GETTING A PROFESSIONAL LICENSE WHEN YOU HAVE A

You can still obtain a professional license in New Jersey even if you

have a conviction or criminal record. Individuals with criminal histories

often go on to make valuable contributions to the workforce. New Jersey law

permits professional boards to consider your criminal past when you apply for

a professional license. In some cases, having a criminal history means that you

have to provide information to the board. This document provides guidance on

how to do that.

In deciding whether to grant a professional license to an applicant with a criminal

history, professional boards apply the standard set forth in New Jersey law. In

particular, they ask:

(1) whether the crime or offense has a “direct or substantial relationship” to the

profession, and

(2) whether granting the license would be “inconsistent with the public’s health,

safety, or welfare.”

In deciding whether to grant your application, a board considers a few things.

First, it looks at the nature and seriousness of the crime—what was the offense

and how serious was it. Second, they look at how much time has passed since the

crime or offense; the relationship of the crime or offense to the profession; and

evidence of rehabilitation.

When an applicant indicates that they have a criminal history, the board may

ask for the materials described below. It is best to provide these documents up-

front with your application. If you are not able to provide all of the documents

described below, please submit as many of them as you can. Submitting the

most comprehensive application possible will reduce delays and improve your

application. This includes submitting (1) arrest, disposition, and sentencing

documents; (2) evidence of educational and professional achievement; and

(3) evidence of rehabilitation.

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GETTING A PROFESSIONAL LICENSE

WHEN YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

11/15/2021

800-242-5846

www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov

ARREST, DISPOSITION, AND SENTENCING DOCUMENTS:

In considering the application of someone with a criminal record, a board will consider the

nature of any arrests, charges, or convictions and the circumstances surrounding them. The

board will want to review certain documents, discussed below. If the police department, law

enforcement agency, or clerk of the court cannot provide any of these documents, ask them

for a letter on ofﬁcial letterhead explaining the reason(s) why. For each arrest, charge, or

conviction, you should provide the board with the following:

1. Arrest Records:

Ask the police department or law enforcement agency where you

were arrested for your arrest records, including the police report, with all supporting

statements. If you need to review your New Jersey arrest history, you can contact the New

Jersey State Police Criminal Information Unit (“CIU”) for instructions on how to submit

a “Personal Record Request.” You can contact the CIU at (609) 882-2000, ext. 2302, and you

can ﬁnd more information about this process at https://www.njsp.org/criminal-history-

records/. If you need to review your arrest history for federal crimes or crimes committed

outside New Jersey, you can request an “Identity History Summary” from the Federal

Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”). You can ﬁnd more information about this process here:

https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks.

Note that many of the boards conduct their own criminal background checks, for which

applicants are required to pay a fee. The boards will not accept records that applicants obtain

on their own as a substitute for the boards’ own background checks, but you should still

include all records you obtain with your application.

2. Charging Documents and Dispositions:

Ask the clerk of the court where your

case was heard for a copy of the charging document (for example, a complaint, indictment,

or accusation), and a copy of the disposition (for example, a conviction, plea agreement,

or order of dismissal).

3. Sentencing Documents:

Ask the clerk of the court where your case was heard for

any documents that relate to your sentencing, including a transcript of the sentencing

hearing. If your sentence involved the payment of restitution, ﬁnes, or penalties, you

should provide documentation regarding your satisfaction of those obligations. If you

are on a court-ordered payment plan, for example, you should provide documentation

that you have made your scheduled payments. If you have missed any of your scheduled

payments, you should submit a statement to the board explaining why. You may still

receive a license even if you have not satisﬁed the monetary terms of a sentence. The

board may, however, want to understand the reasons why you have not satisﬁed those

terms before deciding on your application.

4. Certificate of Relief from Bars to Professional Licensure:

In some cases,

a judge or the State Parole Board may issue a certiﬁcate that removes any bar to public

employment or professional licensure that the conviction would otherwise have imposed. If

you have received such a certiﬁcate, make sure you submit it to the board.

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GETTING A PROFESSIONAL LICENSE WHEN YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT:

In addition to fully understanding your criminal record, the board will want to learn about

any accomplishments you wish to highlight. For instance, you may be excelling at your

job or in an educational program. If applicable, you should submit the following with your

application:

1. Letters of Recommendation:

Seek out recommendation letters from supervisors or

teachers who can speak to your contributions to the workplace or the classroom.

2. Academic Transcripts

: Request an academic transcript from your college, vocational

school, GED program, or other academic institution. If the transcript does not indicate

whether you have completed the program, ask whether your academic institution offers a

certiﬁcate of completion or a similar document.

3. Recognition of Success

: If you have been formally recognized for your job

performance or academic success, ask your employer or your academic institution

for documentation. This might include employee-of-the-month awards, awards for

maintaining a certain GPA or for your performance in a particular course, or for your

general contributions to your workplace or academic program.

4. Job Training:

If you have participated in a job training program, submit documentation

to the board and ask your supervisor or instructor for a recommendation letter that speaks

to your progress.

EVIDENCE OF REHABILITATION:

Evidence of rehabilitation can boost your chances of receiving a license or certiﬁcate. This

might include the following:

1. Drug or Alcohol Counseling:

If your criminal history involves drug or alcohol

abuse, the board will want to know whether you have taken steps to address your

substance use. If you have participated in a recovery program, or if you are seeing

a counselor or therapist for your substance use, you should make that clear to the

board. If you have completed a program, ask the program director for a certificate of

completion or a letter certifying that you have completed the program.

2. Mental Health Treatment:

If you have received mental health treatment that has

helped you overcome issues that contributed to your criminal history, you should note

this in the statement you submit with your application. You can also ask your therapist

or counselor to write a recommendation letter if you are comfortable with it. The boards

respect the conﬁdentiality of mental health treatment.

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GETTING A PROFESSIONAL LICENSE WHEN YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

EVIDENCE OF REHABILITATION:

3. Community Service:

If you are involved in your community, you can provide evidence

of your involvement to the board. If you perform community service, coach a team, counsel

or tutor kids, sit on a local governing body, participate in a civic organization, or play a

key role in your religious congregation, you can tell the board about it in the statement

you submit with your application. If you have a supervisor for any of these activities—for

instance, the leader of a community service group or an authority ﬁgure in your religious

congregation—you can ask them to write a recommendation letter that explains your role

in the organization.

4. Parole or Probation:

If you have a parole or probation ofﬁcer, you can ask them to

write a letter that speaks to your compliance with your parole or probation conditions.

Depending on the license or certiﬁcate for which you are applying, the board may also ask

you to provide documentation of compliance with the speciﬁc conditions of your parole or

probation—for instance, drug screenings, mental health or substance abuse evaluations,

therapy or counseling, or payment of restitution.

5. Good Behavior While Incarcerated:

If you have been incarcerated, and you

demonstrated good behavior while you served your sentence, you can ask the warden or

another corrections ofﬁcial who can speak to your contributions to write a recommendation

letter. This might include participating in an educational or job training program or

performing jobs within the prison, such as cooking or cleaning.

If you have questions about which records you should submit with your application

or about how you should go about obtaining them, please contact the relevant

board or committee. You can find the contact information by clicking on the

board or committee under the “Boards & Committees” tab on the Division

website, NJConsumerAffairs.gov. We have seen countless applicants with

criminal histories go on to serve the public and enrich their professions. For

many applicants, the struggles in their past help them empower others to avoid

the same mistakes. Don’t let your past deter you from pursuing a profession.

Start preparing your application today.

800-242-5846

www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov

GETTING A PROFESSIONAL LICENSE WHEN YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW