I just paid my fine. Does that affect my eligibility?
Your eligibility may be affected. We will have to obtain court documents to confirm your eligibility.
Why does not paying fines affect my eligibility?
The fine is a part of the sentence. The sentence must be completed to become eligible for the Pardon/Record Suspension. Please note that outstanding traffic, civil or family court fines will affect your eligibility.
What is my eligibility?
Once we have received your RCMP report and have gathered all the necessary court documents we will be able to confirm your eligibility for a Pardon/Record Suspension.
For more information pertaining to your specific eligibility, please click here.
Why so long? Can I speed up the process?
It takes time for the RCMP, courts, local police, PBC and other government agencies to process the necessary documents for your application. If we find that these agencies are taking longer than expected, we have a complex tracking system to follow up with requested documents.
How long does the process take?
Depending on how quickly we receive requested documents from the RCMP, courts, local police and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC), the process to prepare your file takes approx. 10-24 months. Please remember that your file can only be submitted to the PBC once you have reached your statutory eligibility date.
Once a Pardon is granted, who can see that a criminal record existed?
All information pertaining to convictions will be taken out of the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) and may not be disclosed without permission from the Minister of Public Safety Canada. This applies only to records kept within federal departments and agencies. However, many of the provincial and municipal law enforcement agencies cooperate by restricting access…
Does a Pardon remove my prohibitions/firearms bans/sex registry?
No, these are not part of the Pardon. If you want to remove the above you must contact either your local police, probation officer, courts, etc to ask how to do this once your Pardon is granted.
The Parole Board sent a letter stating they want to revoke my Pardon. What do I do?
Fax or email to Pardons Canada a copy of the letter you received. We will review the letter and your file and contact you to go over the next step.
Am I able to challenge a denial?
If the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) proposes to deny your Pardon they will do so in writing and give you 60 days to provide written representation addressing the proposal (Pardons Canada will assist you in this process). The PBC will take your representation into account and the board will make a decision based on…
The Parole Board sent a letter stating they are proposing to deny my Pardon. What do I do?
Contact Pardons Canada as soon as you receive the letter. Fax or email a copy of the letter you received. We will review the letter and your file and contact you to go over the next step.
What are the chances my Pardon will be denied?
The Parole Board of Canada (PBC) requires you to be of good conduct in addition to being eligible for the pardon according to the law governing eligibility requirements. Good conduct can consist of many different things and includes, but is not limited to: the absence of highway traffic fines, fine in arrears for child support…
When will my Pardon / Record Suspension be granted?
Approximate timelines are outlined on the back of your payment receipt. Please be aware that files have several stages of processing and a number of documents that need to be gathered from different government agencies. Pardons Canada has complex monitoring systems for tracking expected documents to ensure the processing runs efficiently. Once your application is…
What is the status of my file?
If your file is within the timelines indicated on the back of your invoice and you have not heard from us, then your file is progressing well. You will only hear from us if we need further information from you or when your Pardon has been granted.
