A Class E felony is the lowest-ranked felony under the federal classification system, carrying a prison sentence of more than one year and less than five years, plus fines up to $250,000. It’s still a serious criminal offense. A conviction triggers the same lifetime consequences as any other felony: loss of gun rights, disqualification from jury service, possible deportation for non-citizens, and long-term barriers to jobs, housing, and travel.
Where Class E Sits in the Federal Felony Scale
Federal law sorts felonies into five classes by the maximum prison term the crime carries. Class A is the most severe, Class E the least:
- Class A: life imprisonment or death
- Class B: 25 years or more
- Class C: 10 years up to (but less than) 25 years
- Class D: 5 years up to (but less than) 10 years
- Class E: more than 1 year up to (but less than) 5 years
When a federal statute defines a crime without assigning it a letter grade, the classification defaults to the ranges above based on the maximum authorized prison term.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3559 – Sentencing Classification of Offenses That one-year floor is what separates every felony from a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor tops out at a year or less in a local jail; a felony means state or federal prison.
Some states also use letter-grade felony systems, but the ranges don’t always match the federal one. New York, for example, caps Class E felonies at four years rather than five. If your charge is a state offense labeled “Class E,” check that state’s own definition; the rest of this article follows the federal framework, though most of the collateral consequences apply either way.
Offenses Typically Charged as Class E Felonies
Class E felonies tend to be lower-level versions of more serious crimes, or first-time offenses without large-scale harm. Federal examples include simple possession of a controlled substance without intent to distribute, low-level financial fraud, minor environmental law violations, and assaulting a federal officer. State-level examples commonly include fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree insurance fraud, falsifying business records, vehicular assault, and stalking.
The “lowest felony” label can mislead. Some Class E offenses are violent, and the classification reflects sentencing exposure, not the moral weight of the conduct. A Class E conviction produces the same lifetime consequences as any other felony.
Penalties for a Class E Felony
Prison Time
A federal Class E felony conviction can result in a prison sentence of more than one year and less than five.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3559 – Sentencing Classification of Offenses The actual sentence depends on federal sentencing guidelines, the facts, and the defendant’s criminal history. First-time offenders without aggravating factors often land at the low end of the range or avoid prison altogether through probation.
Fines
Federal law caps the fine for any felony conviction at $250,000 for an individual.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3571 – Sentence of Fine That ceiling applies to Class E felonies as it does to Class A. Courts rarely impose the maximum on lower-level offenses, but the statutory exposure is real. If a specific statute sets a different fine amount, the court applies the greater one.
Probation
Federal probation for any felony conviction runs between one and five years.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3561 – Sentence of Probation For Class E felonies, courts often impose probation instead of incarceration, especially for nonviolent first offenses. Conditions typically include check-ins with a probation officer, drug testing, travel restrictions, and sometimes community service.
Supervised Release
If you serve prison time, the court can add up to one year of supervised release afterward.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3583 – Inclusion of a Term of Supervised Release After Imprisonment You have to avoid new crimes and controlled substances, submit to drug testing, and follow any other conditions the court sets. Violating supervised release can send you back to prison.
Restitution
Courts can also order you to compensate victims for financial losses caused by the crime. Restitution is mandatory for some offenses and discretionary for others. It goes to the people harmed, not to the government.
Civil Rights You Lose Automatically
Conviction of any felony, Class E included, strips certain rights by operation of statute. A judge doesn’t have to impose these; they attach the moment you’re convicted.
Firearms
Federal law bars anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment from possessing, purchasing, or transporting firearms or ammunition.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts Every Class E felony meets that threshold by definition. The ban applies even if your actual sentence was shorter than one year, was suspended, or resulted in probation only. What matters is the maximum sentence the crime carries, not what the judge imposed. Violating the ban is itself a separate federal felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Jury Service
Federal law disqualifies anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year from serving on a grand or petit jury, unless their civil rights have been restored.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 1865 – Qualifications for Jury Service Most states have parallel restrictions.
Voting
Voting rights after a felony conviction vary entirely by state. A few states never take voting rights away, even during incarceration. About half automatically restore them upon release from prison. The rest impose waiting periods, require completion of parole and probation, or demand action from the governor before rights return.7National Conference of State Legislatures. Restoration of Voting Rights for Felons Check your state’s rules; the variation is enormous.
