diff --git a/api/kyverno/v2alpha1/policy_exception_types.go b/api/kyverno/v2alpha1/policy_exception_types.go
index 67ea7a3b55..5d36477a1b 100644
--- a/api/kyverno/v2alpha1/policy_exception_types.go
+++ b/api/kyverno/v2alpha1/policy_exception_types.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 // +kubebuilder:object:root=true
 // +k8s:deepcopy-gen:interfaces=k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/runtime.Object
 // +kubebuilder:resource:shortName=polex,categories=kyverno
-// +kubebuilder:deprecatedversion
+// +kubebuilder:unservedversion
 
 // PolicyException declares resources to be excluded from specified policies.
 type PolicyException kyvernov2beta1.PolicyException
diff --git a/charts/kyverno/charts/crds/templates/crds.yaml b/charts/kyverno/charts/crds/templates/crds.yaml
index c1f1fde4ef..97817a0aaf 100644
--- a/charts/kyverno/charts/crds/templates/crds.yaml
+++ b/charts/kyverno/charts/crds/templates/crds.yaml
@@ -42418,8 +42418,7 @@ spec:
         type: object
     served: true
     storage: true
-  - deprecated: true
-    name: v2alpha1
+  - name: v2alpha1
     schema:
       openAPIV3Schema:
         description: PolicyException declares resources to be excluded from specified
@@ -43008,7 +43007,7 @@ spec:
         required:
         - spec
         type: object
-    served: true
+    served: false
     storage: false
   - deprecated: true
     name: v2beta1
diff --git a/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/data/crds/kyverno.io_policyexceptions.yaml b/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/data/crds/kyverno.io_policyexceptions.yaml
index 8ce5d25f8f..44acb9b8be 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/data/crds/kyverno.io_policyexceptions.yaml
+++ b/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/data/crds/kyverno.io_policyexceptions.yaml
@@ -609,8 +609,7 @@ spec:
         type: object
     served: true
     storage: true
-  - deprecated: true
-    name: v2alpha1
+  - name: v2alpha1
     schema:
       openAPIV3Schema:
         description: PolicyException declares resources to be excluded from specified
@@ -1199,7 +1198,7 @@ spec:
         required:
         - spec
         type: object
-    served: true
+    served: false
     storage: false
   - deprecated: true
     name: v2beta1
diff --git a/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/exception/load.go b/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/exception/load.go
index 9258f7cf44..8fd047fdd6 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/exception/load.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/exception/load.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	kyvernov2 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v2"
-	kyvernov2alpha1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v2alpha1"
 	kyvernov2beta1 "github.com/kyverno/kyverno/api/kyverno/v2beta1"
 	"github.com/kyverno/kyverno/cmd/cli/kubectl-kyverno/data"
 	"github.com/kyverno/kyverno/ext/resource/convert"
@@ -15,10 +14,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	factory, _        = resourceloader.New(openapiclient.NewComposite(openapiclient.NewLocalCRDFiles(data.Crds(), data.CrdsFolder)))
-	exceptionV2alpha1 = schema.GroupVersion(kyvernov2alpha1.GroupVersion).WithKind("PolicyException")
-	exceptionV2beta1  = schema.GroupVersion(kyvernov2beta1.GroupVersion).WithKind("PolicyException")
-	exceptionV2       = schema.GroupVersion(kyvernov2.GroupVersion).WithKind("PolicyException")
+	factory, _       = resourceloader.New(openapiclient.NewComposite(openapiclient.NewLocalCRDFiles(data.Crds(), data.CrdsFolder)))
+	exceptionV2beta1 = schema.GroupVersion(kyvernov2beta1.GroupVersion).WithKind("PolicyException")
+	exceptionV2      = schema.GroupVersion(kyvernov2.GroupVersion).WithKind("PolicyException")
 )
 
 func Load(content []byte) ([]*kyvernov2.PolicyException, error) {
@@ -33,7 +31,7 @@ func Load(content []byte) ([]*kyvernov2.PolicyException, error) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		switch gvk {
-		case exceptionV2alpha1, exceptionV2beta1, exceptionV2:
+		case exceptionV2beta1, exceptionV2:
 			exception, err := convert.To[kyvernov2.PolicyException](untyped)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
diff --git a/config/crds/kyverno.io_policyexceptions.yaml b/config/crds/kyverno.io_policyexceptions.yaml
index 8ce5d25f8f..44acb9b8be 100644
--- a/config/crds/kyverno.io_policyexceptions.yaml
+++ b/config/crds/kyverno.io_policyexceptions.yaml
@@ -609,8 +609,7 @@ spec:
         type: object
     served: true
     storage: true
-  - deprecated: true
-    name: v2alpha1
+  - name: v2alpha1
     schema:
       openAPIV3Schema:
         description: PolicyException declares resources to be excluded from specified
@@ -1199,7 +1198,7 @@ spec:
         required:
         - spec
         type: object
-    served: true
+    served: false
     storage: false
   - deprecated: true
     name: v2beta1
diff --git a/config/install-latest-testing.yaml b/config/install-latest-testing.yaml
index d82c6797cb..bf3ad65ad2 100644
--- a/config/install-latest-testing.yaml
+++ b/config/install-latest-testing.yaml
@@ -42641,8 +42641,7 @@ spec:
         type: object
     served: true
     storage: true
-  - deprecated: true
-    name: v2alpha1
+  - name: v2alpha1
     schema:
       openAPIV3Schema:
         description: PolicyException declares resources to be excluded from specified
@@ -43231,7 +43230,7 @@ spec:
         required:
         - spec
         type: object
-    served: true
+    served: false
     storage: false
   - deprecated: true
     name: v2beta1