Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity (CROP)

Yes, if both of these are true:

• You have a criminal conviction history in Washington State, especially one that caused you to lose an occupational license.

• You have finished your sentence for this crime.

It can make it easier to get work, housing, and/or an occupational license in Washington State if you have served your criminal sentence.

*If you want to get or get back an occupational license, you must also be otherwise qualified for the license. 

You file a court petition asking a judge to sign a Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity for you. After the judge signs it, the Superior Court Clerk sends the Certificate to State Patrol. State Patrol notes it in your records.

Employers, licensing agencies, or landlords doing a criminal history check on you will see the CROP, and:

• A licensing agency cannot then deny you an occupational license just of your criminal record.
  
  There are some exceptions to this. See Does a CROP apply to all licenses, below.

• Employers and landlords can (do not have to) consider a CROP when deciding to give you a job or housing.

No. Employers do not have to hire you even if you have a CROP. 

No.

No.

No.

Yes, if all these are true:

• You have no class A felonies. Check your judgment and sentence paperwork if you have a felony conviction. The paperwork should say what type of felony it is.

• Your criminal record does not include sex offenses. (See RCW 9.94A.030.)

• Your criminal record does not include certain other crimes under RCW 9.94A.835, 13.40.135, or 9.94A.535(3)(f).

• You have met all your sentencing requirements.

• You have had no new arrests, convictions, or pending charges since completing your sentence.

*RCW stands for Revised Code of Washington. This is our state's laws.

We do not recommend this. It costs more and unseals the record. Instead, you should seal your juvenile records using Sealing Juvenile Court Records (printable forms and instructions).

Yes, if one of these is true:

• You are up to date in your payments.

OR

• You have good cause to not be done.

No. It does not work for these occupations, among others:

• Law enforcement

• Lawyers

• Firearms dealers

• Many licenses involving financial responsibility or fiduciary duty (examples: accounting, bail bond agents, escrow agents)

• Many licenses involving work with vulnerable people such as seniors, young children, or people with disabilities

• Some licenses related to health care (examples: nursing, doctors, physicians assistants)

The full list is here: RCW 9.97.020(a).

There is a waiting period, depending on what your conviction was for:

• Misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor with no jail time – one year from sentencing

• Misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor with jail time –one and a half years from release

• Class B or C felony – two years from sentencing or release

• Violent offense – five years from sentencing

You can read the law about this at RCW 9.97.010(1)(a).

From one of these:

• The Superior Court where you live

• The Superior Court where you were sentenced or adjudicated (if this happened in a court of limited jurisdiction like District Court, you must go to the Superior Court in the same county)

*If you file in the county where you live, that court can decide not to hear your case. You can read the law about this at RCW 9.97.020(7). You can re-file in another county.

• Use our File a Petition for Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity packet. It has the forms and instructions. Or get the forms yourself from the state courts' website: www.courts.wa.gov/forms.

• File your case. Pay the filing fee or, if you cannot afford to pay it, get the judge to excuse (to waive) it. Ask the Court to Waive Your Filing Fee has the forms and instructions. Or use our do-it-yourself interview program, Washington Forms Online, to complete the forms at WashingtonLawHelp.org. 

• Give the prosecutor in the county where you are filing notice of your case.

• Go to a hearing if the court schedules one.

Here: RCW 9.97.