Kentuckians who were convicted of crimes and wish to receive a pardon or commutation from Governor Beshear must apply using the application below in order to be considered. In that application, they must list all previous and pending charges and convictions, list their employment history, and include a letter explaining why they believe they deserve a pardon or commutation. They must also include a minimum of three letters of recommendation supporting their application. Finally, they must authorize Governor's office to conduct thorough investigations of the applicants' history and background, including their criminal and employment record.
Submitting an application for a pardon or commutation means only that the applicant will be considered for a pardon or commutation, not that one will be granted. Applicants whose request is granted will be notified; applicants whose request is not granted will not be notified unless their application is granted at a later time.
The link to the application is below and should be submitted to:
Office of the Governor
ATTN: Office of the General Counsel
700 Capitol Avenue
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
APPLICATION FOR PARDON OR COMMUTATION OF SENTENCE
For those applicants who were convicted of felonies and are seeking only a restoration of their civil rights (like the right to vote and hold office), they can find a separate application for that process at
this link. Additional instructions on how to apply only for a restoration of civil rights can be found
here.
Any individual who submitted an application for a pardon, restoration of civil rights, or a commutation to a prior Governor's administration is encouraged to submit an application with updated information to the current Governor's administration.