Delaware Expungement Laws: Mandatory, Discretionary, and Clean Slate (2026)

Delaware offers three paths to expungement under 11 Del. C. Chapter 43, Subchapter VII (§§ 4371-4377): mandatory expungement through the State Bureau of Identification, discretionary expungement by court petition, and automatic "Clean Slate" expungement that the SBI began processing monthly starting August 1, 2024. In June 2026, Delaware ran its first fully automated Clean Slate batch, clearing more than 64,000 eligible cases from public background checks.

Information last verified on June 4, 2026. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed attorney.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Delaware state expungement law only. Laws differ substantially in every state. See Expungement Laws by State for a national overview.

What Delaware's Expungement Law Covers

Delaware's expungement statute, codified at 11 Del. C. § 4371, opens with a statement of legislative policy: criminal histories that persist indefinitely can block employment, housing, education, and access to credit in ways that exceed the original punishment. Subchapter VII therefore creates mechanisms to destroy, segregate, or transfer records to the SBI so they are withheld from public disclosure.

Section 4372 defines "terminated in favor of the accused" broadly. The phrase includes acquittals, nolle prosequi entries, successful completions of probation before judgment, dismissals, cases where no charges were filed within one year of arrest, and cases that are seven or more years old with unknown disposition status absent active warrants. It also establishes a critical baseline rule: any individual with pending charges is ineligible for expungement, with narrow exceptions for minor traffic or drug violations. All fines, fees, and restitution must be satisfied before a petition is granted, though a court may waive outstanding financial obligations or convert them to civil judgments.

Mandatory Expungement Under § 4373

Mandatory expungement means that once a person qualifies and applies, the SBI must process the request. The petitioner applies directly to the SBI, which processes applications monthly and allows multiple cases to be combined in a single request.

Eligible categories under § 4373 include:

• Cases terminated in favor of the accused (no waiting period)
• Marijuana possession and paraphernalia convictions and underage alcohol violations (no additional waiting period even if the person has other ineligible convictions on record)
• Violation-level convictions (Delaware's lowest offense tier) relating to the same case, after a three-year waiting period from the date of conviction, also available even if the person has other ineligible convictions on record
• Misdemeanor convictions, or a combination of misdemeanors and violations relating to the same case, after a five-year waiting period measured from the date of conviction
• Drug possession violations under 16 Del. C. § 4756 after five years from the date of conviction
• Certain felonies including specified drug crimes, forgery, and payment card violations after a ten-year waiting period measured from conviction or release from incarceration, whichever is later

Section 4373 contains its own exclusion list beyond the general bars in § 4372. Domestic violence crimes (defined by victim relationship and specific offense codes), crimes against children, offenses against vulnerable adults, sexual harassment, indecent exposure, organized retail crime, hate crimes, and weapons violations are all excluded from mandatory expungement and must instead go through the discretionary petition process, if they are eligible at all.

A prior expungement does not block a mandatory application. The repeat-expungement limits in § 4372(f)(4) are a ten-year gap between successive non-felony expungements and a bar on expunging a felony conviction that came after an earlier felony expungement was granted, but § 4372(f)(4)c states that paragraph (f)(4) does not apply to a person seeking an expungement under § 4373(a)(1) or (a)(2). Those limits therefore constrain discretionary petitions only. The ten-year rule at § 4372(f)(4)b also keys to a prior expungement that was granted after December 27, 2019, not to the date a new petition is filed.

Automatic Clean Slate Expungement Under § 4373A

Section 4373A was added by legislation commonly called the Clean Slate Act (SB 111, 151st General Assembly, enacted 2021). It requires the SBI to proactively identify records that qualify for mandatory expungement and process them without any action by the individual. The SBI began running these automatic monthly identification and expungement sweeps on August 1, 2024.

Individuals retain the right to file their own petition for mandatory expungement if the SBI has not yet identified their case during the monthly sweep. The statute explicitly states that no liability attaches to the state for delays in identifying eligible records. The substantive eligibility criteria are identical to § 4373; the only difference is who initiates the process. Once automatically expunged, individuals receive the same non-disclosure protections as those who petitioned manually.

Because the SBI's sweeps are ongoing and monthly, people who became eligible before August 2024 may have already had their records processed, though the statute does not guarantee a specific processing date for any individual case.

Discretionary Expungement Under § 4374

Discretionary expungement requires filing a petition in court and convincing a judge that denial would constitute a "manifest injustice" to the petitioner, judged by a preponderance of the evidence standard. The burden rests on the petitioner. The court may dismiss the petition without a hearing unless a hearing is necessary to resolve disputed facts.

