Can I apply for the SORA program if I have a prior conviction?

SORA (Security Office Registration Act) is the New Jersey state’s License for Security Guards and is administered by the New Jersey State Police.

Yes, it is possible that you can get a SORA license even if you have a prior conviction. The eligibility will be based on the status and nature of the prior conviction as explained below.

First of all the good news is, as per the New Jersey state police website, persons with expunged and/or sealed criminal records will be considered for SORA.

What is an Expungement?
An expungement proceeding is a type of lawsuit in which a first time offender of a prior criminal conviction seeks that the records of that earlier process be sealed, making the records unavailable through the state or Federal repositories.

If your convictions are not currently expunged then please continue reading to see if your records can be possibly expunged.

As per New Jersey SORA regulations

if the a crime is of the first, second, third or fourth degree or any offense involving the unlawful use, possession or sale of a controlled dangerous substance as defined in N.J.S.2C:35-2; or any offense where the SORA registration of the individual would be contrary to the public interest, as determined by the Superintendent, then the person is not eligible to get the SORA certification.

The four degrees of crimes in the New Jersey are listed below:

1. First degree crimes in New Jersey: This include murder, manslaughter, and rape.
   
2. Second degree crimes in New Jersey: This include sex crimes, aggravated arson, burglary, kidnapping, white collar crimes, and drug crimes.
   
3. Third degree crimes in New Jersey: This include arson, some robbery offenses, possession of controlled substances, and some driving under the influence (DUI) offenses.
   
4. Fourth degree crimes in New Jersey: This include stalking, some robbery offenses, some DUI offenses, and forgery.

However, if you are a first time offender, and the crime committed is third or fourth degree, it is very much possible to expunge your criminal records. Please contact a qualified New Jersey attorney to explore if your criminal records can be expunged.

You can also take this on line New Jersey eligibility for Expungement check to see if your crime qualifies for expunging.