Collateral consequences are legal and regulatory restrictions that limit or prohibit people convicted of crimes from accessing employment, business and occupational licensing, housing, voting, education, and other rights, benefits, and opportunities. These consequences are not part of your sentence but are mandated by law. They are an unfortunate by-product of your arrest, charge, or conviction.

Some collateral consequences serve a legitimate public safety or regulatory function, such as keeping firearms out of the hands of people convicted of violent offenses, prohibiting people convicted of assault or physical abuse from working with children or the elderly or barring people convicted of fraud from positions of public trust. Others are directly related to a particular crime, such as registration requirements for sex offenders or driver’s license restrictions for people convicted of serious traffic offenses. However, some collateral consequences apply without regard to the relationship between the crime and opportunity being restricted, such as revoking a business license after conviction of any felony. Consequences also apply without considering the time passed between the conviction and the opportunity being sought or the person’s rehabilitation efforts since the conviction.