What is the process of restoring rights after a conviction in Georgia?
Georgia restores some rights automatically and some only through a pardon. The first task is separating them, because a person can get the vote back years before gun rights.
| Right | How it returns | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Voting | Restored when the sentence, including probation and parole, is completed, for a felony involving moral turpitude | Ga. Const. art. II, § I, ¶ III |
| Public office | Pardon or a set period, with limits | Ga. Const. art. II, § II, ¶ III |
| Jury service | The master jury list leaves out people whose voting rights were removed | O.C.G.A. § 15-12-40.1 |
| Firearms | Only a pardon expressly restoring them, or federal relief | § 16-11-131(c), (d) |
The pardon. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles grants pardons under Ga. Const. art. IV, § II and O.C.G.A. Title 42, Chapter 9. An applicant must complete the sentence and have been crime free for five years after that, under board rules. A “restoration of civil and political rights” is a different document from a full pardon, and the wording matters.
First offender. Successful completion means “the defendant shall not be considered to have a criminal conviction,” § 42-8-60(i), so the same restoration doesn’t arise, with some exceptions such as employment under § 42-8-63.1.
Record restriction. Section 35-3-37 can restrict some arrest records and certain misdemeanors, after 2020 changes. It doesn’t remove a conviction or restore a right by itself.
Federal law. 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) separately bars gun possession. A state pardon expressly restoring gun rights may lift that, under § 921(a)(20).
Ask the board for its current form, since requirements change.
General information about Georgia law as of November 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.