Certificate of Relief from Disabilities

To apply for a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities:

The procedure you must follow depends on where you were sentenced and what kind of sentence you received:

• If you were convicted of a misdemeanor or if you were convicted of a felony but served no time in state prison: You must apply for your Certificate(s) of Relief to the court in which you were convicted.  The court can issue the Certificate any time after you are sentenced.

How to apply to a court: Contact the clerk of the court to learn what steps are required to get a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities.  Every court sets up its own procedure.  You might have to meet with a probation officer who will evaluate your rehabilitation.

If you were convicted of a felony and served time in a state prison: You must apply to the New York State Board of Parole for a Certificate of Relief for that case. (Use the address below) 
If you are on parole, you should make the request for the Certificate to your parole officer.

If you were convicted of a federal or out-of-state misdemeanor or felony: You also apply to the New York State Board of Parole to get a Certificate of Relief for that conviction. (Use the address below)

To apply to the Board of Parole for a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities: Request the application (or applications, if you need more than one) by mailing a request to:

Certificate Review Unit
New York State Division of Parole
845 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206
(518) 485-8953

Complete the form, have it notarized, and then return it to the Certificate Review Unit.  If you have worked in the last three years, you will have to provide proof that you have paid income taxes.  The Certificate Review Unit will then assign your application to a local parole officer, who will conduct an investigation of your character or rehabilitation.  After the investigation, the parole officer will send an evaluation to the Parole Board.

The Board will make the final decision about your Certificate application and will notify you by mail.?The entire process should take 6 months to one year.  If your conviction record is long, you should at least try to get Certificates for your most recent and most serious convictions.