In Colorado, you don’t need a pardon from the governor to have a non-violent drug-related felony removed from your record. Instead, you can petition the court to have your conviction sealed. Colorado law allows individuals to seal certain felony convictions, including non-violent drug-related offenses, once they’ve completed their sentence and met specific waiting periods. Recent changes in law, such as the “Clean Slate” provisions, have expanded eligibility for record sealing, even allowing for automatic sealing in some cases.

Sealing your record doesn’t erase the conviction, but it prevents most public background checks from showing it, giving you the ability to legally state that you don’t have a criminal record for most purposes. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help determine whether you qualify for record sealing and guide you through the process of filing a petition in court.