Record Cleaning: Felony Convictions and Prop 47

Dismissing Felony Convictions

You can ask to have your felony conviction dismissed IF:

  1. You have no new cases pending, AND;
  2. You are not on probation or parole in any case.
    • If you are still on probation in the case, you must also ask for early termination from probation, under Penal Code section 1203.3. There is no statewide form for this request, but you may write your own request and file it with the court.

Depending on your sentence, there are three paths to dismiss a felony conviction. See which applies to you:


  • If you satisfied the terms and conditions of your probation, or if you were granted early termination of probation, the court must grant your petition to dismiss.
  • If you did not satisfy the terms and conditions of your probation, it is up to the court whether or not to grant your petition. You may attach supporting documents to convince the court that granting your petition would be “in the interests of justice.”
  • You can ask to reduce the conviction to a misdemeanor, if the offense is a “wobbler.” (Penal Code section 17(b).)  A wobbler is an offense that can be either a felony or misdemeanor. To find out whether you were convicted of a wobbler, you will need to look up the code section for your conviction. If the code section mentions county jail as a possible sentence, then the offense is a “wobbler.”

To request dismissal and reduction, use Form CR-180, and submit the order (Form CR-181) for the judge to sign.

  • If your sentence included mandatory supervision, the case can be dismissed one year after you complete your sentence. It is up to the court whether or not to grant your petition. You may attach supporting documents to convince the court that granting your petition would be “in the interests of justice.”
  • If your sentence did not include mandatory supervision, the case can be dismissed two years after you complete your sentence. It is up to the court whether or not to grant your petition. You may attach supporting documents to convince the court that granting your petition would be “in the interests of justice.”

To request dismissal and reduction, use Form CR-180, and submit the order Form CR-181 for the judge to sign.

  • If you were convicted of a felony offense and served time in state prison, but the same offense is now punishable by a county jail sentence due to a change in the law, you can ask to have your felony conviction dismissed. It is up to the court whether or not to grant your petition. You may attach supporting documents to convince the court that granting your petition would be “in the interests of justice.”
  • For all other felony convictions with state prison sentences, you are not eligible to have your conviction dismissed. But you can apply for a certificate of rehabilitation and pardon. See the Certificate of Rehabilitation and Pardon section for more information.

To request dismissal and reduction, use Form CR-180, and submit the order Form CR-181 for the judge to sign.

Prop 47: Reducing felony convictions for drug possession and low-level theft convictions to misdemeanors

If you were convicted of felony simple drug possession (Health and Safety code sections §§ 11350 and 11377) or certain felony theft offenses (see below), prior to November 2014, where the value was not more than $950, you may apply to reduce your felony conviction to a misdemeanor under Penal Code section 1170.18.

You are eligible if:

  • You do not have a prior conviction that requires you to register as a sex offender under Penal Code section 290(c); AND
  • You do not have a “super strike” conviction.

The following theft offenses are eligible, as long as the value did not exceed $950:

How to apply:

The deadline for filing is November 4, 2022. If you file after this deadline, you will need to show the court a good reason (“good cause”) why you missed the filing deadline.

If the court determines that your conviction is eligible, the court will reduce the conviction to a misdemeanor. If you went to state prison for an offense that was later changed to a misdemeanor under Proposition 47, you can apply to have your conviction dismissed. Visit our Record Clearance: Felony Conviction With a State Prison Sentence

There is no statewide form to apply for Prop 47 relief. Some courts have their own Prop 47 forms, like Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Orange.Check with the court where the conviction occurred to find out if there is a local form. Find Courts by County.  If no form is available, you may write your own request and file it with the court.

Here is more detailed information about Prop 47.