Add Required Fields To Legal New York Expungement Forms For Free

A sealed record is not accessible by anyone other than certain law enforcement personnel. This means, for example, if a potential employer runs a background check, a sealed record will not come up. An expungement involves removing the record completely. While sealing is available in New York, expungement is not.

You must apply to the court to have your records sealed. If the court approves your application, your criminal convictions can only be seen by qualified agencies and federal, state, and local law enforcement. If you are not a United States citizen, Immigration can still see your sealed convictions.

For better or worse, the fact is that in the state of New York, you cannot expunge your criminal record. A record that is "expunged" is permanently erased. However, you can "seal" your criminal record in New York, which means it will become invisible to the public.

You are eligible if: You have been crime-free for at least 10 years since your conviction and/or release, and. You have 2 convictions or less on your criminal record. This means no more than two misdemeanor convictions OR one felony and one misdemeanor conviction.

All misdemeanor convictions, other than those requiring registration as a sex offender, are eligible, and some felonies are eligible to be sealed. A person can, however, seal at most one (1) felony. Sex offenses, violent felonies, and serious felonies are not eligible for sealing.

In the state of New York, no felony can be expunged, only sealed. Any convictions for crimes such as sex offenses, violent felonies, or even Class A felonies cannot be sealed under the New York Criminal Procedure Law §160.59.