57 articles
Alabama expungement laws under Ala. Code § 15-27-1 et seq. allow eligible people to clear dismissed charges and, since 2021, certain convictions. Learn eligibility, waiting periods, and the $500 filing fee.
Alaska has no general expungement law. Learn the only two forms of record relief available: the AS 12.55.085 set-aside and the AS 12.62.180 inaccurate-records seal.
Arizona offers three ways to clear a record: set aside under A.R.S. § 13-905, record sealing under A.R.S. § 13-911 (available January 1, 2023), and marijuana expungement under A.R.S. § 36-2862.
Arkansas uses record sealing under the Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013, A.C.A. § 16-90-1401. Learn who qualifies, waiting periods, the exclusion list, and how to file a petition.
California does not have true expungement. Learn how PC 1203.4 dismissal and automatic Clean Slate relief work, who qualifies, and how to file.
Colorado uses "sealing" not "expungement" for adult criminal records. Learn eligibility, waiting periods, automatic sealing under SB 22-099 (C.R.S. § 24-72-706), and how to petition the court.
Connecticut uses "erasure" instead of expungement. Learn how the Clean Slate law (Public Act 21-32, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142u) automatically erases eligible convictions, and how an absolute pardon from the Board of Pardons and Paroles erases your record.
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer said on June 1, 2026 the first automated Clean Slate batch cleared over 64,000 eligible low-level cases from public background checks.
Delaware expungement laws under 11 Del. C. Chapter 43, Subchapter VII. Covers mandatory expungement (§ 4373), discretionary petition (§ 4374), and the automatic Clean Slate program active since August 1, 2024.
Learn how to seal or expunge your criminal record in the District of Columbia. Covers D.C. Code § 16-801 et seq., waiting periods, automatic sealing under the Second Chance Amendment Act, and marijuana expungement.
Expungement clears or seals a criminal record. Learn what it means, who qualifies, federal vs. state rules, and the Clean Slate laws, updated for 2026.
Florida law offers two tracks to clear your record: sealing under Fla. Stat. § 943.059 and expungement under § 943.0585, both requiring a Certificate of Eligibility from FDLE. Learn who qualifies, what disqualifies you, and the step-by-step process.
Georgia uses "record restriction" under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37. Learn who qualifies, how SB 288 opened misdemeanor convictions, excluded offenses, and how to petition.
Hawaii expungement under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 831-3.2 covers arrests without conviction and deferred-plea dismissals. Learn eligibility, fees, the HCJDC application, and what Hawaii does not expunge.
Idaho has no general expungement law for adult convictions. Learn what Idaho Code § 19-2604 set-asides actually do, who qualifies, and what relief is truly available.
Illinois HB 1836 takes effect June 30, 2026, cutting misdemeanor sealing waits from 3 to 2 years. Automatic sealing begins January 2029. What changes now.
An Illinois appellate court ruled that a retail-theft record resolved by court supervision cannot be expunged until five years after supervision ends, not two.
Illinois distinguishes expungement from sealing under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2. Learn who qualifies, waiting periods, excluded offenses (DUI is ineligible), and how to petition the circuit court.
Indiana's Second Chance Law (IC 35-38-9) lets you expunge arrests, misdemeanors, and felonies. Learn waiting periods, eligibility tiers, the one-petition rule, and permanent exclusions.
Iowa allows expungement of one misdemeanor conviction under Iowa Code § 901C.3 after an 8-year wait. Learn eligibility rules, excluded offenses including OWI, and how to apply.
Kansas expungement law under K.S.A. 21-6614 lets eligible residents seal convictions and arrest records. Learn waiting periods, ineligible offenses, DUI rules, and how to file.
Kentucky allows expungement of most Class D felonies under KRS 431.073 after a 5-year wait. Learn eligibility, fees ($300 total), the certification process, and misdemeanor rules under KRS 431.078.
Learn how Louisiana expungement works under CCP Articles 976-978: who qualifies, the $550 cost cap, felony and misdemeanor waiting periods, excluded offenses, and the funding-contingent automated expungement process.
Maine does not offer general expungement of adult convictions. Learn who qualifies for Maine's narrow criminal record sealing law, the 4-year waiting period, and which offenses are excluded.
Maryland expungement law (Md. Code, Criminal Procedure § 10-101 et seq.) allows expungement of non-convictions and select convictions. Learn eligibility, waiting periods, shielding, and the 2023 cannabis reforms.
Massachusetts law offers two paths to a clean slate: record sealing under M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100A–100C and expungement under §§ 100E–100U. Learn waiting periods, eligibility, and how to file.
Michigan uses "set aside" instead of expungement under MCL 780.621. Learn eligibility, waiting periods, automatic set-aside under Clean Slate, excluded offenses, and how to file.
Minnesota Clean Slate Act (§ 609A.015) automates expungement; § 609A.02 covers petitions. Waiting periods, eligibility, and cannabis rules explained.
Mississippi allows expunction of certain misdemeanors and a limited list of felonies under Miss. Code § 99-19-71. Learn eligibility, the 5-year waiting period, the one-felony lifetime limit, and which offenses are excluded.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed SB 1421 on July 8, 2026, creating an automatic expungement system for eligible drug convictions. Here's how it works.
