Clearing a criminal record in Connecticut
In Connecticut it is called erasure (Clean Slate erasure, absolute pardon): erasure means police, court and prosecutor records of the charge are erased and may not be disclosed. Some misdemeanor and felony convictions may be cleared, and Connecticut also clears some records automatically (Clean Slate).
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026. · Free letter and checklist ↓
Can my record be cleared in Connecticut?
Erasure (Clean Slate erasure, absolute pardon) — Erasure means police, court and prosecutor records of the charge are erased and may not be disclosed. After erasure you are treated as never having been arrested for those proceedings and may say so under oath.
Connecticut has 3 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Erasure after not-guilty finding, dismissal or nolle (C.G.S. 54-142a(a)-(c))
Charges ending in a not-guilty verdict, a dismissal, or a nolle (prosecutor drops the charge)
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Not guilty or dismissed | No waiting period Records are erased once the appeal period ends. | End of the time to appeal (or the final appeal decision) |
Charge nolled | See the rule Records are erased once 13 months have passed since the nolle. If the prosecutor asked for a continuance and nothing has happened in the case for 13 months, you can ask the court to nolle the charge, and the 13-month rule then applies. | Date of the nolle |
- Not eligible
- Charges ending in not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect; a case with more than one count is not erased until every count qualifies
Law: C.G.S. § 54-142a(a)-(c)
Source: Official text
Clean Slate erasure of convictions (C.G.S. 54-142a(e))
Misdemeanors and motor vehicle violations punishable by up to 1 year; class D or E felonies, unclassified felonies and motor vehicle violations punishable by up to 5 years; DUI (14-227a)
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Misdemeanor conviction | 7 years Erased 7 years after the date of your most recent conviction, once you have finished all prison, parole and probation and have no pending state charges. | Date of your most recent conviction |
Class D/E or unclassified felony (max 5 years), or DUI | 10 years Erased 10 years after the date of your most recent conviction, once you have finished all prison, parole and probation and have no pending state charges. | Date of your most recent conviction |
- Not eligible
- Family violence crimes (on or after January 1, 2000); nonviolent and violent sexual offenses (54-250); offenses listed in 54-142a(e)(2)(C) (including 29-33, 53a-60a, 53a-60b, 53a-60c, 53a-61a, 53a-64bb, 53a-64cc, 53a-72a, 53a-90a, 53a-103a, 53a-181c, 53a-189a(a)(1), 53a-191, 53a-196, 53a-196d, 53a-196f, 53a-211, 53a-212, 53a-216, 53a-217, 53a-217a, 53a-217c, 53a-322, 53a-323, 54-251 to 54-254); a DUI followed by another DUI conviction within 10 years; class A, B and C felonies are not covered
Law: C.G.S. §§ 54-142a(e), 54-142t
Source: Official text
Absolute pardon (Board of Pardons and Paroles)
Any Connecticut adult conviction, including those not eligible for Clean Slate; if granted, the convictions are erased
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Misdemeanor | 3 years You can apply 3 years after your most recent misdemeanor conviction. | Date of disposition of your most recent misdemeanor conviction |
Felony | 5 years You can apply 5 years after your most recent felony conviction. | Date of disposition of your most recent felony conviction |
- Not eligible
- You cannot apply with pending charges or open cases anywhere, a nolle within the past 13 months, or while on probation or parole
Law: C.G.S. § 54-142a(d)
Source: Official text
When can I file? Waiting periods in Connecticut
Pick your kind of case and the date the waiting period runs from. We add the waiting period from the law; nothing else.
How to file in Connecticut
Erasure after not-guilty finding, dismissal or nolle (C.G.S. 54-142a(a)-(c))
Automatic by law in most cases. For older cases (before October 1, 1969, or nolles before April 1, 1972) records are erased by operation of law, and you or your heirs may also petition the court.
- Cost
- No court fee for any petition under this section.
Law: C.G.S. 54-142a(k)
Clean Slate erasure of convictions (C.G.S. 54-142a(e))
For offenses committed on or after January 1, 2000, erasure happens automatically. For offenses before January 1, 2000, file Petition for Clean Slate Erasure (JD-CR-202) with the court where you were sentenced, one form per docket number; the court may grant it without a hearing or schedule one. If you think an automatic erasure was missed, get a current State Police criminal history report and send it with the DESPP Hearing for Clean Slate Erasure form.
- Cost
- No court fee for any petition under this section.
Law: C.G.S. 54-142a(k)
Absolute pardon (Board of Pardons and Paroles)
Apply online through the Board's ePardon portal with a State Police criminal history report dated within one year, police reports for convictions from the last 10 years, and references. Nonviolent cases with no victim interest may get an expedited review without a hearing; others go to a virtual hearing.
- Cost
- The Board charges no application fee; you pay DESPP for the criminal history report ($75 personal record search).
Court self-help
Free help in Connecticut
National help
Free letter and checklist
Letter: ask for a copy of your own record
A request to the state records office (Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, State Police Bureau of Identification) with your name, date of birth and mailing address.
