ARD Program
About
The Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) Program is designed to give first time, non-violent offenders an opportunity to pay their debt to society through a combination of counseling, various classes, interviews, paying back fines and court costs, and community service.
The ARD Program is unique because it allows defendants to have their records expunged as long as all terms and conditions of the program are fulfilled. However, when the current offense is the defendant's first DUI, the Court will accept an ARD petition for the current DUI even though there may have been a prior non-DUI ARD or a non-DUI conviction.
The Court will exercise its discretion to grant or deny the Petition depending on the nature of the prior offense, how recent it may have occurred, and any other factor(s) the Court deems relevant.
Apply
To apply for the ARD Program, please follow the instructions detailed below.
- Completely fill out with the correct information, using the Court of Common Pleas docket number rather than the Magistrate docket number, and return to the District Attorney's Office the original along with 3 copies of the 8 page ARD application, which can be downloaded and printed out (PDF).
- If applicable, complete and file the original and 3 copies of the Waiver of Arraignment and Entry of Plea form in the Fayette County Clerk of Courts Office. The original copy is to remain in the Clerk of Courts Office and the remaining 3 copies are to be distributed to the District Attorney's Office, Court Administrator's Office, and the defendant/attorney. This form can be downloaded and printed out (PDF) via the link below.
- If the defendant's charges are drug/alcohol related, please contact the Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission for any/all requirements that must be met in order to comply with the terms and conditions of the ARD Program. They can be reached at 724-438-3576.