You were arrested, went to court and were convicted of a crime. In Canada you are eligible to apply for a Pardon. If you were not convicted, you do not qualify for a Pardon but still have a criminal record. You must apply for your record to be purged.
Depending on the nature of your offense you must wait 3-5 years until after the completion of all conditions of your sentence. Conditions of your sentence may include all payment of fines, surcharges, restitutions and completion of parole and/or probation.
If you are eligible to apply for a Pardon and have all supporting documents and have been ‘of good conduct’ the National Parole Board will grant you a Pardon.
| Type | Wait Time | Examples of Convictions |
| Summary Offences | 3 Years |
DUI, Assault, Theft, Simple Possession etc |
| Indictable Offences | 5 Years | Assault with weapon, Fraud over $5000, Trafficking etc |
| Sexual Summary Offences | 5 Years | Sexual Assault, Indecent Act etc |
| Sexual Indictable Offences | 10 Years | Sexual Assault, Indecent Act etc |
| Personal Injury Offences which resulted in 2+ years of incarceration | 10 Years | Aggravated Assault, Assault Causing Bodily Harm, Attempted Murder, Forcible Confinement etc |
If you are unsure of your eligibility date, you can use our simple eligibility calculator to find the answer.
Summary and Indictable Offences
Ingeneral, summary offences are less serious and indictable offences aremore serious. Many offences can be prosecuted as either a summaryoffence or an indictable offence — the Crown prosecutor makes this choice.
On your behalf, we will contact the court where you were convicted to find out whether the offence was summary or indictable.
Not Eligible Yet? Don’t Worry
If you believe you are not eligible to apply for a pardon it is still highly recommended to initiate the process with us, so we can start collecting the proper documentation which could take many months. Most documents required for the pardon do not expire. There fore once you are eligible, your Pardon application is prepared, packaged and petitioned to the National Parole Board on your behalf.
If you are unsure of your eligibility date, starting the process with us will determine the exact eligibility date and we will also start acquiring all documentation required for a Pardon. Don’t wait, apply today.