• A criminal record is a history of all of your arrests and convictions.
• Sealing - The process of permanently erasing and destroying arrests and convictions from your record.
• Expunging - The process of removing arrests and convictions from the public record. Law enforcement agencies still have access to view all arrests and convictions.
• Certain eligibility requirements exist for both Sealing and Expunging arrest and criminal records.

Sealing an adult criminal record can only be done when an arrest is made without a conviction and you can prove you are factually innocent of the charges.

You can seal your arrest record if you were arrested as an adult and the case was either:

• Dismissed
• Rejected
• Never filed by the District Attorney or City Attorney's office

A background check will reveal the arrest along with finger prints, booking photos, and the arrest report. This information is a public record and does not disappear even when there is no formal case or charges filed.

A Petition to Seal and Destroy Arrest Records pursuant to California Penal Code, Section 851.8 is filed by an attorney. The process can take from 9 to 12 months.

For more information please contact our office.

Expunging a criminal record is the legal process by which arrests and convictions are removed from the public record. It applies to most misdemeanors and some felonies.

Having a criminal record impacts your ability to obtain credit or to get the job you want. There are other serious consequences of having a criminal conviction.

There are many benefits of expunging your criminal record, including the ability to legally answer 'no' to questions on non-governmental forms, which ask, "Have You Ever Been Convicted of a Crime?".

For Expungement Eligibility Requirements and additional information, please refer to California Expungements.

If you have been arrested or committed a juvenile crime (a crime committed by persons under the age of 18), you will have a juvenile record.

As a minor you can seal both arrests and convictions. When juvenile records are sealed, the record of arrest, detention, prosecution, and conviction are physically sealed and/or destroyed.

Sealing your juvenile record will allow you to move into adulthood with a 'clean slate'.

There are many advantages to sealing your juvenile record, including:

• Job opportunities
• College admissions
• Credit approvals
• Rental allowances
• Green card consideration
• Equal benefits afforded to other upstanding members of society.

For Eligibility Requirements and additional information, please refer to Sealing Juvenile Records.