Is it worth getting a pardon in Canada for DUI?

Is it worth getting a pardon in Canada for DUI?

• Is it worth getting a pardon in Canada for a DUI?
• That’s what I am going to cover in this article.
• The decision to get a DUI pardon, now called a record suspension, is personal.
• To help you make that decision, let me take you through the facts about your DUI conviction and what it means to get a DUI Pardon in Canada.
• And to be clear, this discussion about DUI Pardons in Canada will cover all DUI charges, including convictions of Over 80, Impaired Driving by Alcohol or Drug and Refusal to Take a Breathalyzer Test.

1/ Your DUI is a criminal record open to the public

• Your DUI conviction is stored in a criminal records database called CPIC, managed by the RCMP.
• Your DUI conviction is open to the public to anyone whom you give permission.
• That happens whenever you agree to a background check, which is now commonplace for employment, volunteer work and travel.  
• The results of your background check will disclose your DUI conviction.

2/ Your DUI is on your record for at least 80 years

• In Canada, when you get convicted of a DUI, your conviction will stay on your record for at least 80 years.
• Practically, your DUI conviction, stored in the criminal records database, is effectively a lifetime conviction.
• In other words, it will always be in the RCMP’s criminal records database and disclosed to anyone who conducts a background check on you.
• The only way to remove your DUI conviction is for you to take action.

3/ DUI Pardon is the only way to clear your DUI

• The only way to remove your DUI conviction from the criminal records database is to get a DUI Pardon or record suspension.
• The Parole Board of Canada is the only government body that can award you a DUI Pardon.
• If you get a DUI Pardon, the Parole Board of Canada will direct the RCMP to remove your DUI criminal record from the criminal records database.
• That means when anyone does a background check, the results will come back clean without any trace of your DUI.

4/ Main reasons to get a DUI Pardon

• The main reasons to get a DUI pardon are to remove obstacles resulting from your DUI conviction.
• These obstacles include barriers to employment, volunteer work and, in some cases, barriers to travel.
• Another key reason to get a DUI pardon is peace of mind.  
• DUI convictions are very common in Canada.
• And most people who got a DUI conviction made a mistake that they regret.
• A DUI Pardon will remove traces of your DUI from the public giving you peace of mind to move ahead in your life.

5/ What to tell people after you get a DUI Pardon

• If you are granted a DUI Pardon from the Parole Board of Canada, you can move ahead in your life without any trace of your DUI.
• So, when someone asks you if you have a criminal record, it is legal for you to say no.
• And, in Canada, no one is legally allowed to ask if you’ve ever had a criminal record for which you got a Pardon.
• So your DUI Pardon will effectively free you from your DUI conviction.