Waiting periods and eligibility tiers under § 4374:

• Non-listed misdemeanors: three-year waiting period from sentence completion, with no prior or subsequent convictions
• Listed misdemeanors: seven-year waiting period, with no prior or subsequent convictions
• Felonies: seven-year waiting period from sentence completion, excluding serious felonies under 11 Del. C. § 4201(c) and certain child-protection and assault-related offenses under 31 Del. C. § 309
• Multiple violations or misdemeanors across cases: five-year waiting period, provided no other ineligible convictions exist

Venue is Family Court if all charges were disposed there; otherwise, the petition goes to Superior Court in the county where the most recent case terminated.

Before the court rules, the petitioner must serve the Attorney General. The AG has 120 days to respond and must contact any crime victims to learn their position. Victims' views are disclosed to the court. An AG-initiated petition must be granted. Title 21 driving offenses eligible for discretionary expungement are limited to reckless driving, driving after judgment prohibited, and operation of a vehicle causing death.

Crimes Excluded from Expungement

Very few Delaware convictions are permanently ineligible for expungement. Section 4372(f) opens with the words "Except as otherwise provided under § 4375 of this title," so every exclusion in that subsection gives way to the pardon pathway described below.

The general exclusions at § 4372(f)(3) bar expungement of five specific convictions:

• Vehicular assault in the second degree (§ 628A)
• Incest (§ 766)
• Unlawful sexual contact in the third degree (§ 767)
• Coercion (§ 791)
• Unlawfully dealing with a child (§ 1106)

Only six crimes are ineligible even after an unconditional gubernatorial pardon. Section 4375(a) applies "Notwithstanding any provision of this subchapter or any other law to the contrary," and § 4375(b) excludes only these convictions:

• Manslaughter (§ 632)
• Murder in the second degree (§ 635)
• Murder in the first degree (§ 636)
• Rape in the second degree (§ 772)
• Rape in the first degree (§ 773)
• Sexual abuse of a child by a person in a position of trust, authority, or supervision in the first degree (§ 778(1), (2), or (3))

A Title 11 violent felony listed in § 4201(c) is therefore not permanently unexpungeable. It is barred from discretionary expungement by § 4374(b)(1), and it is outside mandatory expungement because § 4373 reaches only the offenses it enumerates, but a person who receives an unconditional pardon may still petition under § 4375 unless the conviction is one of the six above.

Domestic violence crimes (as defined by victim relationship and specific offense codes) and offenses against children or vulnerable adults are excluded from mandatory expungement under § 4373 and from automatic expungement under § 4373A, which mirrors § 4373's eligibility criteria. Discretionary expungement under § 4374 has its own, narrower exclusion list instead: violent felonies under § 4201(c), the offenses cross-referenced at 16 Del. C. § 1136 and 31 Del. C. § 3913, and felony child physical or sexual assault crimes under 31 Del. C. § 309. Because that list does not include domestic violence or vulnerable-adult offenses generally, a person convicted of one of them may still be eligible to petition for discretionary expungement.

If your conviction is on one of these lists, ask a Delaware criminal defense lawyer in a free consultation whether a discretionary petition or a pardon is open to you (attorney advertising).

What Expungement Does and Does Not Do

Once a Delaware court issues an expungement order, courts must remove the records within 60 days. The SBI notifies all relevant agencies and controls access to the expunged records. Under § 4376, it is a Class B misdemeanor for any person to unlawfully open, review, or disclose an expunged record.

Individuals with expunged records generally need not disclose the arrest or conviction on job applications or housing applications. However, § 4376(a) carves out exceptions. Law enforcement agencies may access expunged records when investigating criminal activity. Applicants for law enforcement positions must disclose expunged records. Criminal justice agencies may use them to determine eligibility for probation before judgment or diversion programs, and for concealed deadly weapon licensing decisions.

Photographs, fingerprints, and DNA samples collected during a felony arrest remain available to law enforcement for active investigations even after expungement. If the person is later convicted of a new offense, § 4376 allows the SBI to provide expunged records to courts, the Attorney General, and the defendant for sentencing and pardon purposes.

Federal records are addressed separately: under § 4377, the SBI notifies the appropriate federal law enforcement agency when an expungement order is issued, but federal law governs whether federal records are affected.

Disclaimer: This article summarizes Delaware expungement law under 11 Del. C. Chapter 43, Subchapter VII as verified on May 29, 2026. It is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change; individual facts vary. Consult a licensed Delaware attorney before taking any action to expunge your record.

