Effect of a Pardon

The Attorney General’s Informal Opinion on Pardons, Certificates of Good Conduct and the Sealing of Records (pdf) provides some information of what a pardon does or does not do.

What a Pardon does:

• An unconditional pardon removes all disabilities resulting from conviction thereof. 
  
  
• A pardon forgives but does not forget. 
  
  
• A pardon is the only instrument available to restore one’s right to bear arms in Nevada.

A Pardon does NOT:

• A pardon does not overturn a judgment of conviction.
  
  
• A pardon does not erase or obliterate the fact that one was once convicted of a crime.
  
  
• A pardon does not substitute a good reputation for one that is bad.
  
  
• A pardon does not relieve a convicted sex offender of the requirement to register as such.
  
  
• A pardon does not attest to rehabilitation of a person.
  

Please Note:

• With regard to occupational licensing, where a statute limits rights based on the underlying conduct and not the pardoned offense itself, a pardon would not remove or erase the disability of past conduct. If there is a requirement that the license applicant has not been convicted of a felony, the pardon would permit licensing. However, if the licensing standard is good moral character, the pardon does not erase the moral guilt associated with the commission of a criminal offense and the fact giving rise to that conviction may be considered in determining whether that person is of "good moral character."
    
• A pardon does not remove any disabilities resulting from separate convictions that are not specified on the instrument of pardon (i.e., being pardoned on one offense but not another would not remove disabilities from the offense not pardoned).

• The Nevada Pardons Board does not have the authority to restore any rights lost as a result of a conviction in a jurisdiction outside of Nevada.