If you or someone you love has a conviction in Washington State and is looking for a pardon, this guide is written for you. Washington's pardon process requires petitions to first go through the Clemency and Pardons Board, which holds a public hearing and makes a recommendation to the Governor. Clemency is granted in the rarest and most extraordinary cases in Washington; the standard is high, the process is thorough, and victim input is formally built into the hearing. The Governor has independent authority to act but will generally not consider a request unless it has first been submitted to and heard by the Board. 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.
Who decides: the Governor and the Clemency and Pardons Board
Pardon authority is vested exclusively in the Governor under Article III, Section 9 of the Washington Constitution, "under such regulations and restrictions as may be prescribed by law." The Washington State Legislature established the Clemency and Pardons Board in 1981 specifically to assist the Governor in gathering the facts necessary for the wise exercise of this power. Recognizing the severe impact of crime on victims, the legislature designed the process to ensure that victims and survivors have a meaningful role in the clemency process. The Governor is required by law to submit all applications for pardon to the Board, which must hold a hearing (RCW 9.94A.885). However, the Governor is not required to follow the Board's recommendation; the final decision rests with the Governor.
The Board was expanded from five to ten members in 2025 by HB 1131. Members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate; they serve five-year terms (also extended from four to five years by HB 1131). The Board elects its own chair from among its members. Staffing and administrative support are provided through the Office of the Attorney General. Board contact: Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board, Office of the Attorney General, P.O. Box 40116, Olympia, WA 98504; telephone (360) 586-1445 or (360) 586-5147; email CPBoard@atg.wa.gov.
The Governor is also required by the Washington Constitution (Art. III § 11) to report to the legislature every session on each case of reprieve, commutation, or pardon granted and the reasons for granting it. This constitutional reporting requirement means that all clemency grants in Washington become a matter of legislative and public record, with reasons provided, creating a degree of accountability and transparency that many other states in this series do not require.
The extraordinary circumstances standard
Washington law explicitly limits clemency to "extraordinary cases." Clemency is not available as a routine matter; it is reserved for cases where the circumstances are genuinely exceptional and warrant the exercise of the Governor's discretionary pardon power. Washington law does not define "extraordinary" circumstances, and there is no fixed statutory list of factors the Board considers. Instead, the Board has broad discretion, and petitioners should submit all relevant information and supporting documentation for any factors they believe demonstrate extraordinary circumstances in their case. This might include evidence of significant rehabilitation, evidence of disproportionate sentencing, innocence, humanitarian concerns, or other factors that make the case exceptional.
Before seeking clemency, a person must exhaust all available judicial remedies. The Governor will not consider a request unless the petition has been submitted to and heard by the Board, absent unique or emergency circumstances. Documentary evidence demonstrating that all other remedies have been exhausted should be included with the petition. If any judicial remedy remains available and has not been pursued, the petition is unlikely to advance, and documentary evidence of exhaustion of remedies should accompany the petition.
Eligibility and expectations
There are no formal statutory waiting periods for filing a clemency petition in Washington; there is no minimum time that must pass before a petition can be filed. However, the Board has established expectations that apply to petitioners.
For incarcerated petitioners, the Board expects that the petitioner has not committed any serious infractions for at least three years before the submission of the petition, and has not committed any serious infractions through the date of the clemency hearing. A record of serious infractions during this period will be a significant and likely disqualifying obstacle at the hearing. The three-year infraction-free period is a baseline expectation, not a ceiling.
The Governor may grant a pardon with or without restoring civil rights. The Governor may also grant restoration of rights without a pardon when a sentence has expired or is about to expire; this alternative also has the effect of discharging unpaid portions of court-ordered fines.
The Governor may place conditions on any pardon or commutation granted. Examples of conditions include maintaining a conviction-free record for a specified period following the clemency grant. Failure to comply with any conditions may be grounds to revoke the clemency.
Applicants are explicitly eligible regardless of immigration status under RCW 9.94A.885(5). Non-citizens facing immigration consequences from a Washington conviction may petition for clemency specifically to address those consequences, and the explicit eligibility provision ensures immigration status is not a barrier to filing.
The application process step by step
Step one: petition submission. Individuals, organizations, and the Department of Corrections may file petitions with the Board. The petition application and instructions are available on the Governor's website at governor.wa.gov, with the November 2025 update being the current version of the instructions. The petition must include a copy of the judgment and sentence for each conviction for which relief is sought; if this is not provided, the petition will be deemed incomplete and not processed. All other judicial remedies must be exhausted before submitting, and documentary evidence of that exhaustion should be included with the petition.
