If you or someone you love has a conviction in Pennsylvania and is looking for a pardon, this guide is written for you. Pennsylvania's pardon process changed significantly in June 2024: as of June 11, 2024, records related to convictions pardoned by the Governor are automatically expunged without any additional action required by the applicant. This is a major shift from prior practice. Before that date, receiving a pardon only made the conviction eligible for expungement; the applicant still had to file a separate petition in the Court of Common Pleas. Now the expungement happens automatically after the pardon is granted under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122(a.1). Pennsylvania also updated its expedited review program in 2025 so that all applications are now automatically assessed for expedited eligibility without the applicant needing to request it separately. 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 Pennsylvania offers: the forms of clemency
Pennsylvania offers two forms of executive clemency: pardons and commutations.
A pardon is considered total forgiveness from the Commonwealth. It restores the rights and privileges forfeited on account of the offense. After a pardon, the applicant can deny on future job applications that they were ever convicted of the crime. As of June 11, 2024, the conviction is also automatically expunged without any further court petition; future criminal history record checks will not return any records for the pardoned conviction. The pardon and the resulting expungement give the applicant a legal fresh start in a way that is unusual among the states in this series.
A commutation is the reduction of a legal penalty or punishment. It reduces the court-imposed sentence but does not erase the conviction. Commutation is the appropriate path for people currently incarcerated who need sentence modification; a pardon addresses the conviction itself but does not shorten a sentence someone is actively serving. Commutation of a life sentence or a death sentence requires a unanimous vote of the full Board of Pardons to recommend.
Who decides: the Board of Pardons and the Governor
Pennsylvania's process is a two-step system. The Board of Pardons must first recommend clemency; the Governor cannot grant a pardon without that recommendation. However, the Governor is not bound to accept the recommendation; even if the Board recommends a pardon, the Governor may decline to grant it.
The Board of Pardons has five members. The Lieutenant Governor serves as Chairman and serves on the Board for the duration of the elected term. The Attorney General also serves ex officio during the elected term. The remaining three members are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the majority of the members elected to the Senate, and they serve six-year staggered terms. These three gubernatorial appointees must include a corrections expert, a crime victim representative, and a doctor (a psychiatrist or psychologist). The Board Secretary oversees the management of the Board's activities and serves as the liaison between the Board, applicants, and the public. This constitutional composition was established in the 1872 Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention to impose checks on the Governor's pardoning power and was last amended in 1997.
For commutation of a life sentence or a death sentence, the Board must vote unanimously to recommend. The Board does not review non-criminal cases, impeachment cases, or juvenile cases. When the Board considers an application, it looks at factors including the nature of the offense, the circumstances of the applicant's life since conviction, the level of demonstrated rehabilitation, and the input from victims and prosecutors.
After a favorable Board recommendation, the application goes to the Governor for final review. The Governor has no set timeline to act and may take additional time beyond the months already invested in the Board process. If granted, the applicant receives a signed charter by mail. If the Board denies the application, the applicant must wait 12 months before reapplying. If denied a second time, the wait increases to 24 months from the date of the last adverse decision. Even if circumstances have changed significantly since the prior denial, the waiting period applies; however, a change in circumstances is the strongest basis for a reconsideration request to the Board.
The expedited review program (2025 update)
Starting in 2025, the Board of Pardons automatically reviews all applications for expedited eligibility; applicants no longer need to request it separately. The expedited process allows for a faster, more streamlined review for applicants who meet certain criteria and can meaningfully reduce wait times during application review and investigation. Even when a case qualifies, the Board retains discretion to process it through the standard route.
Certain firearms offenses disqualify an applicant from expedited review, including possession of a firearm on school property (18 Pa.C.S. § 912), possession of a firearm in a court facility (§ 913), and persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell, or transfer firearms (§ 6105). Applicants with these offenses will still be reviewed, but through the standard process.
The application process step by step
Step one: file the application. Effective January 1, 2026, only the current version of the application will be accepted; earlier versions will be rejected. File at pa.gov/services/bop/apply-for-clemency. The application requires personal details and information about the convictions for which clemency is being sought.
