Ohio’s Expungement Law Has Changed

Effective September 28, 2012, Ohio changed its expungement law to allow more people to qualify to have the record of their conviction sealed.  It used to be that only “first offenders” were eligible. That meant that if you were convicted of more than one crime, you weren’t eligible for an expungement.

Now, you need only be an “eligible offender.”  An “eligible offender” is someone “who has not more than one felony conviction, not more than two misdemeanor convictions if the convictions are not of the same offense, or not more than one felony conviction and one misdemeanor conviction in this state or any other jurisdiction.”

If you are an eligible offender, you must wait a year after the final discharge of a misdemeanor and three years after the discharge of a felony before applying and you must have not criminal proceedings pending against you.

The application must be filed in the court where the conviction you are seeking to have sealed occurred. Further, you must prove to the court that you are rehabilitated and that your interests in having the records sealed outweigh any governmental needs to maintain your record.

For more information of whether you qualify for an expungement and assistance with the application process, contact an expungement attorney.