Step two: Preliminary Review Committee. After receipt, the Board's Preliminary Review Committee, composed of Board members on a rotational basis, considers whether the petition demonstrates the existence of extraordinary circumstances and warrants a full hearing before the full Board. On the affirmative vote of just one member of the Preliminary Review Committee, the petition will be scheduled for a full Board hearing. This is a relatively accessible threshold for proceeding to the full hearing, and most petitions that are properly submitted, complete, and appear to present some basis for extraordinary circumstances will have an opportunity to be heard. The Preliminary Review Committee stage does not prevent any petition from eventually reaching a hearing; it is an initial screening for cases that clearly lack extraordinary circumstances.
Step three: public hearing. The Board holds regular quarterly meetings and can call special meetings as needed. At the hearing, the Board hears from those in support of the petition first, then those in opposition. Victims have the right under RCW 7.69.032(2)(b) to present a statement to the Board in person, via audio or video, or in writing. Others who may attend include the petitioner's family, friends, attorneys, members of the media, and any interested party. It is the petitioner's responsibility to ensure that any references or supporters are informed of the specific nature of the conviction and the specific request for clemency, so that they can speak to the circumstances accurately at the hearing. The petitioner may attend and speak, and may be represented by an attorney, though attorney representation is not appointed for indigent petitioners; they must arrange representation themselves.
Step four: Board recommendation. Following the hearing, the Board deliberates and makes a written recommendation to the Governor. The recommendation summarizes the Board's findings and advises the Governor on whether clemency should be granted. The Governor is not bound by this recommendation and may grant or deny regardless of what the Board advises. The Board's recommendation is one important input; the final decision is entirely the Governor's.
Step five: Governor's decision. The Governor reviews the petition and the Board's recommendation and decides independently. The Governor can grant full pardons, commutations, reprieves, or conditional grants with attached requirements. The Governor is not bound by the Board's recommendation either way; the Governor may grant what the Board did not recommend or deny what the Board recommended. If clemency is granted, the Governor may attach conditions, and the Governor's office informs the relevant state agencies including the WSP of the grant.
What a pardon does in Washington State
When a pardon is granted, the Governor's office sends a copy to the Washington State Patrol (WSP), which maintains certain criminal history records and requests that the WSP remove the conviction from the criminal history available to the public (RCW 9.94A.030(11)). The conviction will no longer appear on the public criminal history database. However, the conviction remains on a separate non-public criminal history available to law enforcement and others authorized to access non-conviction data under RCW 10.97; the WSP notes the fact that a pardon was granted on this non-public record. A pardon does not automatically remove the conviction from the court's own files.
A pardon does not grant legal authority to state on a job application that one has never been convicted. Washington law and practice do not extend that effect. The pardoned person may, however, indicate on applications that they have received a Governor's pardon, which is a meaningful disclosure that demonstrates official forgiveness. Background checks that access court records rather than only the public WSP database may still return the conviction, so it is worth understanding exactly what type of background check an employer or licensing body uses before assuming the pardon will resolve the issue entirely.
The Governor may grant a pardon without restoring civil rights, or may restore rights without a full pardon. The Governor may also restore rights separately when a sentence has expired or is about to expire, which also has the effect of discharging unpaid portions of court-ordered fines.
The Seattle Clemency Project, a private nonprofit organization, provides pro bono representation in limited clemency cases focused on people serving life or very long sentences and noncitizens seeking post-conviction relief to alleviate harsh immigration consequences of a conviction.
A note on federal convictions
The Governor's clemency power in Washington State only applies to crimes committed under Washington State law. Federal convictions and convictions from other states are not covered by the Washington Governor's authority. 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. If there are both Washington state convictions and federal convictions arising from the same situation, the Governor can only act on the state portion.
Where this leaves you
Washington's clemency process starts with exhausting all judicial remedies, then filing a petition with the Clemency and Pardons Board that includes the judgment and sentence for each conviction sought. The standard is extraordinary circumstances; the Board holds a public hearing with victim input and submits a recommendation; the Governor makes the final decision without being bound by that recommendation. The petition and current instructions are available on the Governor's website at governor.wa.gov, or contact the Board directly at (360) 586-1445 or (360) 586-5147, or by email at CPBoard@atg.wa.gov. The Board also accepts written status inquiries and written support letters through the same contact information. For pro bono help in a life sentence case or one involving immigration consequences of a Washington conviction, reach out to the Seattle Clemency Project.