Candidate Filing Information

Requirements to Disclose Felony Conviction Information

Any individual filing for office that has a previous felony conviction is required to complete and submit a Felony Disclosure Form at the time of filing. This form is for candidates not running for sheriff.

Candidates for Offices Other Than Sheriff

Other than the sheriff, a candidate's prior felony conviction does not preclude holding elective office if the candidate's rights of citizenship have been restored. A felony conviction need not be disclosed if the conviction was dismissed as a result of reversal on appeal or resulted in a pardon of innocence or expungement.

Candidates for the Office of Sheriff

Under NC G.S. 163-106(f) any candidate who is interested in filing for sheriff must obtain a valid Felony Disclosure Statement from the NC Sheriff's Training & Standards Division to file along with their notice of candidacy form. Before filing, candidates must complete several forms and a disclosure statement verifying that they have had no prior felony convictions or expungements. A person who receives an unconditional pardon of innocence for their felony may file for the office of sheriff or be appointed to that office. Otherwise, candidates for sheriff may not file for candidacy if they have been convicted of a felony, even if the felony was expunged.

North Carolina Session Law 2021-107 became effective October 1, 2021, and requires any candidate for Election to the Office of Sheriff or appointee to the Office of Sheriff must disclose any and all felony convictions, including any expunged felony convictions. Any individual filing notice of candidacy must provide a Disclosure Statement prepared by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission.

In order to obtain a disclosure statement, potential candidates for election to the Office of Sheriff must submit the following three (3) documents to the Sheriffs’ Standards Division:

  • Instructions for a Disclosure Statement
  • A notarized "Qualifications for Sheriff/Expunction" form
  • A "Law Enforcement Application for Verification of Expunction" (AOC-CR-280)
  • A full set of fingerprints

Disclosure statements are valid for a period of 90 days from the date of issuance to the date of filing with the County Board of Elections.

The required forms and additional information can be reviewed at Sheriffs' Training & Standards Divisions | NCDOJ.

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