An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Per Executive Order 2019-003 issued on December 12, 2019, civil rights are automatically restored for certain felony offenders upon receipt of final discharge or expiration of sentence.
Click here to see if your rights were automatically restored by Governor Beshear’s Executive Order 2019-003. Once your rights have been restored, you may register to vote or run for public office. To register to vote, visit the Voter Information Portal. For information about running for office, visit Becoming a Candidate
Yes. Governor Beshear believes that no one should be denied the right to vote because of inability to pay. If you were convicted of a felony that is eligible for automatic restoration, and you have otherwise completed your sentence, probation, and/or parole, your right to vote and hold public office are automatically restored, even if you have not paid your restitution, fines, or other court-ordered monetary conditions. Even though your rights have been restored, you have not been fully pardoned. This means that you are still obligated to pay your restitution, fines, or other court-ordered monetary condition. Failure to make those payments may result in further legal proceedings.
If your rights have been restored, either through the automatic restoration of rights in Governor Beshear’s Executive Order or because you have sought and received the restoration of your rights from the Governor, then you may register to vote and may run for public office. To register to vote, visit the Voter Information Portal. For information about running for office, visit Becoming a Candidate.
If you have searched the database and found that your results were inconclusive, you can contact the Department of Corrections at 502-782-9731 for voting restoration questions.
Restoration of civil rights is a partial pardon. It is not the same as a full pardon. Even if your rights are restored, your conviction remains on your record. That means that if you are convicted of another crime, you may be subject to enhanced penalties. In addition, you may not possess a firearm.
No. If you were convicted of a felony in a jurisdiction other than Kentucky – meaning in another state or in federal court – your rights will not be automatically restored under Governor Beshear’s Executive Order. However, you may still apply for restoration of your civil rights through the process set forth in the Department of Corrections regulations. You will need to fill out an Application for Restoration of Civil Rights and submit the completed application to CivilRights.Restoration@ky.gov or by mail to:Department of CorrectionsDivision of Probation of ParoleP.O. Box 2400Frankfort, KY 40602-2400Attn: Restoration of Civil RightsTo find out more about this process, you may call the Department of Corrections at 502-782-9731 for voting registration questions.
If you have been convicted of a Kentucky State Felony, you are not eligible to vote right now. If you are incarcerated but have not been convicted, you are still eligible to vote. Your voting rights will restore after you have been discharged and/or completed your Probation and Parole obligation.
No. Governor Beshear’s Executive Order is a partial pardon that only restores the right to vote and to hold public office. Individuals convicted of felonies may only carry firearms if they apply for and receive a full pardon, and even then, pardoned individuals must complete additional steps to be restored to the right to carry a firearm under federal law.
You will be notified if you are eligible to vote upon discharge and/or completion of your Probation and Parole obligation.
You can call the Department of Corrections at 502-782-9731 for voting restoration questions.
If you are being discharged from prison and/or Probation and Parole and currently have pending felony charges or arrests then you are not eligible to register to vote right now. You may petition to restore your voting rights or wait until you have no pending felony charges or arrests.
Kentuckians convicted of the felonies listed below do not receive automatic restoration of their civil rights to vote:
If you are convicted of one of these felonies, your rights will not be automatically restored under Governor Beshear's Executive Order. However, you may still apply to the Governor for Restoration of Civil Rights pursuant to KRS 196.045. You will need to fill out an Application for Restoration of Civil Rights and submit the completed application to CivilRights.Restoration@ky.gov or by mail to:
Department of CorrectionsDivision of Probation and ParoleP.O. Box 2400Frankfort, KY 40602-2400Attn: Restoration of Civil Rights
Potential voters will be notified if they are eligible to vote upon discharge and/or completion of their Probation and Parole obligation. If discharged prior to March 4, 2020, potential voters can access the database here to confirm eligibility. If they believe they are eligible for restoration and can not confirm via the website they can call Kentucky Department of Corrections civil rights restoration staff at 502-782-9731.
Ask the potential voter if they have a Notification of Restoration document from the Kentucky Department of Corrections. If they do not, visit the database here and search for their name in the database. If you cannot find them in the database, please call the Kentucky Department of Corrections civil rights restoration staff at 502-782-9731.*Voters are not required to have the Notice of Restoration document. This can be used in lieu of the database inquiry**Please remember, the voter will have to attest that they meet registration criteria on the voter registration document.*
Yes, you can. Pending felonies do not automatically preclude you from registering to vote. Only a pending felony at time of discharge would render you ineligible to vote or hold public office.
No, they are not eligible to vote. However, they may still apply to the Governor for Restoration of Civil Rights pursuant to KRS 96.045. They will need to fill out an Application for Restoration of Civil Rights and submit the completed application to CivilRights.Restoration@ky.gov or by mail to:
Department of CorrectionsDivision of Probation and ParoleP.O. Box 2400Frankfort, KY 40602-2400Attn: Restoration of Civil RightsTo find out more about this process you may call the Department of Corrections at 502-782-9731
You can request this form from the Kentucky Department of Corrections website, get a copy from your local Probation and Parole Office, request a copy using the Contact Us page on this website, or by emailing CivilRights.Restoration@ky.gov.
Kentuckians convicted of the felonies listed below DO NOT receive automatic restoration of their civil rights to vote:
*Restoration of Civil Rights pursuant to Executive Order 19-003 DOES NOT include the right to serve on a jury or obtain a professional or vocational license. Restoration of civil rights DOES NOT give a convicted felon the right to purchase, own, or have in possession a firearm or other weapon.
502-782-9731
CivilRights.Restoration@ky.gov