If you or someone you love has a felony conviction in Wisconsin and is looking for a pardon, this guide is written for you. Wisconsin's pardon process is available only for felony convictions under Wisconsin state law, not for misdemeanors, and it requires at least five years to have passed since the entire sentence was fully completed. The current Governor has issued more pardons than any governor in Wisconsin history, so the process is active and real. A pardon in Wisconsin is the only way to restore the right to hold public office and the right to possess a firearm after a felony conviction. 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 Pardon Advisory Board
Pardon authority is vested exclusively in the Governor under Article V, Section 6 of the Wisconsin Constitution, which grants the Governor exclusive authority to grant pardons except in cases of treason and impeachment. The Governor has some supervisory accountability to the legislature: the legislature may regulate the manner of applying for pardons, and the Governor must make periodic reports to the legislature on all pardons and other acts of clemency granted.
The Pardon Advisory Board (PAB) is a nonstatutory advisory board appointed at each Governor's discretion. There is no statutory requirement that a pardon advisory board exist in Wisconsin, which means that a Governor who chooses not to appoint a board effectively eliminates the practical ability to apply for a pardon, because the Governor's Office depends on the Board to manage applications and recommend candidates. Governor Scott Walker issued zero pardons during his entire eight-year tenure from 2011 to 2019 and did not appoint a pardon advisory board. In June 2019, Governor Tony Evers reconstituted the Pardon Advisory Board after that nine-year hiatus, and by July 2025 had issued 1,640 pardons, the most of any Wisconsin governor in the state's recorded history. The Pardon Advisory Board reviews eligible applications, holds hearings, and makes recommendations to the Governor, who makes the final decision. The Board chair has discretion to reject applications that do not meet the criteria or to send an eligible application directly to the Governor for review, bypassing the hearing stage in appropriate cases.
In April 2026, Governor Evers also reinstated commutations by executive order, creating a separate Commutation Advisory Board for individuals currently serving sentences. Pardons and commutations are different tracks: pardons are for individuals who have already completed their entire sentence; commutations are for those still serving. Applicants should determine which process applies to their situation before filing, since the two programs operate differently and through separate advisory boards.
Eligibility: four requirements, none waivable
Wisconsin's eligibility criteria are four requirements that must all be met simultaneously. None may be waived.
First: the conviction must be a Wisconsin felony. Pardons are not available for misdemeanor-only convictions under Wisconsin law. The one exception is that misdemeanor convictions resolved at the same time as a felony, meaning listed on the same judgment of conviction or carrying the same sentencing date as the felony, may be included in the pardon application. A case that was originally charged as a felony but ultimately resolved as a misdemeanor is not eligible. A person may be eligible for a pardon on multiple felony convictions simultaneously.
Second: at least five years must have passed since the person completed their entire criminal sentence. Completing the sentence means finishing all confinement, including jail and prison time, AND all supervised release, including probation, parole, and extended supervision. The five-year clock starts on the date the person is fully discharged from all supervision, which is sometimes called being "off paper." This five-year rule applies to all sentences across the board, not just the particular felony in question; if a person has a misdemeanor conviction from a separate case that ended three years ago, they are not eligible for the felony pardon until five full years have passed since that misdemeanor sentence also ended completely.
Third: the person must have no pending criminal cases or charges in any jurisdiction, anywhere in the country.
Fourth: the person must not currently be required to register as a sex offender. This disqualification applies to any current sex offender registration requirement, regardless of the specific conviction that triggered the registration obligation.
The application process
Step one: obtain and complete the application. The application is available on the Governor's website at the Pardon Information page. The application is a nine-page notarized form; it must be signed and stamped by a licensed notary public before submission. Notaries are typically available at banks, post offices, and courthouses; remote notarization via videoconferencing is also permitted. Letters of recommendation are strongly encouraged by the Board, though they are not strictly required to submit an application. Letters should be included with the initial application packet, not mailed separately afterward; supplementary materials submitted separately after the initial application may not be included in the Board's review. The application requires detailed and honest answers about the circumstances of the conviction, what was happening in the applicant's life at that time, and a thorough description of rehabilitation since the conviction and why the pardon is needed. Do not staple any documents submitted.
Step two: newspaper notification. Applicants are required to inform a local newspaper in the county of conviction that they are requesting clemency, using the form that is included with the application materials. This is a required part of the process and cannot be skipped.
