A Tennessee Order to Expunge is a court order from a judge that allows certain criminal records to be removed from public view. There are three types of Tennessee Orders expunging: Expungement of Arrest Records, Expungement of Conviction Records, and Limited Expungement. In order to obtain an Expungement of Arrest Records, a petition must be filed in the court of the county in which the arrest occurred. The petitioner must show proof that charges were never filed or the charges were dismissed or resulted in an acquittal. If the petition is approved, the judge will issue an order directing all governmental agencies to expunge all records and files related to the arrest, including any fingerprints, photographs, or other related documents. An Expungement of Conviction Records requires a petition to be filed in the court of the county in which the conviction occurred. The petitioner must show that the conviction was for a nonviolent offense and that the petitioner has been free of any criminal convictions for at least five years. The petitioner must also demonstrate that they have been rehabilitated and that expungement of the records is in the best interest of society. If the petition is approved, the judge will issue an order directing all governmental agencies to expunge all records and files related to the conviction, including any fingerprints, photographs, or other related documents. A Limited Expungement is available for certain first-time offenses. This type of expungement does not require a petition to be filed and does not require a hearing. Instead, the defendant must submit an application to the court with documentation proving that the conviction meets the requirements of the statute. If the application is approved, the judge will issue an order directing all governmental agencies to expunge all records and files related to the conviction, including any fingerprints, photographs, or other related documents. Once an order to expunge is granted, all governmental agencies must remove the records and files from public view and destroy any copies. The records can still be accessed by certain agencies for law enforcement purposes, but they will not be visible to the public.