Editing Felony (section)

=== Restoration of rights ===
{{main|Pardon|Expungement in the United States}}
The primary means of restoring civil rights that are lost as a result of a felony conviction are [[Pardon|executive clemency]] and [[expungement]].

For state law convictions, expungement is determined by the law of the state. Many states do not allow expungement, regardless of the offense, though felons can seek pardons and clemency, potentially including restoration of rights.<ref>{{cite web |title=Restoration of Rights Project |url=https://ccresourcecenter.org/restoration-2-2/ |website=Collateral Consequences Resource Center |access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref>

Federal law does not have any provision for persons convicted of federal felonies in a federal [[United States district court]] to apply to have their record expunged.<ref name="CCRCFed">{{cite web|title=Federal Restoration of Rights, Pardon, Expungement & Sealing |url=https://ccresourcecenter.org/state-restoration-profiles/federalrestoration-of-rights-pardon-expungement-sealing/|website=Restoration of Rights Project|publisher=Collateral Consequences Resource Center|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> At present the only relief that an individual convicted of a felony in federal court may receive is a presidential [[pardon]], which does not expunge the conviction, but rather grants relief from the [[Civil and political rights|civil disabilities]] that stem from it.<ref name="CCRCFed"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Pardon Information and Instructions |url=https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardon-information-and-instructions|website=United States Department of Justice|date=12 January 2015|access-date=7 September 2017}} ("While a presidential pardon will restore various rights lost as a result of the pardoned offense and should lessen to some extent the stigma arising from a conviction, it will not erase or expunge the record of your conviction.")</ref>