If you or someone you love has a conviction in Kentucky and is looking for relief, this guide is written for you. Kentucky's pardon system places all power directly in the Governor's hands, without any mandatory board review, and the process is entirely written with no hearings. That directness cuts both ways: there is no multi-step bureaucratic process to navigate, but there is also no structured checkpoint before a Governor can act, which has made Kentucky clemency politically controversial in recent years. Understanding what a full pardon does, how it differs from a partial pardon or a civil rights restoration, and where firearms restoration fits is essential before you apply, because the distinctions carry real legal consequences that can catch people off guard. I have been through the system myself, and most of the fear comes from not knowing how the process works. So let me walk you through it in plain language. None of this is legal advice, and every case is different, so treat this as a map and lean on a lawyer for the turns.
What Kentucky offers: the forms of clemency
The Governor of Kentucky holds the sole power to grant pardons and commutations under Section 77 of the Kentucky Constitution. No board review is required before the Governor can act, and no other official can grant or deny clemency in Kentucky. The Governor may ask the Kentucky Parole Board to investigate and make recommendations on pardon cases, but the Board is not required to review applications and the Governor is not bound by any recommendation it provides.
A full pardon formally forgives the conviction and restores most civil rights, including the right to vote, the right to run for and hold public office, the right to serve on a jury, and the right to possess a firearm. A commutation of sentence reduces or modifies an active prison term without forgiving the underlying conviction. A partial pardon in Kentucky restores only specified rights, typically the right to vote and hold public office, but does not restore firearms rights. A restoration of civil rights is a separate executive action that restores voting and office-holding rights for eligible individuals, but it is not a pardon, does not restore jury service, and does not restore the right to possess a firearm under any circumstances.
Kentucky requires the Governor to file with the legislature a statement of reasons with each full pardon grant, and that application and statement must be open to public inspection.
Voting rights and Executive Order 2019-003
On December 12, 2019, Governor Andy Beshear signed Executive Order 2019-003, automatically restoring the right to vote and to hold public office to people who had completed their sentence for most nonviolent, nonsexual, and non-treasonous felony convictions. This was a significant shift: before the order, Kentucky was one of only two states in the country that permanently barred people with past felony convictions from voting without individual executive action.
The executive order applies to eligible Kentucky convictions and automatically restores rights upon completion of the full sentence, including probation and parole. When eligible individuals are released from custody or supervision, the Department of Corrections provides a Notice of Restoration with their release documents confirming their voting rights are restored.
However, the executive order does not apply to everyone. People convicted of violent crimes, sex offenses, certain election-related crimes, or treason must still apply individually to the Governor for restoration. The executive order also does not apply to federal convictions or convictions from other jurisdictions. And critically, the executive order does not restore firearms rights under any circumstances. Anyone seeking firearms restoration must pursue a full pardon.
There is also a political reality worth noting: Kentucky's executive order has been reversed before. Governor Steve Beshear issued a similar order in the last days of his 2015 term, and his Republican successor Governor Bevin revoked it within two weeks, affecting the rights of people who had not yet registered to vote under the new policy. The current order from Governor Andy Beshear is subject to the same risk if future administrations change course. Kentucky voters are deciding in November 2026 on a constitutional amendment (2026 Amendment 1) that would write voting rights restoration into the state constitution and permanently protect it against executive reversal. Until that amendment is decided, the executive order remains the operative mechanism and carries the political uncertainty that comes with any executive action that depends on who holds the Governor's office.
Jury service is not covered by the executive order. The right to serve on a jury requires either a full pardon or direct restoration of that right by the Governor.
Who is eligible for a pardon in Kentucky
There are no statutory eligibility requirements or mandatory waiting periods for a pardon in Kentucky. The Governor has sole and complete discretion. Anyone convicted of a crime in Kentucky may apply. The factors the Governor evaluates include the applicant's candor throughout the process, the seriousness of the offense, the applicant's acceptance of responsibility, and the applicant's post-conviction conduct.
Only Kentucky state convictions can be pardoned by the Kentucky Governor. Federal convictions require a Presidential Pardon through the Office of the Pardon Attorney.
The application process step by step
Step one: request the official application. An official clemency application must be requested directly from the Governor's Office of the General Counsel. Do not submit an application on any other form. Contact the Governor's office by mail or phone: Office of the Governor, Office of the General Counsel, 501 High Street, 2nd Floor, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, telephone (502) 564-2611. The application covers both pardons and commutations; you select which you are requesting.
