Can You Clear A Juvenile Record?

When someone under the age of 18 gets arrested for a crime, it goes on their juvenile record. This record is often separate from their adult record, and is often treated differently than the criminal record they have as an adult. However in some cases, you can clear a juvenile record so that a teenager or young adult does not have this mistake weighing on them and affecting their ability to get a job or rent an apartment. This is what you should know about clearing a juvenile record.

How Do You Seal a Juvenile Record?

Your first option for clearing a juvenile record is to have it sealed. While it is not gone completely, the average person will not be able to run a background check and see that you have it. The exact rules around what allows you to seal a juvenile record vary by state and some other factors. For example, you may need to be an adult in some states to have your juvenile record sealed. There may also be rules about the type of offense. If it was minor theft, a judge will be more willing to seal the record than a felony. If you have multiple offenses on your juvenile record, it can be more difficult to get it sealed.

How Do You Get a Record Expunged?

Sealing and expunging a record are two different things, though they are often used as interchangeable terms. Sealing a record means the general public cannot access it, but it still exists. However, with an expunged record, it is completely cleared as if the offense never took place. Even a court order cannot access a history of crimes committed as a juvenile if it gets expunged. It is more difficult to expunge a record, even a juvenile one. The court will have their own guidelines of how to expunge a record, though it usually starts with filing a petition. This is where having a good criminal lawyer comes in, as they can help you prepare the petition. You will also need to pay a fee in some jurisdictions.

Why Should You Request a Sealing or Expunging of Your Record?

The main reason to get your juvenile criminal record expunged or sealed is so it does not impact you as an adult. If you try to get a job, open a bank account, get a loan, or rent an apartment, your criminal record will come up, even if it was an offense you got when you were only 14. To prevent your childhood mistakes from following you around, you can at least ask to have your record sealed.

Contact a criminal lawyer, like Raskosky Law Office, if you need assistance getting your record cleared.