When is probation officially over

This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Best Legal Practices. Contact us online or call Author Recent Posts. If you have been ordered to pay restitution to the victim, that amount must be paid in full. This is another reason to keep checking in with your probation officer to find out how your probation is going and what happens when probation is over.

All these conditions have a direct impact on the length of the probation since you must show that you are worthy before the probation will be closed. Read More: Probation Vs. Most states offer good time credits, officially known as earned compliance credits, which allow you to shorten your time on probation if you comply with all the conditions of your sentence.

States differ in their approach. Some jurisdictions require you to go to court and get a formal discharge from your probation sentence, in which case the exact date of the discharge should be noted on your criminal record.

Once probation is over, the probationer is no longer required to comply with the terms of probation. Some probationers can apply for an early termination of their probation.

If you are not applying for early termination, your probation will terminate on the last day of your sentence. If any of the conditions have not been met, the court may decide to extend the sentence or impose other penalties. Review the conditions of your probation with your probation office in advance so you can make sure there is nothing left for you to do. Probationers must understand that their criminal conviction will remain on their record even after probation is over.

The conviction is not erased simply because the probationer served his time. For example, if being on probation is making it impossible to find gainful employment, or if the requirements of your job have changed so that being on probation might cause you to get fired, those are circumstances worth bringing to the court.

If you are trying for a professional license, and your counsel believes that being on probation would seriously harm your chances, then that could also be a viable situation. If you can show that ending your probation early is needed, and the court agrees with you, then the court can end your probation early. When this happens, it may also expunge the record of the crime if it was for a misdemeanor.

In some cases, the court may even bump down a felony to a misdemeanor conviction, since the term of probation is over, and it is considered completed by the state. Once all the documents have been signed and stamped, your probation will be officially over, and you can then move on with your life.