Criminal record expungement and sealing waiting periods by state
How long after a conviction can someone petition to expunge or seal it? Every state sets its own clock, tiered by offense class (petty offense, misdemeanor, felony, and finer subclasses many states use), and the clock rarely starts at conviction — most states measure from final discharge, sentence completion, or release from supervision, not the conviction date itself. Getting this wrong is expensive: filing a petition before the statutory window opens gets it summarily denied, and job and housing applications increasingly ask 'has your record been sealed', so the waiting period is the actual gating fact behind that question. One record per state per offense tier — e.g. 'petty offense', 'class 2/3 misdemeanor', 'class 4-6 felony' — quoted verbatim from that state's own revised statutes, never from a law-firm summary or the otherwise-excellent Collateral Consequences Resource Center's narrative write-ups (real and current, but prose, not a queryable table, and without a consistent statute citation per fact). The period is recorded in the statute's own words, not converted, because the conversion is where these tables go wrong — 'three years' should never become '1095 days'. Answers 'how long before I can expunge a misdemeanor in Ohio', 'when can a felony be sealed in Arizona', 'expungement waiting period by state'. This is a deadline lookup, not legal advice: many states carve out entire offense categories (violent, sexual, DUI, offenses against minors) as permanently ineligible regardless of time elapsed, and the record notes this where the statute states it in the same breath as the waiting period. A separate, harder-to-source fact — whether a state has enacted 'Clean Slate' automatic expungement (no petition required) — is a strong candidate to add as its own field once sourced; several states adopted or activated it in 2025-2026 (Illinois January 2026, DC January 2026, Virginia July 2026, Missouri SB 1421 pending an operative date), which is exactly the kind of change that leaves old answers wrong.
Records43
Sources11
Verified
Review by
LicenceFacts taken from US state statutes, each with a verbatim attributed quote and a link back to the publishing legislature or revisor. The text of a state statute is an edict of government and carries no copyright (a US-wide rule since Wheaton v. Peters, restated for annotations in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). No whole chapter is reproduced: each record carries one tier's operative phrase. No source used here carries a restrictive notice.
The data
| Offense class | State | Waiting period | Measured from | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 misdemeanor | Arizona | Three years | the person completed the nonmonetary conditions of probation or sentence and was discharged by the court | 13-911 |
| Class 2 or 3 felony | Arizona | Ten years | the person completed the nonmonetary conditions of probation or sentence and was discharged by the court | 13-911 |
| Class 2 or 3 misdemeanor | Arizona | Two years | the person completed the nonmonetary conditions of probation or sentence and was discharged by the court | 13-911 |
| Class 4, 5 or 6 felony | Arizona | Five years | the person completed the nonmonetary conditions of probation or sentence and was discharged by the court | 13-911 |
| New petition after a petition to seal was denied | Arizona | three years | the date of the denial | 13-911 |
| Subsequent felony after an earlier sealing | Arizona | an additional five years | the applicable period of time prescribed in subsection E of this section for the subsequent felony offense has expired | 13-911 |
| Conviction on which probation was granted and completed | California | at any time | the termination of the period of probation | 1203.4 |
| Felony served in state prison or on a straight county-jail sentence under Penal Code 1170(h)(5)(A) | California | two years | the defendant’s completion of the sentence | 1203.41 |
| Felony served on a split sentence under Penal Code 1170(h)(5)(B) | California | one year | the defendant’s completion of the sentence | 1203.41 |
| Misdemeanor without probation, or infraction | California | one year | the date of pronouncement of judgment | 1203.4a |
| All other offenses | Colorado | five years | the later of the date of the final disposition of all criminal proceedings against the defendant or the release of the defendant from supervision concerning a criminal conviction | 24-72-706 |
| Civil infraction, petty offense, or drug petty offense | Colorado | one year | the later of the date of the final disposition of all proceedings against the defendant or the release of the defendant from supervision concerning a conviction | 24-72-706 |
| Class 2 or class 3 misdemeanor, drug misdemeanor, or level 4 drug felony under 18-18-403.5 (2.5) | Colorado | two years | the later of the date of the final disposition of all criminal proceedings against the defendant or the release of the defendant from supervision concerning a criminal conviction | 24-72-706 |