Step two: serve the required parties. After filing, the application and copies must be sent to: the supervising probation and parole office; the district attorney of the county where the crime occurred; the sentencing judge or presiding judge; if the applicant is incarcerated, the Department of Corrections; and victims in the county where the crime occurred. The Board of Pardons also publishes official notice of upcoming clemency hearings in the newspaper of the county where the crime occurred, which alerts the community and gives potential objectors advance notice.
Step three: background investigation. A probation and parole investigator reviews the application and the applicant's background as part of the investigation process. The Board of Parole submits a written report to the Board of Pardons with its findings on the background of the applicant and the facts of the crime. The Board of Parole's role is investigative only; it does not participate in the approval process for clemency beyond submitting this report.
Step four: Board hearing. The Board holds a public hearing. At the hearing, the applicant has 15 minutes to present the case, explain why clemency is sought, present character witnesses, and answer questions from Board members. After the hearing, the Board votes on whether to recommend clemency to the Governor. The 15 minutes is the total presentation time for all speakers combined, so preparing a focused and compelling narrative is essential.
Step five: Governor's decision. If the Board recommends, the application goes to the Governor. The Governor reviews and makes a final decision with no set timeline; the Governor is not required to act within any particular period. If granted, the signed charter is sent by mail and the automatic expungement process begins under the June 2024 law. If the Governor declines to grant, the Board is notified and the applicant is informed. Declining the recommendation is within the Governor's discretion.
Timeline note: applicants should expect to wait a few years from application to decision. There are thousands of pending applications in the Pennsylvania system and the Board continually evaluates ways to speed the process. The expedited review program reduces this timeline for eligible applicants but does not eliminate the wait entirely.
The June 2024 automatic expungement
The most significant recent change to Pennsylvania's pardon system is the automatic expungement provision that took effect on June 11, 2024. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122(a.1), records related to offenses pardoned by the Governor are now automatically expunged without any further action required by the applicant. Future criminal history inquiries will return no records for those pardoned convictions. After the expungement takes effect, the person may answer "no" on job applications, housing applications, and other forms when asked if they have ever been arrested or convicted of the pardoned offense.
This is a substantial change for anyone who receives a pardon in Pennsylvania going forward. Previously, the pardon only made the conviction eligible for expungement, and a separate court petition in the Court of Common Pleas in the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred was still required. That extra step is now eliminated for pardons granted after June 11, 2024. The expungement happens as a result of the pardon itself, without the applicant having to initiate or track a separate court proceeding.
Practical tips
There is no set waiting period before applying, but the Board is more likely to recommend pardons for convictions that occurred a long time ago and where the applicant has a documented history of positive life changes since. Best practice is to wait at least five years after completing all terms and conditions of the sentence, including parole and probation, before applying. All fines and court costs should be fully paid before submitting the application; unpaid obligations are likely to result in a denial. The Board also looks favorably on an extended period of sobriety for those whose conviction involved alcohol or drugs, and on a track record of voluntary community service.
Pardons are rarely recommended for serious violent crimes or sex offenses, though there are no automatic eligibility bars and every application is considered on its individual merits. The hearing before the Board is an opportunity to present not just who the applicant was at the time of the crime but who they have become since. Community supporters, character witnesses, employers, and religious leaders who can speak specifically about the applicant's rehabilitation are valuable at the hearing.
A note on federal convictions
If the conviction is a federal conviction, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons 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. Any federal offenses, even those arising from the same facts as a Pennsylvania state charge, are ineligible for Pennsylvania clemency.
Where this leaves you
Pennsylvania's pardon now carries one of the most complete packages of relief in this series: total forgiveness, restoration of all forfeited rights and privileges, and as of June 2024 automatic expungement of the pardoned conviction without any separate court petition. The combination makes a Pennsylvania pardon genuinely powerful for eligible applicants. The main challenges are the multi-step process, the typical few-year wait time with thousands of pending applications, the requirement of unanimous Board recommendation for life/death commutations, and the two-part gate for pardons: the Board must recommend and the Governor must agree. File the current application version (updated effective January 1, 2026; prior versions rejected) through pa.gov/services/bop/apply-for-clemency. Make sure all fines, court costs, and other financial obligations are fully paid before submitting; unpaid obligations are likely to result in denial. Be prepared to present a compelling case at the public hearing, with character witnesses who can speak to the rehabilitation accomplished since the conviction. The Board evaluates each case on its own merits with no automatic bars, though serious violent offenses and sex offenses face substantially higher hurdles in practice.