The Parole Board of Canada (PBC) may refuse a Record Suspension or Pardon application for several reasons, depending on the stage of the application.

Before the application is accepted for processing

Many applications are returned without a decision because they are incomplete. Common reasons include:

• Missing required documents
• Incorrect or missing application fee
• Incomplete application forms
• Missing court or police information
• The applicant is not yet eligible to apply
• The Parole Board does not have jurisdiction

After the application is reviewed

If the application proceeds to a decision, the Parole Board may refuse it if:

1. The applicant has not demonstrated good conduct.
   • Recent criminal charges or convictions
   • Ongoing criminal behaviour
   • Evidence that the applicant has not been law-abiding
2. Granting the Record Suspension would bring the administration of justice into disrepute.
   For applications requiring this assessment (generally indictable offences under the current legislation), the Board considers factors such as:
   • The nature and seriousness of the offence(s)
   • The circumstances surrounding the offence(s)
   • The applicant’s criminal history
   • The impact on victims (where applicable)
   • The applicant’s rehabilitation and conduct since completing the sentence
   • Any other relevant information
3. The sentence has not been fully completed.
   This includes outstanding:
   • Fines or victim surcharges
   • Restitution orders
   • Probation
   • Imprisonment
   • Conditional sentences
   • Driving prohibitions (where they form part of the sentence)
   • Any other court-ordered requirement
4. The required waiting period has not elapsed.
   The waiting period begins only after every part of the sentence has been completed.
5. The applicant is not legally eligible.
   Examples include:
   • Convictions for offences that are permanently ineligible under the Criminal Records Act (subject to limited exceptions).
   • More than three convictions for offences prosecuted by indictment, each carrying a maximum punishment of life imprisonment (for applications governed by the current legislation).

The good news

The vast majority of applications that are complete, eligible, and properly prepared are approved. In recent years, the Parole Board has approved approximately 96–97% of applications that reached the decision stage. Most applications that encounter problems are returned before review because of missing documents, incorrect fees, or other administrative deficiencies rather than being denied on their merits.