*Due to the large number of cases that will be pardoned, allow time for Birmingham Municipal Court to finalize all of the eligible cases.

What is the purpose of Pardons for Progress?
Pardons for Progress provides a pardon for individuals previously convicted in the City of Birmingham Municipal Court on a single Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, 2nd Degree, (Class A misdemeanor) charge.

This applies to cases from the Birmingham Municipal Court only.

What must I do to get a pardon?
No action is required. The pardon is limited to individuals convicted in the City of Birmingham Municipal Court on a single Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, 2nd Degree (Class A misdemeanor) charge.

Will pardons be on active cases currently before the City of Birmingham Municipal Court?
Pardons for Progress is for closed cases only. If a case is open, it will not be considered.

How many years back does a pardon go?
The mayor’s pardon is for closed cases ranging from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 2020.

How many pardons can one person receive?
Pardons for Progress will provide only one pardon per individual. Individuals with multiple marijuana possession convictions will not be considered.

If there is a closed conviction of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Class A misdemeanor) connected to the single marijuana possession conviction, it will also be pardoned.

Previously it was stated that an application must be submitted. Has that changed?
Yes. The application process is no longer required.

In order to address a larger number of individuals Mayor Woodfin announced a blanket pardon for individuals meeting the criteria. Those eligible have a single, closed conviction in the City of Birmingham Municipal Court on an Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, 2nd Degree (Class A misdemeanor) charge.

Individuals with multiple marijuana possession convictions will not be considered.

Individuals who have not completed court ordered requirements to close their conviction will not be considered.

Individuals with current open cases are not eligible.

Does this pardon a conviction from another city, state or federal government?
No. The pardon is limited to individuals convicted in the City of Birmingham Municipal Court on a single Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, 2nd Degree (Class A misdemeanor) charge. The case must be closed.

Will the conviction remain on my record?
A pardon sets aside the conviction. The arrest may still appear on a background check with the notation of a pardon by the mayor.

Will a pardon include a refund of previous fines or court costs?
No. An eligible individual will only receive a pardon. There will be no refund of fines or court costs from the prior, closed conviction.

What is the benefit of a pardon from a marijuana possession conviction?
A marijuana possession conviction can appear on an individual’s background check when seeking employment. In some cases, such a conviction eliminates the opportunity for employment. Pardon for Progress is an initiative to provide a pardon for individuals who have a case closed by the City of Birmingham Municipal Court after the individual completed all of the requirements due to the conviction.

A pardon sets aside a misdemeanor marijuana conviction which removes a barrier to employment that may exist due to that conviction.

*Due to the large number of cases that will be pardoned, allow time for Birmingham Municipal Court to finalize all of the eligible cases.

Pardons for Progress statement from Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, April 20, 2021

Many of you may know of our Pardons for Progress program, where residents previously convicted of Unlawful Possession of Marijuana during the past 20 years can apply for a pardon.

Today, I’m so happy to announce blanket pardons for those with closed marijuana possession convictions in the city between 1990 and 2020. This will pardon more than 15,000 individuals simultaneously.

For clarity, Pardons for Progress only addresses a prior closed conviction of Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, 2nd Degree (Class A misdemeanor) in Birmingham Municipal Court. If there is a closed conviction of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Class A misdemeanor) connected to the marijuana possession conviction, it will also be considered.

Pardons for Progress is for closed cases only. Open cases must be resolved in court and will not be considered. Neither does this consider potential future cases.

Here’s why we’re doing this – no one should be held up by a single past mistake. No one should be denied job opportunities or freedoms due to missteps from the past.

No longer will these residents be bound to their past. They deserve a chance to be part of our work force, to provide for their families and to achieve success on their own.

That new life starts rights here, today, with forgiveness and redemption.

No action is needed by the individual for this pardon.

This pardon addresses the closed conviction only and not any associated fees, fines or costs connected to the case.