Louisiana

Adult criminal records for cases in which you were convicted are eligible for expungement in some situations. You have to file a petition in court to start the process, and it is up to the judge whether or not to grant your petition.

• If you were convicted but later found factually innocent by a judge, the record can be expunged immediately.

• With certain exceptions, if you were convicted of a misdemeanor, the record can be expunged five years after you complete your sentence, so long as you are not convicted of a felony during that time.

• With certain exceptions, if you were convicted of a felony, the record can be expunged 10 years after you complete your sentence, so long as you are not convicted of anything else during that time.
• If you are entitled to a first-offender pardon, the records can be expunged by the court immediately.

Adult criminal records for cases in which you completed a diversion or deferral program are eligible for expungement in some situations. You have to file a petition in court to start the process, and it is up to the judge whether or not to grant your petition.

• With certain exceptions, if you successfully completed deferred-sentence probation in a misdemeanor case, the record can be expunged immediately.

• With certain exceptions, if you successfully completed deferred-sentence probation in a felony case, the record can be expunged immediately.

Adult criminal records for arrests for which you were never convicted are eligible for expungement. You have to file a petition in court to start the process, and it is up to the judge whether or not to grant your petition.

• If all charges were dismissed, you were acquitted, or the case in any way ended without a conviction, the record can be expunged immediately.

• If you were arrested for a felony, but the case ended with only a misdemeanor conviction, the record of the felony arrest can be expunged immediately.

Below is a general overview of when juvenile records can be expunged in Louisiana. Please note that the Clean Slate Clearinghouse does not provide legal advice.

Read the legal policies and statutes for detailed statutory information.

Juvenile Record Clearance Policies Overview

Most juvenile records can be expunged.

• If charges were never filed against you or your case was dismissed, your record can be expunged at any time. You have to submit a request to the court to start the process, and the judge is required to grant your request if you meet the criteria.

• If you were adjudicated (found guilty) for anything except murder, manslaughter, a sex offense requiring you to register, kidnapping, or armed robbery, your record can be expunged after your case closes or you are released from probation or commitment. You have to submit a request to the court to start the process, and the judge is required to grant your request if you meet the criteria.

• If you were adjudicated (found guilty) for murder, manslaughter, a sex offense requiring you to register, kidnapping, or armed robbery, your record can be expunged five years after your release from probation or commitment. You have to submit a request to the court to start the process, and it is up to the judge whether or not to grant your request.

You may not be eligible for expungement if you have certain convictions or adjudications on your record or have pending criminal or juvenile charges.

Find a Lawyer

If you think you might be eligible to have your record expunged, find a lawyer who may be able to help you. Some lawyers might help you for free, although you may still need to pay a fee to file the paperwork in court.

Court Forms and Resources

If you cannot find a lawyer to help you, you may be able to file a petition on your own using these court forms and resources.