# Expungement, sealing, and pardons

Federal convictions do not go away. There is no expungement, there is no sealing, and the people selling you otherwise are running a scam.

## The short version — Federal convictions don't go away

There is no federal expungement for a valid conviction. Courts have carved out narrow exceptions for unlawful arrests and clerical mistakes, and that's it.

Sealing isn't a thing either. And there's no federal certificate of rehabilitation like some states have.

## Before you pay anyone — The scam

If somebody tells you they can get your federal conviction expunged, they're lying to you.

This is one of the most common scams aimed at people coming home, and people spend thousands on it.

It is the same shape as the other things people sell you around a federal case, which is why [Prison consultants: myths and facts](/resources/what-consultants-cannot-sell-you) and [Paying non-lawyers for legal work](/resources/paying-a-non-lawyer-for-legal-work) exist.

## The only real relief — A presidential pardon

It's handled by the Office of the Pardon Attorney at DOJ. You generally have to wait five years after finishing your sentence before you can apply.

The process is slow and most applications go nowhere.

## What it does not do — A pardon doesn't erase anything

It forgives the conviction. The record stays, and background checks still show it.

What it can do is restore rights and clear up licensing problems, which matters enormously for some people and does nothing at all for others. Whether it would do anything for you depends on what you are trying to do, which is mostly a [licensing](/life-after-federal-prison/professional-licenses-with-a-felony) and [rights](/life-after-federal-prison/voting-guns-and-jury-duty) question.

## How to plan around it — Assume it's permanent

Plan your life around the conviction being permanent. If something changes later, good.

Don't wait on it.

### [Your name online](/life-after-federal-prison/getting-news-articles-off-google)

News coverage does not decay. You cannot take it down, but you can push it down, and it takes a year or two.

**Need help with this? Just ask.**

These pages cover the general rules. Your situation has details they don't. Email me a question. **Answers are free** , and "you don't need to pay anyone for this" is my most common answer.

[josh@federalprisondude.com](mailto:josh@federalprisondude.com?subject=Once%20you%27re%20out%20question)

I answer in the order received, usually within a couple of days. I have a day job. If your situation genuinely needs more than an email, I take a limited number of consults, so say so and we'll work it out.