How to Clear Your Criminal Record

People with qualifying arrests and convictions may request the Court of their sentencing county to expunge or seal their records. The office of the Illinois State Appellate Defender provides an overview of the process and worksheets you can use to determine if you qualify to expunge or seal your record.  They can also answer questions regarding your eligibility for expungement and sealing. You can visit both the Illinois Supreme Court and the Illinois State Appellate Defender’s websites for more information and the necessary forms for expungement and/or sealing.  

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) provides a guided interview to help you prepare your documents for requesting an expungement or sealing of your criminal record.  

• Effective October 1, 2024, Requests to Expunge and/or Seal are filed as MX (Miscellaneous Criminal) cases.
• The filing fee for expungement/sealing is $215.00, which covers the cost of filing the petition, copy fees, mailing and postage fees for required notices, and fees to the Illinois State Police. If your request to expunge and/or seal is denied by the Court, the State Police portion ($60.00) of the filing fee will be refunded to you.
• There is no fee to file a request to expunge a juvenile record. Juvenile Expungement information and forms
• You will need to provide all mailing addresses for recipients receiving notice – this will include the Illinois State Police and every police agency that was involved in all cases you list on your petition.
• Agencies have 60 days to file an objection after receiving your Request to Expunge or Seal.  The Circuit Clerk will set up a court date approximately 80-90 days from the initial filing date to allow time for agencies to respond.