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Criminal Defense & Traffic

Expungement & Record Sealing

Clear an arrest or conviction from your record. What an expungement lawyer does, who qualifies for expunction or sealing, and how to find one near you.

Even a dismissed charge shows up on background checks until a court orders it destroyed or sealed. Expungement (expunction), sealing and nondisclosure let qualifying people legally deny the arrest on job, housing and license applications. Eligibility rules are technical and vary by state and by outcome.

What a expungement lawyer does

  • Pulls your full criminal history and checks each entry for eligibility
  • Calculates waiting periods and identifies disqualifying offenses
  • Files the petition and serves every agency holding the record
  • Follows up so the FBI, DPS and private databases actually remove it

When you need a expungement lawyer

  • A case was dismissed, no-billed or you were acquitted
  • You completed deferred adjudication or probation
  • An old conviction is blocking jobs, housing or a license
  • You were arrested but never charged

Questions to ask before you hire a expungement lawyer

  1. Which of my records qualify, and for which remedy?
  2. How long does the process take in this county?
  3. Will you handle the private background-check companies too?
  4. Is the fee flat, and does it include refiling if denied?

Common questions

What is the difference between expungement and sealing?

Expungement orders the record destroyed as if it never existed. Sealing or nondisclosure hides it from the public and most employers but keeps it available to courts, law enforcement and certain licensing agencies.

Find a expungement lawyer near you

Choose your state to see listed firms and the official bar directory for verifying any lawyer’s license.