How do you get a DUI Pardon in Ontario? Here are 5 things you need to know about getting a DUI Pardon in Ontario.
1/ DUI Pardon Ontario same as DUI Pardon in Canada
- DUI Pardon laws are federal.
- That means a DUI Pardon in Ontario is the same as a DUI Pardon in Canada.
- It does not matter where you live now or where your DUI conviction occurred; the DUI Pardon laws apply the same to all provinces.
2/ When can you apply for a DUI pardon in Ontario
- There are strict DUI Pardon eligibility rules that you need to follow.
- Generally, you need to wait a period of time after you complete your sentence in full.
- That time period can be 3, 5 or 10 years, depending on when you committed your DUI and how the crown handled your DUI case.
- During this time, you need to be a law-abiding citizen. In other words, you must not have been in any legal trouble.
- Finally, you cannot apply before you are eligible, so check eligibility rules because they are strictly enforced.
3/ DUI Pardon in Ontario covers all DUI convictions
- DUI convictions in Ontario and in Canada are covered in the Criminal Code of Canada.
- These DUI charges are defined as Impaired Driving, Over 80, and Refusal to Take a Breathalyzer Test.
- When you get a DUI Pardon in Ontario, your DUI conviction will be removed from the criminal records database.
- That means your background check will come back clean, removing roadblocks to employment, volunteer work and travel.
4/ How long does it take to get a Canadian Pardon
- It takes anywhere from 1 to 2 years to get a DUI Pardon in Ontario.
- There are two parts to the timeline.
- First is the application preparation.
- This includes getting fingerprints, court information for your convictions and local police record checks.
- This can take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year.
- The second part is how long it takes for the Parole Board of Canada to process your DUI Pardon.
- Serious DUI convictions, which means the court handled your DUI as an indictable offence, take up to 1 year to process.
- Less serious DUI convictions, known as summary offences, take up to 6 months to process.
5/ How much does a Canadian Pardon cost
- The Parole Board of Canada charges a one-time, $50 fee to apply for a DUI Pardon.
- However, there are additional costs that you need to pay.
- You need to pay for fingerprinting, which is required to get your criminal record from the RCMP.
- You need to pay for a local police record check.
- A local police record check is required for every place that you have lived in the past 5 years.
- And finally, you may incur some costs to get your court information records.
What is the process for getting a DUI Pardon in Ontario?
DUI Pardon laws in Canada are federal, meaning the process is the same across all provinces. To be eligible for a DUI Pardon, you must have completed your sentence in full, waited the appropriate time (3, 5 or 10 years, depending on the circumstances of your conviction), and be a law-abiding citizen. The application process includes preparing the necessary documents, such as fingerprints, court information, and local police record checks, which can take up to 1 year. The Parole Board of Canada will process your application, which can take an additional 6 months to 1 year.
What are the costs associated with getting a DUI Pardon in Ontario?
The Parole Board of Canada charges a one-time fee of $50 to apply for a DUI Pardon. However, there are additional costs to consider, such as the fee for fingerprinting, local police record checks and obtaining court information records. These additional costs can vary and should be considered when budgeting for your DUI Pardon application.