Step three: submit the application. Send the completed, notarized application and all supporting materials, including letters of recommendation and any required court documents, to: Office of the Governor, Attn: Pardon Advisory Board, P.O. Box 7863, Madison, WI 53707. Keep a copy of all materials submitted.
Step four: eligibility review. The application is first reviewed for eligibility and completeness. Applicants are notified by mail if they are ineligible. The Board chair has discretion to reject applications that do not appear to meet the eligibility criteria or to send a qualified application directly to the Governor for review without a full hearing, if the chair determines the application warrants expedited consideration.
Step five: hearing. After a complete and eligible application passes initial review, the applicant is notified by mail of the date and location of the hearing before the Pardon Advisory Board. The Board meets several times a year to hold hearings. Hearings are open to the public and to news reporters; family, friends, and other supporters are permitted to speak on the applicant's behalf when possible. Each applicant typically appears for approximately 15 minutes. Although attendance is not strictly required, it is highly recommended and applicants who appear in person generally make a stronger impression; the Board asks questions and the applicant has the opportunity to directly present the case for why the pardon should be granted. Among the factors the Board and the Governor consider are: the seriousness of the crime, whether a significant and documented need for clemency exists, the applicant's overall criminal record, the length of time since the crime was committed, the applicant's personal development and progress since the crime, and community or other civic service performed since the conviction.
Step six: Governor's decision. After the hearing, the Board makes a recommendation to the Governor based on the application, the hearing, and the relevant factors. The Governor reviews the Board's recommendation and makes the final decision. The Governor's decision is sent to the applicant by mail. There is no statutory deadline or timeline for the Governor's decision; the process should be initiated with an understanding that the review and decision may take several months.
What a pardon does in Wisconsin
A Wisconsin pardon restores civil rights affected by the felony conviction. A pardon is the only way in Wisconsin to restore the right to hold public office, which includes serving as a sheriff, deputy sheriff, patrol officer, police officer, or constable. A pardon is also the only way to restore the right to own a firearm and possess body armor after a felony conviction. A pardon also helps restore access to various occupational and professional licenses that are restricted or unavailable to people with felony convictions, and it improves eligibility for housing, employment, and international travel to countries such as Australia, Canada, and Japan that have policies restricting entry for people with felony convictions.
For firearms specifically: gun rights are restored by a pardon unless the conviction was for a domestic violence misdemeanor, in which case firearms rights may not be restorable. If the conviction included a felony involving possession of a firearm, the applicant must receive a pardon for both the underlying felony conviction and the separate firearm possession conviction in order to fully regain gun rights under Wisconsin law. Federal firearms law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) should also be consulted separately.
Voting rights and jury service are NOT dependent on a pardon in Wisconsin. After a person with a felony conviction completes their entire sentence, the rights to vote and serve as a juror are automatically restored. A pardon is not needed to restore the right to vote in Wisconsin.
A pardon does not expunge the conviction from the court record. A pardoned conviction must still be disclosed to an employer if directly asked about criminal history; however, pardoned individuals are strongly encouraged to also furnish a copy of the official pardon document to prospective employers alongside the disclosure, to provide meaningful context. A pardon does not remove a person from the sex offender registry.
A note on federal convictions
A pardon from the Governor of Wisconsin only applies to Wisconsin state felony convictions. Federal convictions and out-of-state convictions are not covered. 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.
Where this leaves you
Wisconsin's pardon is available for Wisconsin felony convictions after a five-year wait from full completion of all sentence and supervision, including all confinement and all supervised release. The applicant must be crime-free with no pending charges in any jurisdiction and not currently required to register as a sex offender. Complete the nine-page notarized application, include letters of recommendation with the initial packet, notify a local newspaper in the county of conviction using the form in the application materials, and mail everything to the Pardon Advisory Board at the Office of the Governor, Attn: Pardon Advisory Board, P.O. Box 7863, Madison, WI 53707. After an eligibility review, a public hearing before the Board, and a Board recommendation, the Governor makes the final call and sends the decision by mail. A Wisconsin pardon is the only path to restoring the right to hold public office and the right to possess a firearm, which makes it one of the most consequential forms of relief in this series for those who have lost those rights. The current process is active and functioning; Governor Evers has issued more pardons than any prior Wisconsin governor in the state's history. However, the existence of a Pardon Advisory Board depends on which governor is in office. For full current information, application forms, and hearing schedules, visit the Governor's pardon information page.