A criminal record can follow you into jobs, housing, and licensing long after a case ends. Expungement and sealing laws differ enormously by state, but the shape is similar everywhere. Pick what's on your record and your state to see how eligibility generally works, the typical waiting period, and the steps to ask the court. General information, not a determination that you qualify.
States use these words differently, but they describe the same goal: limiting who can see a criminal record. Records that never led to a conviction — an arrest with no charges, a dismissal, or an acquittal — are usually the easiest to clear, and some states seal them automatically. Convictions are harder: whether one qualifies depends on the offense, how the case ended, and a waiting period since the sentence was completed. Serious and violent offenses are commonly excluded.
A sealed or expunged record generally won't show up on most employment and housing background checks, which is the practical benefit most people are after. But it isn't a clean erase everywhere: the record can still be visible to law enforcement and the courts, may surface for certain professional licenses, and does not undo immigration consequences. A non-citizen should talk to an immigration attorney before relying on an expungement.
Most states require you to stay conviction-free for a set number of years after finishing your sentence before you can ask a court to expunge or seal an eligible criminal conviction. Each value is cited to the state statute or agency; a state with no sourced figure shows "Not yet sourced."
General information, not legal advice. Rules change and exceptions apply — confirm the current rule with the cited source for your state.
Disclaimer: NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice, and is not a law firm. Using a tool does not create an attorney–client relationship. Laws change and vary by situation — verify anything important with the official source or a licensed attorney in your state.