People seeking to clear their record of a criminal conviction can now do so online in Pa.

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Pennsylvania recently launched an online application for pardons, becoming one of the first states in the country to digitize the process for people seeking to clear their record of criminal convictions.

Thousands of people apply annually, seeking approval from the five-member Pennsylvania Board of Pardons and the governor to wipe their records of criminal history that can block access to jobs, housing, and certain rights, such as serving on a jury or holding public office.

Previously, people had to fill out the application on paper and mail it to the board alongside relevant documents.

The process was onerous for applicants and pardons board staff, officials said, especially in recent years as advocacy under former Lt. Gov. John Fetterman spurred hundreds more people to apply annually. Even before the influx, pardon candidates could wait years for their application to reach a decision.

A digitization effort began under Fetterman but had stalled out by the time he and former Gov. Tom Wolf left office.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience, renewed efforts to move the application online. The office is an in-house team of technology experts created in 2023 and tasked with making state government more easily accessible online.

The online application is intended to give more people the opportunity to earn a pardon, said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, as well as make processing those applications easier and more efficient for pardons board staff.

“We took the time to update and improve the process from soup to nuts, from adding a Spanish-language form, which is something that we had been hearing, to using AI to help us process handwritten applications, which were previously being retyped by staff members,” Davis told Spotlight PA in an interview.

More than 240 people have applied for a pardon online since the application launched.

Here’s what you need to know about the pardons process and the new online application:

A pardon is forgiveness for a crime, and is provided by the governor. If you earn a pardon for a criminal conviction, the state will automatically expunge it. After receiving a pardon, you can apply for a job, housing, or any other services and deny you were ever convicted of the crime. A pardon also restores rights that may have been lost because of a criminal conviction.

Anyone with a criminal conviction can apply for a pardon. People still serving a prison or parole sentence might have better luck applying for a commutation, which does not wipe their record of the crime but instead shortens their sentence for it.

Commutation applications still must be completed using the paper form.

You can apply for a pardon at the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons website.

The board recommends gathering the documents you need before starting the application, as you cannot save the application after beginning it.

Those documents include all court records associated with the cases, including the:

The board adds: “If the court does not have these documents, they must provide a letter confirming they are unavailable. If you were sentenced by a Magisterial District Judge and your case is older than seven years, you are not required to get a letter.”

Applicants also must include a personal statement that explains why they want a pardon. The board encourages applicants to explain how their life has changed for the better since the crime, and to include any additional documents that can serve as evidence of positive change.

The board also recommends paying outstanding fines and fees associated with your case.

Yes, a paper application is still available for download here.

If you cannot print the paper application at home, you can ask the pardons board to mail you an application.

To request an application, mail a document including your name, address, and contact information to:

Pennsylvania Board of Pardons

555 Walnut Street

Suite 704

Harrisburg, Pa. 17101

The Pennsylvania Board of Pardons is working with the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience to design a way for pardon applicants to receive automatic updates. An exact timeline is not clear, board spokesperson Kirstin Alvanitakis said.

In the meantime, you or a designated representative can request updates from the pardons board by emailing bopclemency@pa.gov or calling 717-787-2596. Board staff will confirm the name and birth date or Social Security number of the applicant, and aim to respond in 24 hours.

The online application is available in 18 languages, including English and Spanish. The printable application is available in just two: English and Spanish.

The printable PDF application includes more information about the pardons process, and which type of clemency might be appropriate. You can access that at pa.gov/services/bop/apply-for-clemency.

The Pennsylvania Pardon Project, a nonprofit based in Philadelphia, created a tip sheet and video guide on using the digital application. You can access those resources on the project’s website, pardonmepa.org.

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