The short answer: To check the status of a federal clemency petition, use the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s online Search for a Case page. You can search by clemency case number, Bureau of Prisons register number, or name. The result shows whether the case is pending, granted, denied, or administratively closed.

How to check clemency status online

  1. Open the official search page. Go to the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s Search for a Case page on justice.gov.
  2. Pick one way to search.
    • By clemency case number: the letter P (pardon) or C (commutation), followed by six digits.
    • By Bureau of Prisons register number: five digits, a dash, then three digits. This is often the easiest way to check a commutation petition for someone in federal prison.
    • By first and last name.
  3. Read the status and the date. The page shows the date and time its case data was last updated, so a very recent change may not appear yet. The Office also posts the search data as a downloadable file. The search covers cases opened since 1989.

Anyone can run the search: the person who applied, a family member, or a lawyer. It shows the status only. The Office says it cannot share details about a specific case’s review (Search for a Case).

What each clemency status means

  • Pending. The case is open and under review. If you have not received a denial notice from the Pardon Attorney, the Office says you may assume the petition is still pending, even after a new President takes office (Office of the Pardon Attorney FAQ).
  • Granted. The President granted clemency. For a pardon, the person or their lawyer is notified and the pardon warrant is mailed. For a commutation, the warrant is sent through the prison, or directly to the person if they are on parole, probation, or supervised release (28 C.F.R. § 1.7). Grants are public, and the Office lists them on its website (FAQ).
  • Denied. The President denied clemency. The Justice Department tells the person and closes the case (28 C.F.R. § 1.8). There is no appeal (Petition for Commutation of Sentence), but a person may reapply 12 months after a commutation denial or 24 months after a pardon denial (FAQ).
  • Administratively closed. The Office closed the case without a decision by the President. It lists reasons such as the petitioner’s death, unresponsiveness, foreign residency, withdrawal of the petition, a direct appeal, or a request for relief that clemency cannot provide (Search for a Case). Its FAQ adds that a commutation petition asking only for a shorter prison term is closed if the person is released from federal prison while it is being processed.

“Closed” can mean either of the last two: a denied case is closed after the decision, and an administratively closed case ends without one.

If the search finds nothing

The Office lists several possible reasons (Search for a Case):

  • the name or case number was entered wrong;
  • the person never applied;
  • the petition has not been received yet;
  • it was received but has no case number yet; or
  • the database has not been updated.

The pardon application says the Office will send an email or letter confirming that it received an application, and to contact the Office if no confirmation arrives within three months (Application for Pardon After Completion of Sentence). Contact details are on the Office’s Contact the Office page.

How long clemency review takes

The Office of the Pardon Attorney does not give a set processing time. Here is what it says:

What happens while a petition is pending

The Justice Department investigates the petition. For a pardon, that may include an FBI background investigation (How Clemency Works; 28 C.F.R. § 1.6). The Pardon Attorney routinely asks the U.S. Attorney’s office in the district of conviction for its views, and that office is routinely asked to get the sentencing judge’s views too (Justice Manual 9-140.111). The Attorney General then sends the President a written recommendation, and the President decides (28 C.F.R. § 1.6). There is no hearing; the process is written (FAQ).

What to send as updates

You do not need to file a new petition while one is pending. You can send updated information at any time, and it is added to the existing case file (see can we send new letters or records after the petition is filed). The Office of the Pardon Attorney gives these tips:

  • Include the clemency case number, if you have it (FAQ).
  • Tell the Office about big changes, such as a new job or a change of address (How Clemency Works).
  • Send copies, not originals, because records become part of the file. The Office cannot accept information on digital media or through file-sharing services (FAQ).
  • Anyone may send written support, including family members and other third parties (same source).

For what a petition should contain in the first place, see the presidential pardon process and how to apply for a commutation.

Getting help with a pending petition

Criminal Center handles federal cases nationwide, including federal pardon and commutation petitions. We can review a pending petition and help prepare updates. No one can promise that the President will grant clemency.