Florida executive clemency is a formal act by the Governor and Cabinet that can restore your civil rights, restore your right to own a firearm, reduce a sentence, or grant a full pardon. You apply by mailing a completed application and certified court records to the Florida Commission on Offender Review in Tallahassee. Whether you need clemency at all, and which form to ask for, depends on what right you are trying to get back.
Do You Actually Need to Apply
Since Amendment 4 took effect in 2019, voting rights are automatically restored for most Floridians who have completed all terms of a felony sentence, including prison or jail, parole, probation, and payment of all fines, fees, costs, and restitution.1Florida Division of Elections. Felon Voting Rights If that describes you, you can register to vote without ever contacting the clemency board.
Two groups are excluded. Anyone convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense is not covered by Amendment 4 and still needs the Board of Executive Clemency to restore voting rights.1Florida Division of Elections. Felon Voting Rights And Amendment 4 only touches voting. Jury service, holding public office, and firearm ownership still require a clemency grant.
The Forms of Clemency
Pick the form that matches the right you actually want back. Each has its own rules and waiting period.
- Restoration of Civil Rights reinstates the right to vote (for those not covered by Amendment 4), serve on a jury, and hold public office in Florida. It does not restore firearm rights.
- Specific Authority to Own, Possess, or Use Firearms is a standalone grant that restores only firearm rights lost to a felony conviction.
- A Full Pardon is an unconditional forgiveness of a Florida conviction. It restores every right of citizenship you held before the conviction, including firearm rights. It is also the hardest form of clemency to obtain.
- Commutation of Sentence reduces the severity of a sentence already being served, such as converting a death sentence to life imprisonment. It does not restore civil rights on its own.
- Remission of Fines and Forfeitures reduces or eliminates the financial penalties attached to a conviction.
Eligibility and Waiting Periods
Two baseline requirements apply to every application. All sentences must be fully completed, including incarceration, probation, parole, community control, and any other supervision. And all financial obligations from every criminal conviction must be paid in full, covering fines, court costs, and victim restitution.
On top of that, each form of clemency carries its own waiting period, measured from the date you finished your sentence and supervision:
- Restoration of Civil Rights without firearm authority: no mandatory waiting period for most applicants. The Board eliminated the previous five- and seven-year waits in March 2021. This streamlined path is not available if you were convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense, or if you are classified as a sexual offender; those applicants face longer waits and additional scrutiny.
- Firearm Authority: a minimum of eight years.
- Full Pardon: a minimum of ten years.
Clearing the waiting period only means the Board will accept your application for review. It does not mean a fast decision.
Who Decides
The Florida Constitution gives clemency power to the Governor, with the agreement of at least two of the three Cabinet members: the Attorney General, the Chief Financial Officer, and the Commissioner of Agriculture.2Justia Law. Florida Constitution Article IV Section 8 – Clemency Together they sit as the Board of Executive Clemency, with the Governor chairing and setting the agenda. Florida Statute 940.01 mirrors that framework.3The 2025 Florida Statutes. Florida Statutes 940.01 – Clemency The Florida Commission on Offender Review (FCOR) handles the paperwork, runs background investigations, and prepares case summaries for the Board.4Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. Florida Commission on Offender Review
How to Apply
Download the application from the FCOR website, along with the clemency information sheet that reflects the current rules.5Florida Commission on Offender Review. Clemency Application Information Commutation of sentence uses a different form, so confirm you have the right one for what you are asking for.
With the completed application, include certified court documents for every conviction on your record. At a minimum:
- A certified copy of the charging document (the indictment or information filed against you).
- A certified copy of the judgment and sentence, including any probation or community control orders.
Certified copies come from the clerk of court in the county where each case was handled. Fees vary by county and typically run a few dollars per page. Mail the complete package to:
The Office of Executive Clemency
Florida Commission on Offender Review
4070 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, FL 32399-24505Florida Commission on Offender Review. Clemency Application Information
There is no online submission. Applications must be mailed.
What Happens After You File
Staff at the Office of Executive Clemency first screens your file to confirm you meet the eligibility rules and waiting period. Applications that fail this screen are returned. Those that pass move to the FCOR’s Office of Clemency Investigations for a confidential investigation.6Florida Commission on Offender Review. Frequently Asked Questions – Clemency
An investigator will typically review your criminal history, post-conviction conduct, employment, and community involvement, and will contact you for a personal interview. The investigator writes a staff summary and recommendation for the Board. Cases with a favorable recommendation may be placed on the Board’s hearing agenda, where you can appear before the Governor and Cabinet in person and present evidence. If the Board grants clemency, the Governor signs an executive order and a certificate is mailed to you.
Victims and their next of kin are notified and have the right to submit written statements, speak with the investigator, and attend and speak at any hearing.7My Florida Legal. Victims Rights in Court and Clemency Proceedings
How Long It Takes
There is no fixed timeline. Some applications take several years from filing to a final decision. Processing depends on the type of clemency, the complexity of your record, the Board’s backlog, and how often the Governor schedules clemency sessions. The single best thing you can do to avoid delay is file a complete, well-documented application with no missing certified copies.
If You Are Denied
A denial is not permanent. The Rules of Executive Clemency allow you to reapply, though you will generally need to wait before doing so. If your application was returned for missing documents or an eligibility problem rather than denied on the merits, you can usually correct the issue and refile without a lengthy wait. If the Board considered your case and voted against it, the wait is longer. New evidence of rehabilitation, community contributions, or changed circumstances strengthens a second application.
Clemency Does Not Clear Your Record
This is the point that surprises the most applicants. Even a full pardon in Florida does not expunge or seal your criminal record. Florida courts have held that a pardon removes the penalties and disabilities of a conviction but does not undo the fact that you were found guilty. Because Florida’s expungement statute is available only to people who were never adjudicated guilty, a pardoned person still does not qualify. The conviction continues to appear on background checks.
Clearing a record from public view is a separate legal process through the courts, with its own limited eligibility. Clemency restores rights. Expungement and sealing control what other people can see. If you need both, you are looking at two different tracks.