A Class G felony is a state-level criminal classification that sits in the middle-to-lower part of the felony scale, typically carrying anywhere from about one year to ten years in prison and fines up to $25,000. The federal criminal code does not use this label at all, so if you’re facing this charge, it comes from a state that extends its felony ladder past the federal A-through-E structure. What the sentence actually looks like depends on the state, the specific offense, and your prior record.
Where Class G Sits on the Felony Ladder
Federal law classifies felonies from Class A, the most serious, down through Class E, which covers offenses with a maximum of more than one year but less than five years in prison. There is no federal Class F, G, H, or I felony.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3559 – Sentencing Classification of Offenses
Some states extend the alphabet further. In those systems, felony classes run from A through I, with A being the most severe. Class G falls toward the lower end of that spectrum. It is a serious charge that carries real prison exposure, but it ranks well below the violent offenses at the top of the scale. Because only a handful of states use this classification, the label alone doesn’t tell you much until you know which state code applies.
Crimes Typically Charged as Class G Felonies
The specific offenses vary by state, but the pattern is consistent: conduct that is clearly more serious than a misdemeanor without the aggravating factors that would push it into a higher felony class. Common examples include:
- Repeat drunk driving, often at a fifth or sixth lifetime offense
- Third-degree sexual assault, meaning sexual contact without factors like a weapon or serious injury
- Negligent homicide involving a firearm, vehicle, or other dangerous instrument
- Possession of a firearm by a person with a prior felony conviction
- Intimidating a witness or victim to influence testimony or discourage cooperation with law enforcement
- Second-degree burglary or common-law robbery without a weapon
- Mid-level drug offenses involving quantities below the thresholds for higher felony classes
- Identity theft
One wrinkle worth knowing: attempting or conspiring to commit a higher-level felony can result in a charge one class below the completed offense. A Class G charge sometimes reflects an incomplete or planned crime rather than “Class G behavior” itself.
Prison Time and Fines
Sentences run across a wide range. At the lower end, some states set a presumptive range starting around 8 to 10 months for a first-time offender. At the higher end, other states authorize up to 10 years in prison. Fines can reach $25,000.
Several states use structured sentencing grids that set both a minimum and maximum based on the offense class and the defendant’s criminal history. In those systems, a first-time defendant convicted of a Class G felony may qualify for a community-based sentence such as probation, community service, or electronic monitoring instead of active prison time. A defendant with an extensive record facing the identical charge could see a presumptive minimum of 15 to 20 months.
Judges retain discretion to move above or below the presumptive range. Targeting a vulnerable victim or committing the offense while on probation can push the sentence up. Cooperation with law enforcement or strong community ties can pull it down.
How Prior Record Changes the Outcome
Prior convictions are usually the single biggest variable in what a Class G conviction actually costs in prison time. Structured sentencing states assign each defendant a prior record level, and each level corresponds to a different sentencing range for the same offense class.
For Class G specifically, the difference is stark. A first-time offender at the lowest record level may qualify for supervised probation with no incarceration. Someone with two or three prior felony convictions may face a presumptive sentence of a year or more of active imprisonment. At the highest record levels, the minimum can exceed 15 months before any aggravating factors are considered.
Habitual offender statutes stack additional time on top of the base sentence. In states with these enhancements, a defendant who qualifies as a habitual offender may face several extra years that cannot be suspended or served on probation. The threshold typically requires two or three prior unrelated felony convictions. This is how a mid-level charge can produce a sentence that looks more like a high-level felony.
Why the Charge Often Shifts Before Conviction
The overwhelming majority of felony convictions never go to trial. Researchers estimate that more than 90 percent result from plea bargaining, where prosecutors and defense attorneys adjust charges or sentencing recommendations in exchange for a guilty plea. Class G cases follow the same pattern.
In practice, the charge on the booking sheet is often a starting point. A prosecutor may reduce a Class G charge to a lower felony class or a misdemeanor when the evidence has weaknesses or the defendant has no prior record. Alternatively, the charge stays but the state agrees to recommend probation instead of active time. The reverse also happens: a defendant originally charged with a higher-class felony may plead down to a Class G. That negotiation is where experienced defense counsel makes the biggest practical difference.
Consequences That Outlast the Sentence
The prison term and fine are just the start. A felony conviction creates restrictions that can follow you for decades, some by operation of law and others by practical reality.
