Legal Aid Society of New York

Certificate of Relief from Disabilities and Certificate of Good Conduct

When you apply for a job or a license and you have a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities or a Certificate or Good Conduct, an employer or licensing agency must consider it as evidence that you are rehabilitated. This means that your conviction should not result in your being rejected for employment or refused a license unless there is other evidence that you are not qualified. However, the law still permits an employer or licensing agency to refuse to hire or license you if your convictions are job-related. When you have a Certificate, you still must list your convictions on job applications that ask for them.

• You should apply for one type of certificate. Your criminal record will determine which one you may apply for. The two certificates usually restore the same rights.
• You can apply for a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities if you have been convicted of one or zero felonies (the number of misdemeanors does not matter). When counting your felony convictions, you must include all federal, New York, and out-of-state charges. You do not count cases in which you were tried as a juvenile delinquent or youthful offender.
• Click here to find out how to apply for a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities
• You can apply for a Certificate of Good Conduct if you were convicted of two or more felonies (the number of misdemeanors does not matter). You only need to apply for one Certificate of Good Conduct, which will cover all your felony and misdemeanor convictions. But, you must wait a certain amount of time: If your most serious conviction was for a "C," "D," or "E" felony, you must wait at least 3 years from the date of your last conviction, payment of fine, or release from prison. If your most serious conviction was for an "A" or "B" felony, you will have to wait at least 5 years from your last conviction, payment of fine, or release from prison.
• Click here to find out how to apply for a Certificate of Good Conduct

Click here for more detailed information