Minnesota law requires applicants to wait a certain amount of time before asking for a pardon or commutation.
For a pardon, the waiting period is five years from the day the criminal sentence for the conviction expires or is discharged.
For a commutation, the waiting period is five years from the date of conviction or when half of the sentence has been served, whichever comes first.
Applicants may be able to apply before the waiting period by requesting a waiver of the initial waiting period. Waivers of the initial waiting period are only granted when you have an unusual circumstance and special need to apply early (for example, the conviction is making immigration, adoption, or getting a job hard).
Applicants may be eligible for a waiver of the initial waiting period waiting period if they can show that they have unusual circumstances and special need to apply early (for example, the conviction is making immigration, adoption, or getting a job hard).
To request a waiver of the initial waiting period, you must complete an a form requesting to waive the initial waiting period. Answer every question and sign the request. You may submit it to the email or mailing address on this page.
At this point, the Commission and Board are only deciding whether to let you apply early. They are not deciding about clemency, so you only need to send documents that show unusual circumstances and special needs to apply early.
The Commission staff can access your criminal record, Minnesota court records, driving record, and prison records, so you do not need to provide copies of these unless requested. But please, answer the questions on the application completely and honestly.
Request for Waiver of Initial Waiting Period and Permission to Reapply Early