Related Articles

• Expungement Laws by State
• DUI Expungement by State
• How to Check If Your Record Has Been Expunged
• Delaware Clears 64,000 Records in First Clean Slate Auto Batch (2026)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I expunge my record in Delaware?

The process depends on which type of expungement applies. For mandatory expungement, submit an application directly to the Delaware State Bureau of Identification (SBI), which processes requests monthly under 11 Del. C. § 4373. If you qualify for the automatic Clean Slate program under § 4373A, the SBI may already be processing your record without any action on your part. For discretionary expungement, file a petition in Superior Court or Family Court under § 4374, serve the Attorney General, and demonstrate that denial would cause manifest injustice.

What is Delaware's Clean Slate automatic expungement?

Delaware's Clean Slate law, codified at 11 Del. C. § 4373A, requires the SBI to identify and automatically expunge records that qualify for mandatory expungement without requiring individuals to file a petition. The SBI began running these monthly sweeps on August 1, 2024. Eligibility requirements are the same as for petition-based mandatory expungement under § 4373. You can still file your own petition if the SBI has not yet processed your case.

What does 11 Del. C. § 4373 cover?

Section 4373 of Title 11 governs mandatory expungement in Delaware. It covers non-conviction dismissals and acquittals (no waiting period), violation-level convictions relating to the same case after three years, misdemeanor convictions after five years from the date of conviction, certain drug possession offenses after five years, and specified felonies including some drug crimes, forgery, and payment card violations after ten years. Domestic violence crimes, crimes against children, and weapons violations are excluded from § 4373 and must use the discretionary petition process under § 4374, if eligible.

How long does it take to expunge a record in Delaware?

After the SBI or a court issues an expungement order, courts have 60 days to remove records under 11 Del. C. § 4372. For SBI-processed mandatory expungements, the SBI runs its review cycle monthly. For court petition cases under § 4374, the Attorney General has up to 120 days to respond after being served, so the overall timeline from filing to final order typically runs several months. Total processing time varies by case complexity and court backlog.

Can a felony be expunged in Delaware?

Yes, certain felonies can be expunged in Delaware, but eligibility depends on the specific offense. Under § 4373, specified felonies including certain drug crimes, forgery, and payment card violations become eligible for mandatory expungement after a ten-year waiting period. Under § 4374, most felonies that are not classified as violent felonies under § 4201(c) may be eligible for discretionary expungement after seven years. A Title 11 violent felony listed in § 4201(c) is barred from that discretionary route, but § 4375 still allows a petition after an unconditional gubernatorial pardon. Only manslaughter, murder in the first or second degree, rape in the first or second degree, and first-degree sexual abuse of a child by a person in a position of trust are ineligible even after a pardon.

Does Delaware automatic expungement apply to old cases?

Yes. The automatic Clean Slate process under § 4373A applies to cases that already qualify for mandatory expungement, not just new ones. Since the SBI began its monthly sweeps on August 1, 2024, many older eligible cases are being processed. The statute does not set a specific deadline for completing historical cases, and it explicitly states that no liability attaches to the state for any delay in identifying eligible records.

What crimes can never be expunged in Delaware?

Only six crimes are ineligible under every pathway: manslaughter (11 Del. C. § 632), murder in the second degree (§ 635), murder in the first degree (§ 636), rape in the second degree (§ 772), rape in the first degree (§ 773), and sexual abuse of a child by a person in a position of trust, authority, or supervision in the first degree (§ 778(1), (2), or (3)). Those are the exclusions in § 4375(b), the only bar that survives an unconditional gubernatorial pardon. Every other exclusion is pathway-specific. Section 4372(f)(3) bars vehicular assault in the second degree, incest, unlawful sexual contact in the third degree, coercion, and unlawfully dealing with a child, and § 4374(b) bars Title 11 violent felonies listed in § 4201(c) from discretionary petitions, but both of those provisions yield to § 4375, so a pardon can reopen them. Domestic violence crimes and offenses against children or vulnerable adults are excluded from mandatory and automatic expungement, yet they may still support a discretionary petition under § 4374.

Do I have to disclose an expunged conviction in Delaware?

Generally, no. Under 11 Del. C. § 4376, individuals with expunged records are not required to disclose the arrest or conviction on most applications. However, you must disclose expunged records when applying for law enforcement positions. Law enforcement agencies may also access expunged records for active criminal investigations and for concealed deadly weapon licensing determinations. If you are subsequently convicted of a new offense, courts may also access prior expunged records at sentencing.