Expunging Juvenile Court Records
If you have a record of juvenile offenses, you may be able to file a petition for expungement in court to clear that record. This would allow for that crime to no longer show up on your background checks when applying for jobs, loans, apartments and more.
You do need to meet certain standards of eligibility, however, to expunge a juvenile record. These are the factors that go into whether you are eligible:
- Age. You must be at least 18 years old to request the expungement.
- Time since the crime. You must have allowed a certain amount of time to have passed since the crime was committed. In most cases, this will be five years from the date of the end of your juvenile court proceedings. Be sure to check the rules in your area before you attempt to file for an expungement.
- The type of offense. In some circumstances, the type of offense that you committed might not be eligible for expungement.
- Additional arrests or convictions. If you had later arrests or convictions while you were an adult and within the five-year period, it is unlikely that your request to expunge your juvenile record will be granted.
If you meet all the eligibility standards to have your record expunged, you will have to pay a filing fee when you petition the court. For assistance with the process of expunging your juvenile record, work with Reading criminal defense lawyer David R. Eshelman.
