A felony has a big impact on a person’s life and if you live in Alaska, you’ve come here trying to find out how to get the felony off your record.  Realize that with all felony records, there are three options you can take.  1) Expunge Your Record 2) Seal Your Record 3) Request a Pardon of Your Record. The problem though is that all states don’t offer all three of these options. But before we get into what Alaska offers, let’s review what each of these options actually mean.

Expungement

If you get your record expunged in Alaska it’s as if your arrest and/or charges never happened. Your record is completely destroyed, including all physical and public records. When asked if have a criminal record, after expungement, you can truthfully answer “no”.

Record Sealing

Sealing your record in Alaska is similar to expungement, but your record still exists in a limited form. The public does not have access to your record, but there are some exceptions. Your records can still be accessed by law enforcement and the courts. Record sealing is not as secure as expungement, but it is a reasonable alternative that is comparatively easier to obtain if your state offers it.

Pardons

If you receive a pardon in Alaska, you still have record of your arrest or charge, but your guilt is exonerated. That is, you have proven that you are rehabilitated and forgiven for your crimes. You can also get relief in terms of having various rights restored, such as your right to vote. The requirements for pardons vary between states, but typically there is a lot of documentation required, and includes lengthy waiting periods to apply and receive a pardon.

Things to Know Before You Start

First: It’s important to understand that every state is different in terms of what methods are available for felons to remove their record and the information below will help you understand what you can do in Alaska.

Felony Expungement in Alaska

No, it is not possible to expunge your felony in Alaska.

Sealing a Record in Alaska

Yes, it is possible to seal your record in Alaska but it depends on the felony.

Getting a Pardon in Alaska

Yes, it is possible to get a pardon off your record in Alaska but it depends on the felony.

Second: When trying to clear your record, you really have two options.  The first is to get a free consultation from a lawyer to see what they think of your case, and the second is to try to do all of the paperwork yourself.  

Third: We HIGHLY recommend that you get a free consultation from a lawyer prior to taking any action.  We say this because whether you want to expunge, seal, or pardon your record, it’s an extremely complicated process.  Failure to follow the process properly can end up with you being denied for the request and having to wait additional time (sometimes several years) before you can file again.  In addition, getting an expungement lawyer can increase your odds of succeeding and sometimes it’s more affordable than you think.  The first step is to click on the button below to confirm that you’re eligible for the expungement/sealing off your record.

Can You Expunge a Felony in Alaska?

Unfortunately, at this point Alaska does not have a law to expunge criminal history records.  If you have a felony, expungement is not an option at this time.

Can You Seal Your Criminal Record in Alaska?

Sealing a record in Alaska is no easy task, but it can be done.  There is a full guide located here that explains everything you need to know about sealing your record in Alaska.

CANNOT SEAL IF…

You have an adult criminal record involving a conviction or other disposition.

You were lawfully convicted- if there was no mistake of your arrest or conviction, you cannot have your record sealed.

The record you are trying to seal is for a traffic offense- these are not eligible for sealing.

How to Seal Your Criminal Record in Alaska

The procedure to get a criminal record sealed by a court in Alaska is a complicated process involving several steps:

1. Before you begin this process, we insist that you take this eligibility test to determine if you’re eligible to seal your record.
2. If you are eligible, you should talk to the lawyer that we refer you to so that you get an idea of the price for their services (it’s likely cheaper than you think because expungements are mostly paperwork) and see what other helpful information they can give you.
3. If you are not eligible to seal your record based on our test, then you should stop here.
4. If you are eligible to seal your record based on our test and want to do this without a lawyer, continue reading.
5. You must submit a written request to the head of the agency that maintains past conviction or current offender information, and ask the agency to seal the information.

   Completed Request to Seal Criminal Justice Record forms should be mailed to:

   Alaska Department of Public Safety

   R&I – Quality Assurance Unit

   5700 E. Tudor Road

   Anchorage, AK 99507

Can You Apply for a Pardon in Alaska?

A pardon in Alaska relieves an offender from any further punishments and disabilities as a result of their conviction. It is essentially a forgiveness of the crime, granted by the Governor. Even if you are granted a pardon, however, your conviction will still be a part of your criminal record.

If you want a pardon for a federal conviction, you must do that through the United States Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney. If you want a pardon for an out-of-state conviction, you should find the appropriate page on this site dealing with pardons in that particular state.

