Canadian Pardon Information

The first thing you will want to know about a Canadian pardon is that once your pardon is granted you will never be required to reveal, to anyone, that you ever had a criminal record. A pardon, granted by the federal government of Canada seals your entire criminal record. All charges and all convictions will be removed and kept separate from active criminal files stored in the RCMP database (CPIC). No one can ever access this file without prior written permission of the Solicitor General of Canada.

Eligibility

Eligibility for a pardon begins after all court demands have been met. This means that all fines have been paid, jail time (if any) has been served, community service performed, etc. Court outcomes can vary to a wide degree so it is difficult to know exactly when the probationary period is complete. This is something we can help with. However, regardless of the details of a criminal court record, once the demands have been met a waiting period of 3 years or 5 years is required before you may be eligible for a pardon.

What to do?

A 3 year waiting period is required for summary offences while a 5 year waiting period must be met for indictable offences. If you are not yet eligible for a pardon it is still worth your time to begin the application for pardon process.

The application for a pardon requires correspondence with the RCMP, the courts and the police. It can be a lengthy process. The sooner the application is finished the sooner the pardon can be granted. Alternatively, if you start the application only after your waiting period is complete it will take another year and a half (minimum) after that date to be granted a pardon. By starting the pardon application immediately, the package will be ready the day your eligibility begins and you will have saved yourself valuable time and money.

Typical Results

The benefits of obtaining a pardon cannot be denied. For most people the peace of mind which comes with knowing a personal criminal record has been removed is enough reward. However, the benefits extend into other areas of life as well. The most notable of these are the removal of restrictions on employment and the ability to freely travel to the United States.

With the granting of a Canadian pardon from the National Parole Board of Canada you will never again have to disclose that you were ever convicted of a crime.

If you or someone you know is suffering from the effects of a criminal record contact the National Pardon Centre.