Ohio

Adult criminal records for cases in which you were convicted are eligible for sealing or 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 were convicted of a felony, the record can be sealed three years after your discharge, so long as you have never had anything more than one felony and one misdemeanor conviction.

• With certain exceptions, if you were convicted of a misdemeanor, the record can be sealed one year after your discharge, so long as you have never had more than two misdemeanor convictions.

• If you were convicted of improperly handling firearms in a vehicle before September 30, 2011, the record can be expunged immediately.

• If you were convicted of prostitution or a related offense because you were a victim of human trafficking, the record can be expunged immediately.
• Records relating to one or two convictions for a fourth or fifth degree felony can be sealed by the court four years after the person's final discharge, so long as the person has no more than two felony convictions.
• Records relating to three to five convictions for a fourth or fifth degree felony can be sealed by the court five years after the person's final discharge, so long as the person has no more than five felony convictions.

If your case was dismissed after you successfully completed intervention in lieu of conviction, the record can be sealed immediately. 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.

Likely not eligible for expungement or sealing.

Adult criminal records for arrests for which you were never convicted are eligible for sealing. 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 your case ended with dismissal or a not guilty verdict, the record can be sealed immediately.

• If you are charged with a crime but the grand jury did not indict you, the record can be sealed two years after the grand jury reports no true bill.
• Records related to a case ending in dismissal or acquittal can be expunged by the court immediately if the charges resulted from being a victim of human trafficking.

Below is a general overview of when juvenile records can be sealed or expunged in Ohio. 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 sealed.

• If you were never charged or if you were found not delinquent (not guilty), your record should automatically be sealed. You should not have to do anything to get your record sealed.

• If you are currently under 18, your record can be sealed six months after your case, probation, or commitment ends. 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.

• If you are currently 18 or older, your record can be sealed any time after your case, probation, or commitment ends. 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.

Most juvenile records can be expunged.

• If your record has been sealed, it should be automatically expunged when you turn 23 or five years after it was sealed, whichever comes first. You should not have to do anything to get your record expunged.

• You can also submit a request to the court to expunge your record any time after it has been sealed, but it is up to the judge whether or not to grant your request.

• If your record is for a prostitution-related offense that occurred because you were a victim of human trafficking, it can be expunged at any time. 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 adjudications on your record, have an open case, are currently on probation or committed to a facility or treatment program, or have pending juvenile charges.

You may not be eligible for expungement if you have certain adjudications on your record, have an open case, are currently on probation or committed to a facility or treatment program, or have pending 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.