How long you wait to clear a record in Colorado
How long you wait in Colorado for each kind of case, and what the waiting period is counted from.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
In Colorado you wait a set time before you can ask. The time depends on the case.
- Main remedy
- Sealing of arrest records when no charges were filed (C.R.S. 24-72-704)
- Waiting periods
- Arrest, no charges filed (court petition): You can petition once the statute of limitations has run or police are no longer investigating, or after completing diversion with no charges filed, counted from when the statute of limitations has run or you are no longer under investigation
Arrest on or after January 1, 2022, no charges (automatic at CBI): 1 year, counted from date of arrest
Dismissed, acquitted, diversion or deferred judgment completed: No waiting period, counted from dismissal or acquittal
Your earliest date in Colorado
Pick your kind of case and the date the waiting period runs from. We add the waiting period from the law; nothing else.
Waiting periods: Sealing of arrest records when no charges were filed (C.R.S. 24-72-704)
Arrests where no charges were filed, including completed pre-filing diversion
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Arrest, no charges filed (court petition) | See the rule You can petition once the statute of limitations has run or police are no longer investigating, or after completing diversion with no charges filed. | When the statute of limitations has run or you are no longer under investigation |
Arrest on or after January 1, 2022, no charges (automatic at CBI) | 1 year The Colorado Bureau of Investigation seals the arrest record automatically if no charges are filed within one year. | Date of arrest |
- Not eligible
- Automatic CBI sealing does not apply to felonies with a statute of limitations over 3 years or no statute of limitations
Law: C.R.S. § 24-72-704
Source: Official text
Waiting periods: Sealing of non-conviction records (C.R.S. 24-72-705)
Cases completely dismissed, acquittals on all counts, completed diversion, and completed deferred judgments with all counts dismissed
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Dismissed, acquitted, diversion or deferred judgment completed | No waiting period The court seals the record on its own at the time the case ends; if it did not, you can file a motion at any time. | Dismissal or acquittal |
- Not eligible
- Charges dismissed because you were found incompetent to proceed cannot be sealed this way.
Law: C.R.S. § 24-72-705
Source: Official text
Waiting periods: Sealing of conviction records (C.R.S. 24-72-706)
Petty offenses, misdemeanors, and felonies except those listed as excluded
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Civil infraction, petty offense or drug petty offense | 1 year You can file 1 year after your case ends or your supervision ends, whichever is later. | Final disposition of all proceedings or release from supervision, whichever is later |
Class 2 or 3 misdemeanor, any drug misdemeanor, or a level 4 drug felony under 18-18-403.5(2.5) | 2 years You can file 2 years after your case ends or your supervision ends, whichever is later. | Final disposition of all proceedings or release from supervision, whichever is later |
Class 1 misdemeanor, class 4-6 felony, level 3 or other level 4 drug felony | 3 years You can file 3 years after your case ends or your supervision ends, whichever is later. | Final disposition of all proceedings or release from supervision, whichever is later |
All other eligible offenses | 5 years You can file 5 years after your case ends or your supervision ends, whichever is later. | Final disposition of all proceedings or release from supervision, whichever is later |
- Not eligible
- Class 1 and 2 misdemeanor traffic offenses and class A/B traffic infractions; DUI/DWAI (42-4-1301(1),(2)); offenses involving unlawful sexual behavior; child abuse (18-6-401); domestic violence; crimes of violence; class 1, 2 or 3 felonies and level 1 drug felonies (with narrow old-drug-law exceptions); felony victim-rights crimes; and other offenses listed in 24-72-706(2)(a). An excluded misdemeanor or petty offense can still be sealed if the DA consents or the court makes special findings.
- Limits
- You cannot have been convicted of a new offense since the case ended or supervision ended, and you must not owe restitution (unless the restitution order was vacated). You may file for each case only once every 12 months unless the court allows otherwise. A new conviction after sealing causes the record to be unsealed.
Law: C.R.S. §§ 24-72-706, 24-72-708, 24-72-709
Source: Official text
Clean Slate relief in Colorado
The state court administrator lists eligible convictions and courts seal them without a petition: civil infractions after 4 years, petty offenses and misdemeanors after 7 years from final disposition, and eligible felonies after 10 years from final disposition or release from supervision (whichever is later), if you had no new conviction in that time. Victim-rights crimes are excluded, and the DA can object. Arrests with no charges (CBI, after 1 year) and dismissals/acquittals are also sealed automatically. For arrests from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021 with no charges, CBI seals automatically after 18 months (misdemeanors, petty offenses) or 3 years (felonies with a 3-year statute of limitations), and CBI must seal older no-conviction arrest records by January 1, 2027.
Law: 24-4.1-302(1); C.R.S. 24-72-704(2)(b)
Source: at disposition
Drug, misdemeanor and petty offense convictions sealed from July 1, 2024 (quarterly); eligible non-drug felonies added from July 1, 2025
Law: C.R.S. §§ 13-3-117, 24-72-704, 24-72-705
In nearby states
- Wyoming: Arrest or dismissed charge, no conviction: At least 180 days must pass after the arrest or after the charges were dismissed, counted from the arrest or the dismissal of the charges
- New Mexico: Municipal ordinance violation or misdemeanor: 2 years, counted from the last date you completed a sentence for any conviction in any jurisdiction
- Utah: Arrest or charge, no conviction: At least 30 days must pass after the arrest or charge, and the case must have ended with no charges, a dismissal with prejudice, an acquittal, or an expired statute of limitations, counted from arrest or charge
Your next steps in Colorado
Check your dates
The dates on your papers decide when the wait ends.
Look at the exclusions
The wait is only one rule; the court looks at the whole record.
Get the forms
Once enough time has passed, see how to file. How to file.
Get help
Legal aid can help for free: Colorado Legal Services.
Free help in Colorado
Questions about waiting periods in Colorado
Which records can be cleared in Colorado?
Sealing of arrest records when no charges were filed: Arrests where no charges were filed, including completed pre-filing diversion. Sealing of non-conviction records: Cases completely dismissed, acquittals on all counts, completed diversion, and completed deferred judgments with all counts dismissed. Sealing of conviction records: Petty offenses, misdemeanors, and felonies except those listed as excluded.
When can I ask to clear my record in Colorado?
Arrest, no charges filed (court petition): You can petition once the statute of limitations has run or police are no longer investigating, or after completing diversion with no charges filed, counted from when the statute of limitations has run or you are no longer under investigation; Arrest on or after January 1, 2022, no charges (automatic at CBI): 1 year, counted from date of arrest; Dismissed, acquitted, diversion or deferred judgment completed: No waiting period, counted from dismissal or acquittal; Civil infraction, petty offense or drug petty offense: 1 year, counted from final disposition of all proceedings or release from supervision, whichever is later.
Will Colorado clear my record on its own?
The state court administrator lists eligible convictions and courts seal them without a petition: civil infractions after 4 years, petty offenses and misdemeanors after 7 years from final disposition, and eligible felonies after 10 years from final disposition or release from supervision (whichever is later), if you had no new conviction in that time. Victim-rights crimes are excluded, and the DA can object. Arrests with no charges (CBI, after 1 year) and dismissals/acquittals are also sealed automatically. For arrests from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021 with no charges, CBI seals automatically after 18 months (misdemeanors, petty offenses) or 3 years (felonies with a 3-year statute of limitations), and CBI must seal older no-conviction arrest records by January 1, 2027.