CANNOT PARDON IF…

You were convicted in a state other than Alaska, or were convicted federally- the Governor can only grant pardons for a conviction in Alaska, charged under state law.

You have not yet received a judgment or been committed, or if you are still appealing your conviction or sentence.

You were granted a suspended sentence by the judge- Alaska law views a suspended sentence much like a pardon.

You have immediately been discharged from your sentence- a significant period of time must pass before you can apply.

How to Apply for a Pardon in Alaska

1. Complete and turn in an “Eligibility Determination” form. You can obtain this form by calling the Alaska Board of Parole directly at (907) 770-6310 or going to the website.

   The completed form must be sent to:Alaska Board of ParoleATTN: Clemency Determination550 West 7th Ave., Suite #601Anchorage, Alaska 99501

2. If you have an email address, include it on the form, because that is the Board’s preferred method of communicating with you. Within 30 days, you will find out from the Board if you are eligible to proceed with the pardon application process. If you are eligible, the next step is to present a full Executive Clemency Application. If you are not eligible, you should at least speak to a lawyer about what your other options may be.

3. You will be provided with the application, and the Board will request information from you. Complete the application by typewriter, computer, or ink. You will be provided with the application, and the Board will request information from you. Complete the application by typewriter, computer, or ink. You will be required to provide the date of each of your convictions, what each conviction was for, the court case number and the sentence you received for each conviction.- If you do not have sufficient information about a particular conviction, you should contact the arresting/enforcement agency involved in the case and/or the court where you were convicted. – If you do not remember the details or whereabouts of a particular conviction, you should contact the Alaska Department of Public Safety, Records & Identification Unit, at (907) 269-5765 to obtain a statewide criminal report for yourself.- If you have convictions in other states, you can obtain a more comprehensive, nationwide criminal report for yourself from the FBI. You can find out how to do this by calling the FBI’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., a (202) 324-3000, or logging onto its website at FBI.gov. The FBI’s website also has a list of local FBI offices you can call.
4. You should submit a personal statement explaining why you would like a pardon. Do not simply say that you want a clean criminal record again. Tell the Board how it would benefit you and/or your family—for example, open up more job opportunities for you, help you avoid deportation/separation from your family, help you obtain a professional license, etc. – Remember, getting a pardon in Alaska is exceedingly difficult; you must make your application stand out.- When writing your personal statement, keep in mind that the Board/Governor is not retrying you for your crime. Even though you may want to explain the facts of the crime from your point of view, do not try to make excuses for your crime and argue away your guilt. The Board and Governor are more interested in seeing that you are sorry for the crime, and that you understand the effects of the crime on the victim and society.- Include all of the positive things that have occurred in your life since you received your last conviction—for example, educational achievements, new or stable employment, marriage or children, community involvement, charitable services or donations, law-abiding behavior, etc. 

5. Submit copies of your college transcript, high school diploma or GED, military certificates, marriage certificate, honors and awards, and other evidence of your rehabilitation.
6. Try to submit written references or letters from family members, friends, church members, teachers, employers, co-workers, and other individuals who know you well and can say good things about you to support your pardon application. It is better to choose individuals who are not related to you, in order to avoid the appearance of bias.  – The letters should tell the Board how the writer knows you and why he or she thinks you are deserving of a pardon. The letters would have more credibility if they are notarized (signed in front of a notary public). A notary public can be found in most banks. They may charge a small fee, usually depending on whether the person has an account with that bank.
7. The Board will conduct its own investigation into your life. The Board will look into your employment and personal history (including your medical records if necessary); you will be required to sign waiver forms in order for it to do this. The Board will also look at the facts surrounding your conviction, including your progress report while incarcerated, as well as your arrest and conviction records for other offenses you have committed. Basically, your entire life history will be examined during the investigation stage. You should be upfront and cooperative with the Board and its agents at all times.

So, there you have it.  Three separate ways to get rid of your record in Alaska.  As we’ve said numerous times throughout this page, this is a really complicated process and we highly recommend that you take this eligibility test prior to taking any action to determine if you are eligible for any of these options.

Please note, the information contained here is not legal advice and is strictly informational.  If you have any further questions about the information above, or in general, you need to contact a lawyer directly.