How to Get a Pardon in Canada? 5 Things You Need to Know

How to Get a Pardon in Canada? 5 Things You Need to Know

• How do you get a Pardon in Canada?
• How do you get a Pardon in Ontario?
• Here are 5 things you need to know about how to get a Pardon in Canada.

1/  Apply to the Parole Board of Canada

• To get a Pardon in Canada, you need to apply to the Parole Board of Canada.
• The Parole Board of Canada is the only government body responsible for granting Pardons, now called Record Suspensions.
• And you apply to the Parole Board of Canada regardless of which province or city you live in now.
• And regardless of which province or city you committed the offence for which you want a Pardon.
• Bottom line.  If you want to get a Pardon in Ontario or want to get a Pardon in Canada, you must apply to the Parole Board of Canada.

2/  Make sure you’re eligible before applying 

• The Parole Board of Canada has strict rules that define when you can get your Pardon.
• Generally, the rules state that you must have completed your sentence in full, including paying all fines.  
• And then you need to wait.  
• And during this waiting period, you need to stay out of trouble. 
• This waiting period ranges anywhere from 3 to 5 years for summary offences.  
• These are less serious offences such as a DUI, Assault, or Theft Under.
• And for more serious offences, known as indictable offences, the waiting period may be longer, up to 10 years, depending on when the offence took place.
• If you apply before you are eligible, the Parole Board of Canada will reject your application.

3/  How to apply for a Pardon in Canada

• Go to the Parole Board of Canada website and get the “Record Suspension Application Guide.”
• Getting your Pardon involves three basic steps.
• Step #1 – Get your criminal record from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.  That process starts by getting your fingerprints taken from an accredited fingerprinting service.
• Step #2 – Get court information for each of your convictions.
• And Step #3 – Get your local police record check for each place where you lived in the last 5 years.
• Gather all that documentation.
• Complete the Record Suspension Application Form.
• Pay the $50 processing fee.
• And finally, mail the application to the Parole Board of Canada.

4/  How long does it take to get a Canadian Pardon

• There are 2 important timelines to get your Pardon.
• First is the time the Parole Board of Canada takes to process your Pardon.
• For less serious offences, its within 6 months.
• For more serious offences, its within 12 months.
• If the Parole Board of Canada intends to deny your Pardon, that timeline extends up to 24 months.
• The second important timeline is the time it takes to prepare your Pardon application.
• There are lots of moving parts associated with the document preparation process.  
• That preparation can take anywhere from 3 months to 12 months.
• And we recommend that our law firm clients start document preparation at least 1-year before they are eligible.

5/ You don’t need to hire a Lawyer or Pardon service

• There is no requirement from the Parole Board of Canada to hire a lawyer or a Pardon service to help with your Pardon or Record Suspension application.
• You can complete the Record Suspension application on your own.  
• Pay close attention to the instructions on the Parole Board of Canada’s website