Employment, Housing, and Professional Licensing
The statutory penalties often matter less than what happens after. A felony record shows up on background checks, and the practical consequences can outlast any prison sentence.
Most employers run background checks, and a felony conviction can disqualify you from entire industries. Government jobs, positions requiring security clearances, and roles in finance or healthcare frequently carry hard disqualifiers for felony convictions.
Housing is similarly difficult. Private landlords routinely screen for criminal records, and federally subsidized housing programs can deny applicants based on certain convictions. Professional licensing boards in most states have some authority to deny or revoke licenses based on criminal history, though a growing number of states now require the conviction to be directly related to the profession before a board can act.
Immigration Consequences for Non-Citizens
For non-citizens, a Class E felony can be more devastating than the criminal sentence itself. Federal immigration law makes any non-citizen convicted of an “aggravated felony” deportable at any time after admission to the United States.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 U.S. Code 1227 – Deportable Aliens The immigration definition of “aggravated felony” is broader than it sounds and can include offenses classified as Class E, particularly fraud and theft crimes with sentences of one year or more.
Even when a Class E felony isn’t an aggravated felony, it can still trigger removal. A non-citizen convicted of a “crime involving moral turpitude” within five years of admission is deportable if the offense carries a potential sentence of one year or more.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 U.S. Code 1227 – Deportable Aliens Two such convictions at any time after admission, regardless of when they occurred, also make a non-citizen deportable. If you aren’t a U.S. citizen and you’re facing any felony charge, the immigration consequences should drive defense strategy as much as the criminal penalties.
Travel Restrictions
TSA PreCheck and Global Entry
A Class E felony conviction can disqualify you from trusted traveler programs. TSA maintains two lists. Certain serious crimes permanently bar enrollment. A longer “interim” list disqualifies you if the conviction occurred within seven years of your application, or if you were released from incarceration within five years of applying.9Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors The interim list includes fraud, firearm offenses, controlled substance distribution, robbery, arson, and smuggling, among others. Many of these overlap with common Class E charges.
Crossing Into Canada
Canada is the most commonly encountered international barrier. Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a foreign national is inadmissible if convicted of an offense that would be punishable as an indictable crime under Canadian law.10Government of Canada. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act SC 2001 c 27 – Section 36 Many Class E felonies meet that threshold. You can apply for “criminal rehabilitation” once five years have passed since you completed your entire sentence. Until then, you may be turned away at the border. Australia and Japan also screen for criminal convictions at entry, though policies and enforcement vary.
Expunging or Sealing the Record
Depending on the jurisdiction and the offense, you may eventually be able to get a Class E felony conviction expunged or sealed. Expungement usually results in the case being dismissed on your record, though some government agencies can still access it. Sealing goes further, making the record invisible on standard background checks. Neither option exists under every state’s law for every offense.
Eligibility usually requires that you’ve completed your entire sentence, including probation and supervised release, with no new charges pending. Most states impose a waiting period after sentence completion before you can petition, commonly three to seven years for felonies. Serious violent and sexual offenses are typically excluded. Filing fees range from nothing to a few hundred dollars, and many courts allow fee waivers for low-income applicants.
Expungement or sealing can remove many of the employment and housing barriers described above. If you qualify, it’s one of the most useful steps you can take after finishing your sentence.
Negotiating the Charge Down
Because Class E felonies sit at the bottom of the felony scale, they’re among the most frequently negotiated charges. Prosecutors routinely reduce Class E felonies to misdemeanors in exchange for a guilty plea, cooperation, or completion of a diversion program. The difference on your record is significant: misdemeanors don’t trigger the federal firearms ban, don’t carry the same immigration exposure, and create far fewer barriers to employment and housing.
Whether a reduction is available depends on the specific charge, your criminal history, the jurisdiction, and the strength of the prosecution’s case. Not every Class E felony is eligible, and some offenses have mandatory minimums or other restrictions that limit what a prosecutor can offer. Getting an experienced criminal defense attorney involved early matters, because for a Class E felony the collateral consequences of a conviction often outweigh the direct penalties by a wide margin.