| Class 4, class 5, or class 6 felony, level 3 or level 4 drug felony, or class 1 misdemeanor | Colorado | three years | the later of the date of the final disposition of all criminal proceedings against the defendant or the release of the defendant from supervision concerning a criminal conviction | 24-72-706 |
| First conviction for intentional misrepresentation of a service animal | Colorado | three years | the conviction | 24-72-706 |
| First conviction for intentional misrepresentation of entitlement to an assistance animal | Colorado | three years | the conviction | 24-72-706 |
| Offense that is no longer unlawful under section 18-18-434 | Colorado | at any time | 24-72-706 | |
| Second or subsequent conviction under section 18-13-122 (3) | Colorado | one year | the date of the second or subsequent conviction | 24-72-706 |
| More than one felony conviction | Michigan | 7 or more years | whichever of the following events occurs last | 780.621d |
| One or more misdemeanors other than a serious misdemeanor, a first operating-while-intoxicated offence or an assaultive crime | Michigan | 3 or more years | whichever of the following events occurs last | 780.621d |
| One or more serious misdemeanors, one first operating-while-intoxicated offence, or one felony | Michigan | 5 or more years | whichever of the following events occurs last | 780.621d |
| More than one nonviolent misdemeanor | North Carolina | seven years | the date of the person's last conviction, other than a traffic offense not listed in the petition for expunction, or seven years after any active sentence, period of probation, or post-release supervision has been served, whichever occurs later | 15A-145.5 |
| One nonviolent felony | North Carolina | 10 years | the date of the conviction or 10 years after any active sentence, period of probation, or post-release supervision related to the conviction has been served, whichever occurs later | 15A-145.5 |
| One nonviolent felony under G.S. 14-54(a) | North Carolina | 15 years | the date of the conviction or 15 years after any active sentence, period of probation, or post-release supervision related to the conviction has been served, whichever occurs later | 15A-145.5 |
| One nonviolent misdemeanor | North Carolina | three years | the date of the conviction or when any active sentence, period of probation, or post-release supervision has been served, whichever occurs later | 15A-145.5 |
| Two or three nonviolent felonies | North Carolina | 20 years | the date of the most recent conviction listed in the petition, or 20 years after any active sentence, period of probation, or post-release supervision related to a conviction listed in the petition has been served, whichever occurs later | 15A-145.5 |
| Bail forfeiture on a minor misdemeanor charge (expungement) | Ohio | six months | the date on which the bail forfeiture was entered upon the minutes of the court or the journal, whichever entry occurs first | 2953.32 |
| Bail forfeiture on a misdemeanor charge (expungement) | Ohio | one year | the date on which the bail forfeiture was entered upon the minutes of the court or the journal, whichever entry occurs first | 2953.32 |
| Bail forfeiture on a misdemeanor charge (sealing) | Ohio | at any time | the date on which the bail forfeiture was entered upon the minutes of the court or the journal, whichever entry occurs first | 2953.32 |
| Felony (expungement) | Ohio | ten years | the time specified in division (B)(1)(a) of this section at which the person may file an application for sealing with respect to that felony offense | 2953.32 |
| Minor misdemeanor (expungement) | Ohio | six months | the offender's final discharge | 2953.32 |
| Minor misdemeanor (sealing) | Ohio | six months | the offender's final discharge | 2953.32 |
| Misdemeanor (expungement) | Ohio | one year | the offender's final discharge | 2953.32 |
| Offender subject to the requirements of Chapter 2950 (sealing) | Ohio | five years | the requirements have ended under section 2950.07 of the Revised Code or section 2950.07 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to January 1, 2008, or are terminated under section 2950.15 or 2950.151 of the Revised Code | 2953.32 |
| One or more felonies of the fourth or fifth degree, or one or more misdemeanors (sealing) | Ohio | one year | the offender's final discharge | 2953.32 |
| One or two felonies of the third degree (sealing) | Ohio | three years | the offender's final discharge | 2953.32 |
| Soliciting improper compensation (sealing) | Ohio | seven years | the offender's final discharge | 2953.32 |
| Any felony offence | Virginia | Ten years | the date of (i) dismissal of a deferred charge, (ii) conviction, (iii) release from incarceration on the charge or conviction set forth in the petition, (iv) a finding that the person was in violation of a suspended sentence, probation, or parole related to the charge or conviction set forth in the petition, or (v) release from incarceration following a finding that the person was in violation of a suspended sentence, probation, or parole related to the charge or conviction set forth in the petition, whichever date occurred later | 19.2-392.12 |
