Pardons, Restoration of Civil Rights, and Specific Limitations

NRS 213.090 – Summary of Pardons, Restoration of Civil Rights, and Specific Limitations

A person may receive a full pardon without any conditions or limitations. This can enable the pardoned individual to have their rights restored, including the right to bear arms.

Overview of the Authority Vested with the State Board of Pardons Commissioners

According to NRS 213.090, the board consists of the Governor, Attorney General, and the judges of the Supreme Court. The State Board of Pardons Commissioners meets semi-annually or more often as planned by the team. They hold meetings to consider applications for pardon or clemency. Once an application is passed for pardon review, the board then decides to give notice to the victims of the crimes committed by the applicants. The board gives 15 days’ notice to the victims to allow them to prepare sufficiently.

Application for Pardon or Restoration of Civil Rights

• According to NRS 213.090:
• A person intending to apply for a pardon or restoration of their civil rights must submit a formal application to the State Board of Pardons Commissioners. Applications are also submitted to have a punishment lifted or a fine settled. Application details differ depending on the specific intention of the application. For the application of fine settlement, one is required to provide details of the issuing court as well as the amount ordered. Applicants in this stage may be required to submit or pay a fee to accompany their application.
• Persons seeking to have restoration of their citizenship after the end of an imprisonment term are, however, not expected to apply to the board. The commutation of a death penalty also requires no formal application.

Pardon and restoration of civil rights

A person may receive pardon and restoration of civil rights if:

• As per the revised Nevada statutes, a person who has applied for a state pardon may receive an absolute pardon. When a person is granted a pardon by the board, they are issued an official document that confirms that they have received a pardon. If the pardon issued is absolute, the document issued must visibly show that the person regains their right to bear arms. Unless the official pardon document issued limits the restoration of an applicant’s civil rights, a pardon issued is considered a full pardon.
• In the case where the pardon document clearly restricts restoration of civil rights, as per subsection 3 of the statute, then one is free from limitations of civil rights. This also means that a limited pardon does not relieve the applicant of incurred disabilities during the conviction.
• An applicant who happens to damage, destroy, or lose their official pardon documentation may file a request for restoration of their civil rights under section NSR 213.090 of the Nevada Revised Statutes. This application is filed with any court of competent jurisdiction. The court moves to verify that the applicant has received the stated pardon and is thus eligible for their civil rights to be restored. The court then issues an order restoring the person’s civil rights. The person is not required to pay any fee to receive this specific order.