Expungement
Expungement removes the record from the court system and the State Police repository, and agencies are ordered to destroy their copies. It’s available for charges that ended without a conviction, completed ARD and probation without verdict, summary convictions after five arrest-free years, people 70 or older who have been arrest-free for 10 years, and pardoned convictions.
Clean Slate (automatic limited access)
Clean Slate seals eligible records automatically, with no petition: non-convictions, summary convictions after five years, many lower-level misdemeanors after seven years, and qualifying drug felonies after ten years. Sealed records still exist. Police, courts and certain employers and licensing agencies can see them; the public and most employers can’t.
Limited access by petition
For convictions Clean Slate doesn’t reach, including most M1 misdemeanors and some lower-grade felonies, you can petition the court to seal the record. The result is the same as Clean Slate sealing, but a judge has to order it.
Which is better?
Expungement is stronger, because the record no longer exists. If your case qualifies for expungement, it’s usually worth getting even if Clean Slate already sealed it, especially if you’re applying for a professional license or a job with a deep background check.
Common questions
If Clean Slate sealed my record, do I need anything else?
Maybe not. But if the case qualifies for expungement, a sealed record can be upgraded to an expunged one. We check every case for the strongest relief available.
Do I have to tell employers about a sealed record?
Generally no, with exceptions for employers and agencies that federal or state law allows to see sealed records.