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Expungement laws by state

There is no one national expungement law. Your state decides the path.

Choose your state for a focused guide to expungement, sealing, set-aside, dismissal, clean-slate relief, pardons, and other record-clearing options available under that jurisdiction’s law.

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Direct answer

“Expungement” can mean very different things from state to state.

Some states erase or seal records, some set convictions aside, some use automatic clean-slate systems, and others offer only narrow relief. The useful question is what your state allows and what the resulting order actually changes.

Compare state-by-state relief →
50 states + Washington, D.C.

Find your expungement guide.

Every state page includes a direct answer, state-specific relief terminology, common eligibility factors, limitations, related gun-rights issues, and FAQs.

AL
AlabamaExpungement · Petition-based relief; pardoned felonies may qualify if the offense is otherwise eligible.
→ AK
AlaskaSet-aside / limited sealing · The disposition used at sentencing is often more important than a later expungement petition.
→ AZ
ArizonaSealing / set-aside / marijuana expungement · Petition to seal after the applicable waiting period; some cases may also qualify for set-aside.
→ AR
ArkansasSealing · Petition-based sealing; the standard and hearing requirements vary by offense level.
→ CA
CaliforniaDismissal / set-aside / sealing · Eligibility can be automatic or petition-based depending on the conviction, sentence, and record.
→ CO
ColoradoSealing / clean slate · Automatic or petition-based sealing depending on offense and eligibility.
→ CT
ConnecticutErasure / Clean Slate · Automatic erasure for qualifying records; pardon-based erasure for additional cases.
→ DE
DelawareExpungement · Automatic or petition-based expungement depending on the record category.
→ DC
District of ColumbiaSealing / expungement · Petition-based sealing is available now for many records; automatic relief applies to designated categories on the statutory schedule.
→ FL
FloridaSealing / expunction · Certificate of eligibility plus court filing for qualifying records; adult convictions are usually outside the general remedy.
→ GA
GeorgiaRecord restriction / sealing · Administrative restriction followed by court sealing for qualifying records.
→ HI
HawaiiLimited expungement / vacatur · Narrow conviction relief; broader relief is available for eligible non-conviction records.
→ ID
IdahoShielding / set-aside / reduction · Petition-based relief; the legal effect depends on the type of order entered.
→ IL
IllinoisSealing / expungement · Petition-based sealing or expungement; marijuana and some non-conviction records have additional automatic processes.
→ IN
IndianaExpungement / sealing · Petition-based; waiting periods increase with offense seriousness.
→ IA
IowaLimited expungement / deferred judgment · Narrow petition-based relief; deferred judgment can be especially important.
→ KS
KansasExpungement · Court petition after the applicable waiting period; a presumption can favor eligible petitioners.
→ KY
KentuckyVacatur / dismissal / expungement · Petition-based conviction relief plus automatic relief for some non-convictions.
→ LA
LouisianaExpungement · Court motion after the applicable waiting period; first-offender and deferred cases may follow different rules.
→ ME
MaineLimited sealing · Narrow conviction sealing; other relief may depend on disposition or pardon.
→ MD
MarylandExpungement / shielding · Petition-based conviction expungement; many non-convictions clear automatically.
→ MA
MassachusettsSealing · Administrative application for many records; some non-convictions require court review.
→ MI
MichiganSet-aside / Clean Slate · Automatic and petition-based set-aside, depending on offense and record history.
→ MN
MinnesotaExpungement / sealing / Clean Slate · Automatic or petition-based sealing depending on the record.
→ MS
MississippiExpungement · Court petition; first-offender and single-felony limits are important.
→ MO
MissouriExpungement · Petition-based after the statutory waiting period and satisfaction of eligibility requirements.
→ MT
MontanaMisdemeanor expungement / deferred dismissal · One-time misdemeanor expungement; felony relief is generally limited.
→ NE
NebraskaSet-aside / limited sealing · Set-aside can remove civil disabilities without making the court record disappear.
→ NV
NevadaRecord sealing · Petition-based sealing with a statutory presumption favoring eligible applicants.
→ NH
New HampshireAnnulment · Court petition after the applicable waiting period.
→ NJ
New JerseyExpungement / Clean Slate · Petition-based now; clean-slate automation applies to qualifying records as the system processes them.
→ NM
New MexicoExpungement · Court petition after the required waiting period; some marijuana records clear automatically.
→ NY
New YorkSealing / marijuana expungement · Court petition for general conviction sealing; automatic relief for designated marijuana records.
→ NC
North CarolinaExpunction · Petition-based conviction relief plus automatic clearing for many non-convictions.
→ ND
North DakotaSealing · Court petition under a good-cause and balancing standard.
→ OH
OhioSealing / expungement · Petition-based, with eligibility based on offense level, waiting period, and exclusions.
→ OK
OklahomaExpungement / Clean Slate · Automatic for designated records; petition-based for many convictions, including eligible felonies.
→ OR
OregonSet-aside / sealing · Court petition after the applicable waiting period and crime-free period.
→ PA
PennsylvaniaClean Slate / limited access / expungement · Automatic sealing for designated records; broader petition-based sealing for others.
→ RI
Rhode IslandExpungement / sealing · Court petition; deferred-sentence cases can qualify immediately upon successful completion.
→ SC
South CarolinaExpungement · Circuit solicitor process for qualifying records; many serious convictions are excluded.
→ SD
South DakotaAutomatic sealing / limited expungement · Automatic for designated minor records; felony relief is much narrower.
→ TN
TennesseeExpungement · Petition-based; qualifying pardon and diversion cases have additional paths.
→ TX
TexasNondisclosure / expunction · Nondisclosure for qualifying convictions or deferred cases; expunction for qualifying non-convictions and pardoned cases.
→ UT
UtahExpungement / Clean Slate · Automatic for designated records; certificate-of-eligibility and court petition for others.
→ VT
VermontSealing / expungement · Petition-based relief plus diversion/deferred-sentence paths.
→ VA
VirginiaSealing · Automatic and petition-based sealing under the 2026 framework.
→ WA
WashingtonVacatur / dismissal · Court motion after offense-specific waiting period and satisfaction of eligibility rules.
→ WV
West VirginiaExpungement · Petition-based; applicants must meet record, timing, and rehabilitation requirements.
→ WI
WisconsinLimited expungement · Eligibility usually must be preserved at sentencing; later relief is narrow.
→ WY
WyomingExpungement · Court petition after the applicable waiting period; offense exclusions are substantial.
→
Start with the outcome