Missouri expungement under § 610.140 lets you clear up to 2 felonies and 3 misdemeanors. Learn waiting periods, excluded offenses, DWI rules, and how to file.
Montana allows misdemeanor expungement under Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-1101 et seq. Learn eligibility, the 5-year waiting period, excluded offenses, and the court filing process.
Nebraska does not offer traditional expungement of convictions. Learn how the set-aside process under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2264 and record sealing under § 29-3523 work, who qualifies, and what each remedy does and does not do.
Nevada uses "record sealing" instead of expungement. Learn the NRS 179.245 waiting periods by offense category, AB 192 marijuana sealing, exclusions, and how to file a petition.
New Hampshire uses "annulment" rather than expungement to clear criminal records under RSA 651:5. Learn waiting periods by offense class, excluded offenses, petition steps, and the three-fee structure.
Learn how New Jersey expungement works under N.J.S.A. 2C:52. Covers waiting periods, Clean Slate, cannabis expungement, eligibility, and how to file.
Learn how New Mexico's Criminal Record Expungement Act (NMSA 1978 § 29-3A-1 et seq.) works. Covers waiting periods by offense level, excluded offenses like DWI, the court petition process, and DPS's role in sealing records.
New York uses sealing, not traditional expungement. Learn how CPL 160.59 discretionary sealing, the 2024 Clean Slate Act (CPL 160.57), and marijuana expungement under the MRTA work.
North Carolina calls it expunction. Learn eligibility, waiting periods, automatic expunction of dismissed charges, and how to file under G.S. § 15A-145.5 and § 15A-146.
North Dakota seals criminal records under N.D.C.C. ch. 12-60.1. Misdemeanors qualify after 3 years; felonies after 5 years. Learn eligibility, the petition process, and exclusions.
Ohio allows sealing and expungement of eligible criminal records under ORC 2953.32, most recently amended by House Bill 96 (effective September 30, 2025) after 2023's Senate Bill 288 reform. Learn waiting periods, eligible offenses, and how to file.
Oklahoma expungement under 22 O.S. § 18 covers 16 eligibility categories. Learn the Clean Slate automatic expungement timeline, petition steps, fees, and exclusions.
Oregon uses "set aside" instead of expungement. Learn eligibility, waiting periods, excluded offenses (DUII, sex crimes, Class A felonies), and how SB 397 (2022) changed the rules under ORS 137.225.
Pennsylvania expungement law covers traditional expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122, petition-based sealing under § 9122.1, and automatic Clean Slate sealing under § 9122.2. Learn who qualifies and how to file.
Rhode Island expungement under R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-1.3 covers first-offense misdemeanors (5-year wait), first-offense non-violent felonies (10-year wait), multiple misdemeanors, and automatic cannabis record expungement enacted in 2022.
South Carolina expungement under S.C. Code § 17-22-910 covers first-offense misdemeanors, PTI completions, conditional discharge, and certain drug convictions. Learn waiting periods, fees, and how to apply.
South Dakota allows expungement of arrest records under SDCL § 23A-3-27 and conviction sealing through suspended imposition of sentence under SDCL § 23A-27-13. Learn eligibility, waiting periods, and the petition process.
Learn how Tennessee expungement works under T.C.A. § 40-32-101: eligible misdemeanors and felonies, the 5-year waiting period, the $100 fee, dismissed charges, diversion, and how to file your petition.
Texas uses two record-clearing tools: expunction under Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A destroys records completely, while nondisclosure under Government Code Chapter 411 seals them from public view. Learn eligibility, waiting periods, and how to petition.
Learn how to expunge your record in Utah under Utah Code Title 77 Chapter 40a. Covers petition waiting periods, conviction caps, the Certificate of Eligibility from BCI, and Utah's Clean Slate automatic expungement law.
Vermont allows sealing of qualifying misdemeanors after 3 years and felonies after 7 years under 13 V.S.A. § 7602. Dismissals and acquittals seal automatically within 60 days. Learn who qualifies and how to petition.
Virginia's Clean Slate law begins July 1, 2026, automatically sealing certain misdemeanors after seven clean years and allowing petitions to seal more records, with no filing fees.
Virginia expungement under § 19.2-392.2 clears non-conviction records. A major sealing law, including automatic sealing, has been in effect since July 1, 2026. Learn eligibility and how to file.
Washington uses "vacation" not expungement. Learn the eligibility rules under RCW 9.94A.640 and RCW 9.96.060, waiting periods, the New Hope Act, and how to petition a court to vacate your record.
West Virginia expungement law allows misdemeanor and nonviolent felony convictions to be cleared under W. Va. Code § 61-11-26, expanded by SB 152 in 2019. Learn eligibility, waiting periods, and how to file.
Wisconsin expungement under Wis. Stat. § 973.015 requires the court to order relief at sentencing for offenses committed before age 25 with a maximum sentence of 6 years or less. Learn eligibility, exclusions, and how failed reform efforts have repeatedly stalled.
Learn how Wyoming expungement works under Wyo. Stat. §§ 7-13-1401, 7-13-1501, and 7-13-1502. Covers arrest records, misdemeanor convictions, felony expungement, waiting periods, and the petition process.