{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "correction", "section": "701", "citation": "Correction Law § 701", "heading": "Certificate of relief from disabilities", "text": ["§ 701. Certificate of relief from disabilities. 1. A certificate of relief from disabilities may be granted as provided in this article to relieve an eligible offender of any forfeiture or disability, or to remove any bar to his employment, automatically imposed by law by reason of his conviction of the crime or of the offense specified therein. Such certificate may be limited to one or more enumerated forfeitures, disabilities or bars, or may relieve the eligible offender of all forfeitures, disabilities and bars. Provided, however, that no such certificate shall apply, or be construed so as to apply, to the right of such person to retain or to be eligible for public office.", "2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except subdivision five of section twenty-eight hundred six of the public health law or paragraph (b) of subdivision two of section eleven hundred ninety-three of the vehicle and traffic law, a conviction of a crime or of an offense specified in a certificate of relief from disabilities shall not cause automatic forfeiture of any license, other than a license issued pursuant to section 400.00 of the penal law to a person convicted of a class A-I felony or a violent felony offense, as defined in subdivision one of section 70.02 of the penal law, permit, employment, or franchise, including the right to register for or vote at an election, or automatic forfeiture of any other right or privilege, held by the eligible offender and covered by the certificate. Nor shall such conviction be deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of any provision of law that imposes, by reason of a conviction, a bar to any employment, a disability to exercise any right, or a disability to apply for or to receive any license, permit, or other authority or privilege covered by the certificate; provided, however, that a conviction for a second or subsequent violation of any subdivision of section eleven hundred ninety-two of the vehicle and traffic law committed within the preceding ten years shall impose a disability to apply for or receive an operator's license during the period provided in such law; and provided further, however, that a conviction for a class A-I felony or a violent felony offense, as defined in subdivision one of section 70.02 of the penal law, shall impose a disability to apply for or receive a license or permit issued pursuant to section 400.00 of the penal law.", "3. A certificate of relief from disabilities shall not, however, in any way prevent any judicial, administrative, licensing or other body, board or authority from relying upon the conviction specified therein as the basis for the exercise of its discretionary power to suspend, revoke, refuse to issue or refuse to renew any license, permit or other authority or privilege."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/COR/701", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "A certificate of relief can remove specified automatic consequences of a conviction, but it does not erase the conviction:\n- **(1)** The certificate may **remove some or all automatic forfeitures, disabilities, and employment bars** for the named offense, but **cannot preserve or create eligibility for public office**.\n- **(2)** Subject to the stated Public Health and Vehicle and Traffic Law exceptions, a covered conviction **does not automatically forfeit a license, permit, job, franchise, voting right, or other covered privilege**, and does not automatically bar an application. ★ A second or later VTL § 1192 violation within **10 years** still bars an operator's license for the statutory period, and an A-I or violent felony still bars a Penal Law § 400.00 license or permit.\n- **(3)** A decision-maker may still **use the conviction in exercising discretion to suspend, revoke, deny, or refuse to renew a license, permit, authority, or privilege**. ★", "in_force_on": "2026-05-31", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/correction/701", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}