Record relief is about legal effect, not just the label.

People often use “expungement” to describe every form of record clearing, but state statutes use different terms and create different results. A record may be sealed from ordinary public view, set aside, dismissed after conviction, restricted, automatically cleared, or left accessible to specific agencies.

Common issues every state review should answer

Is the final conviction eligible? Is there a waiting period? Are violent, sexual, driving, weapons, or other specified offenses excluded? Must restitution or supervision be complete? Does the relief change disclosure obligations? Do government agencies retain access?

Gun rights need a separate analysis

A record becoming sealed or harder to find does not automatically establish firearm eligibility. If restoration of gun rights is part of the goal, the state firearm rule and federal law should be reviewed separately.

AEO + FAQ

Questions people ask before clearing a record.

The state guides narrow these answers to each jurisdiction.

No. Every jurisdiction has its own terminology, eligible offenses, waiting periods, exclusions, and legal effects. Some states offer broad sealing while others provide only narrow relief.

Usually not. Sealing often limits public access while courts, law enforcement, licensing agencies, or other authorized entities may retain access under state law.

In many states, at least some felony convictions can qualify for sealing, set-aside, expungement, or another form of relief. Serious-offense exclusions and waiting periods vary widely.

Not automatically. The effect of the order must be checked under both state firearm law and federal law.

Timing depends on the state, court, eligibility investigation, prosecutor response, hearing requirements, and how quickly record repositories update after an order.

Start with the final disposition, sentence, proof of completion, criminal-history report, and copies of any previous sealing, pardon, dismissal, or restoration orders.