An Arkansas governor’s pardon is a formal act of forgiveness for a state criminal conviction, granted by the Governor after the Post-Prison Transfer Board investigates your application and sends a non-binding recommendation. The Governor has sole discretion to grant or deny, and any grant must be filed with the Secretary of State at least 30 days before it takes effect.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 16-93-207 – Applications for Pardon
Who Can Apply
You must have finished your sentence in full before the Board will accept an application. That means any prison time, parole, probation, and supervised release has to be complete, and every court-ordered fine, fee, and restitution amount has to be paid.2Cornell University Law School. 004.06.24 Ark. Code R. 001 – Executive Clemency
Pending charges or outstanding warrants will stop the process. The Board screens applications before forwarding anything, and unresolved legal matters disqualify you at the door.
How to File the Application
The Executive Clemency Application is available through the Arkansas Department of Corrections.3Arkansas Department of Corrections. Executive Clemency It asks about your personal history, the offense, and what you have done since the conviction. First-time applicants must attach certified copies of:
- The Judgment and Commitment Order from the Circuit or District Clerk where you were sentenced.
- The Felony Information or probable cause affidavit from your case.
- The arresting agency’s narrative incident report.
- At least three letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your character and rehabilitation.
The full packet has to be notarized and signed under oath, then sent to the Institutional Release Services office in Pine Bluff. The clemency coordinator can be reached at (870) 543-1029 with questions.3Arkansas Department of Corrections. Executive Clemency Certified court copies cost money, so budget for them; photocopies will not be accepted.
What Happens After You File
Once the Post-Prison Transfer Board accepts the application, it opens a background investigation. By statute, the Board contacts the sentencing court, the prosecuting attorney, and the sheriff of the county where you were committed, and asks each for a recommendation on whether clemency should be granted.4Justia Law. Arkansas Code 16-93-204 – Executive Clemency Those responses inform the Board but do not bind it.
If the Board intends to send a favorable recommendation to the Governor, it must first issue a public notice at least 30 days in advance so victims, law enforcement, and members of the public can weigh in.4Justia Law. Arkansas Code 16-93-204 – Executive Clemency After that, the Board votes and forwards its recommendation along with the investigative file. There is no appeal from the Board’s recommendation.2Cornell University Law School. 004.06.24 Ark. Code R. 001 – Executive Clemency
The Governor can accept or reject the recommendation. A decision to grant clemency triggers a second public notice period: the Governor must file the notice of intent with the Secretary of State at least 30 days before the grant becomes final.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 16-93-207 – Applications for Pardon Grants are typically posted on the Department of Corrections’ Executive Clemency page. The Governor’s decision is not appealable, no explanation is required for a denial, and no court can force the Governor to act on a pending application.2Cornell University Law School. 004.06.24 Ark. Code R. 001 – Executive Clemency
What a Pardon Restores
A pardon formally forgives the offense and restores civil rights the felony conviction stripped away, including the right to vote and to serve on a jury. In Arkansas, a person with a single felony conviction can already regain voting rights by completing their sentence, paying all court costs and fines, and registering through the county clerk. The pardon goes further because the forgiveness itself matters for employment background checks, professional licensing, and other situations where the record creates a barrier.
Firearm Rights
A pardon does not automatically give back the right to possess a firearm. The Governor has to explicitly restore firearm rights inside the pardon order. If the order is silent on firearms, possessing a gun after a felony conviction is still a crime.5Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-73-103 – Possession of Firearms by Certain Persons
A separate route exists that does not require a full pardon. The Governor can restore firearm rights on the recommendation of the chief law enforcement officer in your county of residence if the underlying felony did not involve a weapon and the conviction is more than eight years old.5Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-73-103 – Possession of Firearms by Certain Persons
Federal law adds another layer. A pardoned conviction is generally not treated as a disqualifying conviction for federal firearm purposes, but if the pardon expressly says you may not possess firearms, the federal prohibition remains.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 921 – Definitions An Arkansas pardon that restores firearm rights should clear the federal hurdle. A pardon that says nothing about firearms leaves the federal bar in place.
What a Pardon Cannot Do
An Arkansas pardon reaches only the state conviction it names. It does nothing for a federal conviction, which requires a separate presidential pardon through a different process. A person with both state and federal records has to pursue clemency in each system on its own.
Immigration is a common trap. A state governor’s pardon does not remove visa ineligibility based on crimes involving moral turpitude under federal immigration law. Only a presidential pardon can do that, and a non-citizen with a pardoned state conviction may still face removal proceedings or visa denials tied to the underlying conduct.7U.S. Department of State. Ineligibility Based on Criminal Activity Talk to an immigration attorney before assuming a state pardon solves the problem.
International travel can still be affected. Countries such as Canada assess criminal inadmissibility based on the conviction itself, and a U.S. state pardon does not automatically meet their rehabilitation requirements. A separate application to the destination country may be necessary.
Reapplying After a Denial
How the Governor denies the application controls when you can try again. A written denial locks you out for five years on the same offense. A denial by inaction, where the Governor simply does not act, lets you reapply immediately for the same offense.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 16-93-207 – Applications for Pardon
That distinction is worth watching. If your application has real weaknesses, withdrawing and rebuilding it is often better than sitting with a written denial that starts a five-year clock.