Safety, Crime, Reentry & Legal Help · Surprise rank #295
One Felony or Any Number of Misdemeanors? A Certificate Can Lift Automatic Job and License Bars
A Certificate of Relief from Disabilities removes the automatic legal bars a conviction creates for jobs, occupational licenses and other rights in New York. It does not erase the conviction, but it removes the automatic 'no.'
Who
People convicted of no more than one felony, plus any number of misdemeanors. If you have more than one felony conviction, the Certificate of Good Conduct is the equivalent relief for you instead.
Where: New York State convictions, statewide including NYC, Nassau and Suffolk.
What to do
Start here: If you were never sentenced to state prison, apply to the court that sentenced you — the clerk's office can give you the application. If you served state prison time, apply to the DOCCS Board of Parole. Free legal help is available through reentry programs and legal services organizations; LawHelpNY.org lists local providers.
Eligibility: No more than one felony conviction. If you were sentenced to a term in a state prison, apply to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Board of Parole. If you received a sentence other than state prison, apply to the court that sentenced you. A certificate can be issued at the time of sentencing or any time afterward.
What you get
New York law creates automatic disqualifications — from certain occupational licenses, from some jobs, from some rights — that attach to a conviction regardless of the person's actual record since. A Certificate of Relief from Disabilities lifts those automatic bars, either broadly or for specified ones. It also creates a legal presumption of rehabilitation that employers and licensing agencies must weigh under New York's Correction Law when they consider your application.
Benefit: Removal of automatic statutory disqualifications and a formal presumption of rehabilitation that an employer or licensing board must consider. There is no fee to apply.
Possible value: No direct dollar amount, but it is the document that unlocks licensed occupations — home health aide, security guard, real estate, nursing, commercial driving and many others — where a conviction otherwise triggers an automatic denial. The earnings difference between a barred and an unbarred occupation is typically the whole point.
Good to know
Important: It is easy to expect too much. The certificate does not seal, erase or hide the conviction — it will still show on a background check, and it does not stop an employer from turning you down after a proper individualized review. It also does not lift every bar: certain positions, most notably in law enforcement, remain closed, and the certificate does not restore firearms rights. If you have two or more felony convictions you are not eligible and should pursue a Certificate of Good Conduct. Also check whether your record is now eligible for sealing, which is stronger relief — the two are not mutually exclusive.
Availability: Active; no application fee. Processing times vary by court and by DOCCS.
Why people miss it: People assume nothing can be done about a conviction short of erasing it, and the certificate has a bureaucratic name that gives no hint it is the document that reopens licensed careers.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026