Safety, Crime, Reentry & Legal Help · Surprise rank #296
More Than One Felony? A Certificate of Good Conduct Can Still Reopen Jobs and Licenses
If you have two or more felony convictions you cannot get a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities — but you can apply for a Certificate of Good Conduct, which does the same job of lifting automatic bars to employment and licensing.
Who
People with two or more felony convictions who have stayed conviction-free for a required waiting period and can demonstrate good conduct since their last conviction or release.
Where: New York State convictions, statewide including NYC, Nassau and Suffolk.
What to do
Start here: Apply to the New York State Board of Parole through the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision — start at doccs.ny.gov and request the Certificate of Good Conduct application. A reentry program or legal services office can help you assemble the supporting documentation, which matters a great deal here.
Eligibility: Applies to people ineligible for a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities because of multiple felony convictions. You must have completed a statutory period of good conduct measured from your last conviction or release from incarceration, whichever is later; the required period is longer for more serious felony classes. Confirm the exact waiting period for your convictions with DOCCS before applying, since it depends on the class of the offense.
What you get
A Certificate of Good Conduct is issued by the New York State Board of Parole and removes the automatic legal disqualifications a conviction creates for jobs, occupational licenses and certain rights. Like the Certificate of Relief from Disabilities, it also creates a legal presumption of rehabilitation that employers and licensing agencies must take into account. It is the relief route designed specifically for people with multiple felony convictions.
Benefit: Removal of automatic statutory bars to employment and occupational licensing, plus a formal presumption of rehabilitation. There is no application fee.
Possible value: No direct cash value, but it is often the only path back into licensed and regulated work for someone with multiple felony convictions — the practical value is the wage difference between unlicensed and licensed employment over a career.
Good to know
Important: Unlike the Certificate of Relief from Disabilities, this one is not automatic on eligibility — the Board of Parole reviews your conduct since release and can deny the application, so the supporting evidence you submit about work, treatment, community involvement and stability genuinely matters. There is a mandatory waiting period that varies by felony class, and applying early will get you denied. The certificate does not seal or erase the conviction and does not restore firearms rights, and certain law-enforcement positions remain closed regardless.
Availability: Active; discretionary and granted by the Board of Parole after review, with waiting periods based on offense class.
Why people miss it: People told they are ineligible for a Certificate of Relief from Disabilities usually hear it as 'nothing is available to you' and are never told there is a parallel certificate built for exactly their situation.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026