Crime & Traffic

Executive clemency is when the Governor of Illinois forgives or reduces the consequences of a past conviction. When someone is declared guilty of a crime by a court The governor can grant:

• Commutation of sentence: reduces a prison sentence
• Pardon: forgives a conviction
• Expungement: gives you permission to ask the court to remove the conviction from your criminal record
• Pardon and expungement, without firearm privileges: forgives the conviction and gives you permission to file for expungement, but does not restore the ability to apply for a gun license
• Pardon and expungement, with firearm privileges: forgives the conviction, gives you permission to file for expungement, and restores the ability to apply for a gun license, which may or may not be granted

In Illinois, only the governor can decide whether to grant or deny To refuse or say no a clemency request. Clemency is handled through an administrative process. The Prisoner Review Board (PRB) receives clemency petitions, reviews them, holds hearings, and then gives the governor a recommendation. The PRB’s recommendation matters, but the governor does not have to follow it. Learn how to apply for executive clemency. 

Important: A pardon forgives the conviction but does not automatically erase it. To remove the record, the person must also file for expungement in court. Without this step, the conviction will still appear on a criminal history.

This information only applies to clemency for state crimes in Illinois. For information on clemency for federal crimes, visit the US Pardon Attorney's website. For information on how clemency works in other states, visit that state’s government website. 

Find answers to common questions about executive clemency here or by selecting a question below.