Criminal Defense
Since 1993
Since 1993
Is There a Deadline to Seal or Expunge an Arrest Record?
There is no deadline for sealing or expunging your criminal history. If your case finished yesterday, you can start sealing or expunging, or you can wait until next month, you can wait ten years, twenty years–whatever you want because there is no deadline on this. You can start at any time.
It is a lengthy process so, the sooner you start the faster this is all going to happen for you. It’s about a seven to twelve month process depending on the judges and the prosecutors and the case involved.
Even if you’ve waited fifteen or twenty years, that’s fine. You can go ahead and do it. I have quite a few clients that have done this that. Its been fifteen, twenty years, and now its time to hide this, erase it, make it disappear. And, that’s what sealing and expunging is all about.
So please, take advantage of the law. Florida law allows you to erase this. You ought to do it. As the Chinese proverb goes, the best to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time to plant a tree is today. So, the sooner you can get this started the sooner this can get off your back. But, like I said, no deadlines. Never too late. You can wait decades if you want and that’s fine, we can take care of it. Good luck and take care.