Prop 47

Proposition 47 reclassification

Proposition 47 turned a specific list of theft and drug felonies into misdemeanours, and it reaches backwards. If one of yours is on the list, it was never supposed to stay a felony.

In 2014 California voters reclassified a set of common theft and drug felonies as misdemeanours. The measure applied going forward and backwards: people already convicted could apply to have the old felony designated a misdemeanour.

Which offences it covers

• Simple drug possession offences
• Petty theft, where the value was $950 or less
• Shoplifting, where the value was $950 or less
• Forging or writing a bad cheque, where the value was $950 or less
• Receiving stolen property, where the value was $950 or less

Reclassification is not the same as a dismissal

After Proposition 47 relief, you have a misdemeanour conviction rather than a felony conviction. That is a real and permanent improvement, but the conviction is still there. Most people want the dismissal afterwards, and the two are routinely done in sequence.

A note on deadlines

There was a filing deadline for resentencing petitions by people still serving sentences. Applications to redesignate a completed conviction are treated differently from petitions to resentence someone currently in custody, and the rules around late filings have been litigated. If you were told you had missed the window, it is worth having that looked at rather than taken as final.

Who qualifies

• The conviction is one of the offences Proposition 47 covers
• The value involved was $950 or less, where the offence has a value threshold
• You do not have a disqualifying prior conviction

Who does not

• Anyone with a prior conviction for an offence on the 'super strike' list
• Anyone required to register as a sex offender
• Offences not covered by the measure

The forms and how long it takes

Filed on local.

• local — No statewide Judicial Council form — counties use their own

Varies widely by county because the forms and procedures are local. Some counties process these quickly; others treat them like any other motion.

Our flat fee for this is $649, all in, with the court filing fee included. See what that covers.

Legal information on this page was last checked against primary sources in October 2026. California law changes; if you are reading this long after that date, confirm before you rely on it.