Step two: prepare the supporting materials. The application must be accompanied by a minimum of three letters of recommendation, which may come from any source including neighbors, employers, co-workers, clergy and church members, elected officials, judges, prosecutors, and family members. A separate letter describing your reasons for seeking the pardon and the extenuating circumstances supporting the request must also be provided. The letters of recommendation and the personal statement are the primary way the Governor evaluates your case, since there is no hearing. Choose your letter writers carefully: letters from people who know you personally and can speak specifically to how you have changed carry more weight than generic character endorsements. The personal letter should be candid, accept responsibility for the offense, and speak directly to what you have done with your life since the conviction. If you previously submitted an application to a prior Governor's administration, the current office encourages you to resubmit with updated information.
Step three: submit to the Governor's Office. There are no hearings in Kentucky's clemency process. The entire review is written. The Governor's Deputy Counsel reviews all applications and then forwards them to the Governor for final decision. The Governor makes the decision based on the written materials.
Step four: the Governor's decision. The Governor decides in complete discretion. If a full pardon is granted, the Governor must file a statement of the reasons with each application with the legislature, and both the application and the statement of reasons must be available to the public.
What a pardon does and does not do in Kentucky
A full pardon in Kentucky restores voting rights, the right to run for and hold public office, the right to serve on a jury, and the right to possess a firearm. It is the only form of executive clemency in Kentucky that restores firearms rights.
A partial pardon restores only the rights specified in its terms. Courts have held that a partial pardon granted to restore the right to vote and hold office did not restore all civil rights and in particular did not restore firearms rights.
A restoration of civil rights under Executive Order 2019-003 or through direct application to the Governor restores voting and office-holding rights only. It does not restore jury service or firearms rights.
A pardon does not expunge or remove the conviction from your record. The conviction remains part of your criminal history, and employers can still see it on a background check. A pardon does not allow you to truthfully answer "no" to a question asking whether you have ever been convicted of a crime. What a pardon does do is make you eligible to apply for expungement under Kentucky's expungement statute for certain conviction types, which means that for people whose convictions qualify, the pardon is the first step toward actually clearing the record rather than the final destination.
Kentucky law allows expungement of certain Class D felony convictions after sentence completion, with a specific list of qualifying statutes. Under KRS 431.073, eligible offenses include a wide range of Class D felonies, and a person who was granted a full pardon also becomes eligible to petition for expungement. An expungement actually removes the conviction from the public record, which a pardon alone does not accomplish. If expungement is the ultimate goal, the pardon can serve as the gateway to that relief for convictions that might not otherwise qualify.
A note on firearms in Kentucky
A felony conviction in Kentucky creates a lifetime state firearms ban for convictions after July 15, 1994, under KRS Section 527.040, and a handgun-specific ban for convictions after January 1, 1975. The only way to lift this state restriction is through a full pardon. A partial pardon does not restore firearms, and a restoration of civil rights under the executive order or any other mechanism does not restore firearms. If a pardon is received but it is a partial pardon rather than a full pardon, the firearms ban remains. This distinction matters and should be confirmed in the pardon document itself before attempting to purchase or possess a firearm. Federal firearms laws under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g) also operate separately and may impose additional restrictions depending on the conviction type. Consult an attorney familiar with both state and federal firearms law before relying on a pardon as restoration of the right to possess a gun.
A note on federal convictions
If the conviction is a federal conviction rather than a Kentucky state conviction, the Governor of Kentucky cannot help you. Federal clemency is granted by the President of the United States, and applications go through the Office of the Pardon Attorney within the United States Department of Justice. The federal and state processes are entirely separate.
Where this leaves you
Kentucky's clemency system is direct and concentrated. Everything runs through the Governor, without mandatory review stages, public hearings, or any intermediate checkpoint. That means the quality of the written application, the strength of the letters of recommendation, and the personal letter explaining your circumstances and accepting responsibility for the offense are the entirety of what the Governor sees. Make them count. If your primary need is voting rights restoration and your conviction qualifies under Executive Order 2019-003, you may already have those rights and should check with the Department of Corrections. If you need firearms rights restored, a full pardon is the only path. And if your ultimate goal is clearing the record rather than just restoring rights, pursue the full pardon as the first step toward expungement under KRS 431.073 if your conviction type qualifies. Kentucky's expungement law for Class D felonies is one of the meaningful post-conviction options available, and a full pardon expands who can access it.