New Jersey's clemency initiative has been to provide relief from the inequities and collateral consequences of the criminal legal system, particularly for those affected by harsh and outdated sentencing practices.
The Murphy clemency initiative: context for what came before and what comes next
Governor Murphy launched a formal clemency initiative in June 2024. By the time he left office in January 2026, he had granted 455 pardons and commutations in approximately 18 months. This total exceeds all clemency grants issued by all New Jersey governors over the prior 30 years. Prior to the initiative, Murphy had granted no pardons; governors before him granted relatively few and generally only near the end of their terms. The Governor's Office received more than 4,500 clemency applications during the initiative.
Each grant underwent a comprehensive review covering criminal history, conduct since conviction, evidence of rehabilitation, reentry readiness, and victim input. Categories given expedited consideration included non-violent offenders who had remained free from the justice system for a substantial period, individuals serving sentences that reflected excessive trial penalties, and survivors of domestic or sexual violence or sex trafficking who were convicted of crimes against or under duress from their abusers.
Murphy left office in January 2026. His successor Governor Dan Gadsden took office at that point, and the clemency environment under any new administration can differ significantly from the predecessor. Murphy's initiative was explicitly tied to his own criminal justice reform agenda; prior governors treated clemency as an end-of-term formality at most. People considering applying should research the current Governor's publicly stated approach to clemency before committing significant time and resources to the process, and should check nj.gov/clemency for current status of the Clemency Advisory Board and the application portal.
Clean Slate expungement: the better path for most people
New Jersey has one of the strongest expungement laws in the country. The Clean Slate Act provides for automatic expungement of eligible convictions after ten years. Petition-based expungement is available earlier, depending on offense type, number of convictions, and whether all court-ordered financial assessments have been paid.
An expungement in New Jersey seals the criminal record from public view. It is more accessible than a pardon, more commonly granted, and for many people provides more practical relief because it makes the conviction invisible to employers and landlords who run background checks.
A pardon does not seal the record; it forgives the offense but the conviction remains publicly visible unless followed by a separate expungement. However, a pardon can transform a situation: once an offense is pardoned, it may become eligible for expungement even if it was previously ineligible under New Jersey's expungement statute. This makes a pardon a strategic gateway in some cases, opening the door to expungement for convictions that would not otherwise qualify.
The New Jersey State Parole Board and courts handle expungements. Legal aid organizations in New Jersey, including Legal Services of New Jersey (lsnjlaw.org), can help evaluate expungement eligibility at no cost for qualifying individuals. The Clean Slate Act made New Jersey one of the most accessible states in the series for non-pardon record relief.
Who is eligible for a pardon in New Jersey
There are no formal statutory restrictions on who may apply for clemency in New Jersey. There is no statutory waiting period after sentence completion. The Governor and the Clemency Advisory Board look for demonstrated rehabilitation, a sustained period of law-abiding conduct, and completion of sentence including any parole or probation terms. Multiple convictions make an application more difficult but do not automatically disqualify.
Pardons apply only to New Jersey state court convictions. The Governor cannot pardon federal convictions or crimes committed under the laws of another state. For federal convictions, the appropriate path is the Presidential pardon process through the Office of the Pardon Attorney.
People who previously applied under a prior Governor and did not receive a decision may reapply under the current Governor. People who were previously denied may also reapply; prior denials do not create a statutory bar to reapplication. This is meaningful for people who applied during the Murphy administration and were not acted upon before he left office.
The application process step by step
Step one: submit the petition. Applications can be submitted online through the New Jersey State Executive Clemency Portal at nj.gov/clemency. Applications may also be submitted by mail using the State of New Jersey Petition for Executive Clemency form, sent to: New Jersey State Parole Board, Attn: Clemency Unit, P.O. Box 862, Trenton, New Jersey 08625. There is no fee.
Step two: complete the petition. The petition should include details about the conviction or convictions for which clemency is sought, the sentence served, the current circumstances of the applicant's life, evidence of rehabilitation since conviction, a personal statement explaining why clemency is being sought, and supporting documentation. Documentation may include diplomas, proof of employment, certificates of completion for programs, letters of support from family, friends, religious leaders, or community members, and any other evidence of accomplishment and rehabilitation. The more specific and compelling the rehabilitation narrative, the stronger the application.
Step three: investigation and review. Once submitted, the Parole Board may conduct an investigation. The application is also reviewed by the Clemency Advisory Board, which makes a confidential, non-binding recommendation to the Governor.
Step four: Governor's decision. The Governor reviews the application and the Board's recommendation and makes a final decision. The Governor is not bound by any recommendation and retains exclusive discretion to grant or deny.
What a pardon does and does not do in New Jersey
A New Jersey pardon forgives the conviction and restores civil rights lost due to it, including jury eligibility and the right to hold public office. It removes many collateral consequences including barriers to employment and professional licensure. A pardon restores civil rights generally, and the Governor also has a constitutionally separate power to restore civil and other rights independently of the pardon power. Each individual granted clemency undergoes a comprehensive review that, under the Murphy initiative model, included criminal history, conduct while incarcerated, evidence of rehabilitation, reentry readiness, and victim feedback.
A pardon does not erase the conviction from the public record. The conviction remains visible unless the person separately petitions for and receives an expungement. The practical workflow for people seeking complete relief in some cases is: obtain the pardon first, then petition for expungement separately once the pardon makes the conviction newly eligible for that court-based process.
Firearms rights in New Jersey are subject to the state's strict gun laws. A pardon may assist with the restoration of firearms rights, but a separate Firearms Purchaser Identification Card or Handgun Purchase Permit is still required and may be denied. New Jersey's firearms permit process is discretionary and subject to denial on other grounds even after a pardon.
Voting rights in New Jersey are restored automatically upon release from incarceration, including for people on probation or parole. A pardon is not needed to vote.
A note on federal convictions
If the conviction is a federal conviction, the Governor of New Jersey 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
New Jersey's Clean Slate expungement is the right starting point for most people. If the conviction is eligible, expungement is more accessible, provides public record sealing, and does not require the Governor's discretionary action. The pardon becomes the right path when expungement is unavailable for the specific offense type, when the pardon can serve as a gateway to make a previously ineligible conviction expungeable, or when the restoration of specific civil rights or the formal act of gubernatorial forgiveness is what is needed. The current Governor's approach to clemency will shape how active the process is; the Murphy era was genuinely historic and unusually open, and its continuation is not guaranteed under any successor. Apply online at nj.gov/clemency or by mail to the Clemency Unit at the Parole Board in Trenton. There is no fee and no statutory bar on reapplication even after a prior denial. For those with eligible convictions, expungement should be explored first with an attorney or with Legal Services of New Jersey; a pardon pursued after failed expungement is a better-documented case for clemency than one submitted without having tried the court-based route first.