In Arizona, a felony conviction can take away important civil rights including the right to vote, own a firearm, and more. However, with rights restoration, people who have served their time can regain some or all of these rights.
Rights restoration is a legal process that helps people get voting rights, firearm rights, and other rights back after a felony conviction. The rights that can be restored and the way to restore them depend on the type of conviction and whether it was a first-time felony.
Who Can Benefit from Rights Restoration?
Rights restoration is a great option for:
- People with felony convictions who want to regain their civil rights.
- Those who have completed their sentence and want to fully reintegrate into society.
- People who want to vote, own a firearm, or participate in their community without restrictions.
For first-time, non-violent felony offenders, some rights should be automatically restored after sentence completion. This means rights restoration is especially easy for first-time felons. Other people, and first-time felons who did not get automatic rights restoration may need to apply for rights restoration through the court.
Why Choose Rasa?
Restoring your rights can feel confusing and overwhelming, but Rasa makes the process simple. We can help you check your eligibility instantly using our eligibility tool. You can save time and effort with Rasa handling the complicated legal steps for you. Regaining your rights can open doors to new opportunities. Check your eligibility today with Rasa!
Understanding the Rights Restoration Process
Restoring your rights in Arizona depends on your conviction history and the type of rights you want to regain. In some situations rights are automatically restored, while other situations require filing an application with the court. There are different options and methods available, but the process usually includes the steps below.
Applying for Rights Restoration with Rasa
If your rights were not automatically restored, you will need to file an application with the court. This process includes:
- Confirming Eligibility
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- Certain convictions, like violent crimes and sex offenses, may make you ineligible for full rights restoration.
- Rasa can help determine which rights you may qualify to restore.
- Some other remedies, like set-asides can also restore your rights
- If your felony conviction was your first offense and not particularly violent or sexual in nature, your rights should be automatically restored after absolute discharge. We can help you determine if that happened, and make it happen if it did not
- Filing a Petition for Rights Restoration
- You must submit an official request to the court that handled your conviction.
- Rasa can file a petition asking the judge to restore specific rights, such as voting, firearm ownership, or holding public office.
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- Court Review and Decision
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- The court will consider:
- Your criminal history and rehabilitation efforts
- Time elapsed since your conviction
- Whether you have completed your sentence and paid all fines, fees, and restitution
- If approved, your rights will be restored, and you will receive official documentation.
- The court will consider:
How Rasa Can Help
Rasa can help with all three of the steps above. We offer an eligibility tool to help you find which record clearing options you qualify for. If you qualify for rights restoration, we can handle every step of the legal process, including filing the petition. This saves you money and time. Restoring your rights is an important step toward fully moving forward with your life. Find out if you qualify today with Rasa!
Eligibility for Rights Restoration
Not everyone with a felony conviction qualifies for rights restoration in Arizona. The court considers the type of conviction, sentence completion, and rehabilitation efforts before deciding whether to restore your rights.
Who is Eligible for Rights Restoration?
You may qualify for rights restoration if:
- You have completed your sentence, including probation and parole.
- All fines, especially victim restitution, have been paid.
- Your criminal record does not include any violent or sexual crimes.
While rights restoration is supposed to be applied automatically for first-time felonies, mistakes from the court make an application necessary. If you have multiple felonies we’ll also have to fill out a petition. Automatic or should-be automatic rights restoration is easier to get than rights restoration with multiple felonies.
Who is NOT Eligible for Rights Restoration?
Certain convictions may make it difficult or impossible for someone to achieve full rights restoration, including:
- Violent crimes – If your felony involves violence, your firearm rights will not be automatically restored, and may not be restored at all.
- Sexual offenses and crimes requiring registry – These convictions make rights restoration impossible, especially firearm rights..
- Certain repeat offenses – Individuals with multiple felony convictions are not eligible for automatic rights restoration, which means the process is more complicated and less likely to be granted.
Even if you don’t qualify for automatic rights restoration, there are other options and more information available for Arizona Records. Check out our Arizona Remedies page for both.
Gun Rights
Firearm rights have more qualifications than other rights. If your crime was violent or sexual in nature, Arizona law prohibits the automatic restoration of firearm rights. Usually, however, if it has been 10 years since a violent crime or since a sexual crime or crime involving minors, you are eligible for firearm restoration. If your record includes murder or other serious charges, your gun rights can only be restored via pardon. Check out CCRC’s page on Arizona Records, section 1, subheading c, for more information.
Start the Process Today
Restoring your rights can give you new opportunities and a fresh start. Rights like owning a gun or voting may feel out of reach if you have a felony conviction. These rights can, however, be restored.
Why Restoring Your Rights Matters
The ability to exercise your rights
- Regain Your Right to Vote – Participate in elections and have your voice heard.
- Restore Firearm Rights (if eligible) – If your conviction is an eligible offense, you can get the right to own a firearm back.
- Get Involved in Your Community – Restoring rights allows you to run for public office and engage in the community in other important ways.
How Rasa Can Help
Owning a gun, voting, and other activities barred to felons are important parts of life for many people. If you are a felon in Arizona and want those rights back, we can help. First, you’ll have to use our eligibility tool to make sure your record qualifies. Then, our team will handle the whole Arizona rights restoration process for you, from beginning to end. Start the Rights Restoration process today!