Federal Firearms Ban
Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment from possessing firearms or ammunition.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Every Class G felony carries a potential sentence exceeding one year, so the ban triggers automatically. It applies regardless of the sentence actually imposed. A Class G conviction with straight probation still strips your right to own a gun under federal law.
Restoring federal firearms rights requires applying to the Attorney General for relief from disabilities. Applications filed before at least five years have passed beyond the end of any sentence, probation, or supervision are presumptively denied absent extraordinary circumstances, and for certain serious offenses that waiting period stretches to ten years. Federal relief does not override a separate state-law prohibition on firearm possession.3Federal Register. Application for Relief From Disabilities Imposed by Federal Laws With Respect to the Acquisition, Receipt, Transfer, Shipment, Transportation, or Possession of Firearms
Voting Rights
Felony disenfranchisement laws vary widely. A few states never revoke voting rights, even during incarceration. Roughly half restore them automatically upon release. Others require completion of parole and probation first, and a smaller number bar certain felons from voting indefinitely absent a pardon or individual clemency. The specific rule depends on the state of conviction and the state where you live afterward.
Employment and Professional Licenses
Many employers run background checks, and a felony record can disqualify candidates from positions in healthcare, education, finance, law enforcement, and government. Licensing boards in fields like nursing, real estate, and accounting typically require disclosure and may deny or revoke a license depending on the offense.
Some convictions carry mandatory disqualifications. Sexual misconduct, patient abuse, or violence often results in an automatic bar to healthcare licensure. Theft, drug offenses, and fraud may not automatically disqualify you, but the board weighs them during application review. Convictions that have been expunged or sealed generally do not need to be disclosed.
Commercial Driver’s License
If you hold a commercial driver’s license, a felony conviction can end your driving career. Using any vehicle to commit a felony results in a one-year CDL disqualification for a first offense and a lifetime disqualification for a second. If the vehicle was carrying hazardous materials, the first-offense disqualification is three years. Drug manufacturing or distribution felonies committed using a vehicle carry a lifetime ban with no reinstatement. For other felonies, a state may reinstate a lifetime-disqualified driver after ten years if the person completes an approved rehabilitation program, but a single subsequent disqualifying conviction makes the ban permanent.4eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers
Housing, Aid, and Other Barriers
Housing authorities have discretion to deny public housing applicants based on criminal history, and private landlords frequently screen for felonies. Federal student loan eligibility is generally not affected by a felony conviction alone, though drug convictions occurring while receiving federal aid can trigger a temporary loss of eligibility. Jury service is typically barred for convicted felons in most states, and many states prohibit felons from holding public office. Mandatory court costs and administrative fees ranging from roughly $50 to several hundred dollars add to the financial burden on top of any fine.
Probation Conditions
Many Class G sentences include supervised probation, either instead of or following incarceration. Probation is not a free pass. Violating any condition can send you to prison for the remainder of your original sentence.
Standard conditions usually include maintaining employment or pursuing education, staying within the court’s jurisdiction unless granted permission to travel, submitting to regular drug testing, and reporting to a probation officer on a set schedule. You must promptly notify your officer of any address or employment change. Courts may add conditions such as substance abuse treatment, community service, or restitution to the victim.
Restitution orders deserve particular attention. They function like a debt that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. If the court orders you to compensate a victim, the obligation persists until paid in full, whether or not your probation period ends.
Clearing the Record Later
Whether a Class G felony can eventually come off your record depends entirely on the state. Some states specifically exclude Class G felonies from their expungement statutes, meaning the conviction stays on your record permanently no matter how much time passes. Other states allow expungement of nonviolent felonies after a waiting period that typically ranges from five to twenty years following completion of your sentence, probation, and any supervision.
Where expungement is available, you generally petition the court and show that you have no pending charges, have remained law-abiding, and have been rehabilitated. The burden is on you, and many states require clear and convincing evidence rather than a simple preponderance. If the court grants the petition, records are sealed from public view, and in most states you are no longer required to disclose the conviction on employment or licensing applications.
Even in states with relatively generous laws, certain Class G offenses are often permanently excluded, particularly those involving sexual conduct, domestic violence, or offenses against children. Check the specific statute in your state before assuming expungement is on the table.