| Any misdemeanor offence | Virginia | Seven years | the date of (i) dismissal of a deferred charge, (ii) conviction, (iii) release from incarceration on the charge or conviction set forth in the petition, (iv) a finding that the person was in violation of a suspended sentence, probation, or parole related to the charge or conviction set forth in the petition, or (v) release from incarceration following a finding that the person was in violation of a suspended sentence, probation, or parole related to the charge or conviction set forth in the petition, whichever date occurred later | 19.2-392.12 |
| Class B felony | Washington | ten years | the later of: (i) The applicant's release from community custody; (ii) the applicant's release from full and partial confinement; or (iii) the applicant's sentencing date | 9.94A.640 |
| Class C felony other than one described in RCW 46.61.502(6) or 46.61.504(6) | Washington | five years | the later of: (i) The applicant's release from community custody; (ii) the applicant's release from full and partial confinement; or (iii) the applicant's sentencing date | 9.94A.640 |
| Domestic violence misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor | Washington | five years | the person completed the terms of the original conditions of the sentence, including successful completion of any treatment ordered as a condition of sentencing, but excluding the payment of financial obligations | 9.96.060 |
| Misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor other than a domestic violence offence | Washington | three years | the later of the applicant's release from supervision or probation; the applicant's release from total and partial confinement, as defined in RCW 9.94A.030 ; or the applicant's sentencing date | 9.96.060 |
Where this came from
Every record above links the page it was taken from and quotes the sentence that states it. These are the 11 sources this dataset was assembled from.
- azleg.govhttps://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/00911.htm
- leginfo.legislature.ca.govhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=1203.4
- leginfo.legislature.ca.govhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=1203.41
- leginfo.legislature.ca.govhttps://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN§ionNum=1203.4a
- colorado.public.lawhttps://colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_24-72-706
- legislature.mi.govhttps://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-780-621d
- ncleg.govhttps://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_15A/GS_15A-145.5.html
- codes.ohio.govhttps://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2953.32
- law.lis.virginia.govhttps://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title19.2/section19.2-392.12/
- app.leg.wa.govhttps://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.94A.640
- app.leg.wa.govhttps://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.96.060
Machine-readable
- data.jsonThe whole dataset — every record with its source URL and source quote.
- Open Knowledge Format bundleOne JSON object per line — every record's frontmatter and quoted span exactly as it is held here, in one fetch.
- data.csvThe same records as one flat table, for a spreadsheet or a dataframe. The last four columns are the source URL, the quoted sentence it was read from, the date we last checked it, and which columns are our reading rather than the page's words.
- How this is made and checkedWhat "verified against source" does and does not mean.
Set your AI assistant up to use this
Two files and no account. Put this in .mcp.json at the root of your project — Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code and Codex all read that file — and your assistant can look this dataset up instead of recalling it. The server is remote, keyless and read-only.
{
"mcpServers": {
"referencesource": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://referencesource.org/mcp"
}
}
}Add to Cursor · or, on the command line: claude mcp add --transport http referencesource https://referencesource.org/mcp --scope project
Then one line in the project's CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md, so the assistant knows when to reach for it:
When a question needs "Criminal record expungement and sealing waiting periods by state", call the referencesource MCP server at https://referencesource.org/mcp (tool `search_records`, dataset_slug `criminal-record-expungement-waiting-periods-by-state`) instead of answering from memory — every record it returns carries its source URL and a verbatim quote from that page.What each tool does, and the servers built over single registers: Connect your AI assistant.