Checklist: what to gather before you file
Case numbers, court papers, proof you finished your sentence, forms and fees for Connecticut.
Clearing a record in Connecticut by topic
Erasure after not-guilty finding, dismissal or nolle (C.G.S. 54-142a(a)-(c)) in Connecticut
Which records each remedy covers, who is not eligible and what changes afterwards.
Waiting periods in Connecticut
How long you wait for each kind of case, and a date helper.
How to file in Connecticut
The steps, the cost, fee waivers, the forms and court self-help.
Automatic relief in Connecticut
- Law
- Clean Slate
- What is cleared
- Misdemeanor convictions are erased 7 years, and eligible felony (up to 5-year maximum) and DUI convictions 10 years, after your most recent conviction, for offenses on or after January 1, 2000, once all sentences, parole and probation are done and no charges are pending. Cannabis possession convictions under 21a-279(c) from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2015 are also erased automatically.
- Started
- Law effective January 1, 2023. Automatic cannabis erasures ran in 2023; the automated Clean Slate system went live in December 2023, with erasures over the following month. After system delays, DESPP reports that erasures have resumed.
- Check your record
- Official status page
Law: C.G.S. §§ 54-142a(e), 54-142t, 54-142u
Marijuana records in Connecticut
Convictions for cannabis possession under 21a-279(c) from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2015 were erased automatically starting January 1, 2023. You can petition the Superior Court, with no fee, to erase possession of 4 ounces or less (convictions before January 1, 2000 or from October 1, 2015 to July 1, 2021), cannabis paraphernalia, and sale or manufacture of 4 ounces or less or 6 home-grown plants before July 1, 2021. There is no official form; include your arrest record or an affidavit.
Law: C.G.S. 54-142u; C.G.S. 54-142v
Juvenile records in Connecticut
If you were found delinquent in juvenile court, you can petition the Superior Court to erase your juvenile records once you are 18 and 2 years have passed since discharge (4 years for a serious juvenile offense) with no new convictions or pending cases; victims of human trafficking can petition at any time. Cases dismissed as not delinquent are erased right away without a petition. Misdemeanor convictions in adult court for offenses you committed under age 18 between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2012 are erased automatically; for such offenses before 2000 you can petition the court.
Law: C.G.S. 46b-146; C.G.S. 54-142a(f)
Pardons in Connecticut
- Who decides
- Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles
- How
- Apply online through the ePardon portal. An absolute pardon erases the conviction; a Certificate of Employability (provisional pardon) helps with jobs and licenses but does not erase the record.
Law: C.G.S. § 54-142a(d)
After your record is cleared in Connecticut
After erasure you are deemed never to have been arrested for those proceedings and may so swear under oath. Erasure does not end sex offender or deadly weapon registration duties, standing criminal protective orders or unpaid fines, and the DMV can keep the record on your driving history. Background check companies that buy court records must delete erased records.
Law: C.G.S. 54-142a(g)(2); C.G.S. 54-142a(e)(6)-(8); C.G.S. 54-142e
Get your own record in Connecticut
Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, State Police Bureau of Identification · (860) 685-8480
Request a personal record search ($75) by mail with form DPS-0846-C or online through the CT Criminal History Request System (CCHRS). Fingerprinting by DESPP costs $15; a name search alone ($36) gives only a yes/no answer.
Letter: ask the state records office for a copy of your record
Good to know in Connecticut
- The automated Clean Slate system went live in December 2023 (Governor's office, December 18, 2023); after later delays caused by aging data systems, DESPP reports that erasures have resumed (portal.ct.gov/cleanslate).
- If an absolute pardon is granted, all Connecticut adult convictions it covers are erased (Board of Pardons and Paroles FAQs).
- No court fee may be charged for any erasure petition.
Law: C.G.S. 54-142a(k), 54-142v(a)(4)
Changes in 2024–2026
Since January 1, 2024 you can apply to DESPP for a review, and a contested hearing if needed, if a record that should have been erased automatically was not. P.A. 24-108 (effective June 4, 2024) required all record-holding agencies to help DESPP with automated erasure, and P.A. 25-161 (effective July 1, 2025) changed the request to an application, lets DESPP grant relief without a hearing, and requires DESPP to share the records it will consider at least 15 days before a hearing and to decide in writing within 15 days after it. No 2026 law changed the erasure statutes.
Law: C.G.S. 54-142t(g)
Questions about clearing a record in Connecticut
What is clearing a record called in Connecticut?
Erasure (Clean Slate erasure, absolute pardon). Erasure means police, court and prosecutor records of the charge are erased and may not be disclosed. After erasure you are treated as never having been arrested for those proceedings and may say so under oath.
Can convictions be cleared in Connecticut?
Erasure after not-guilty finding, dismissal or nolle: Charges ending in a not-guilty verdict, a dismissal, or a nolle (prosecutor drops the charge). Clean Slate erasure of convictions: Misdemeanors and motor vehicle violations punishable by up to 1 year; class D or E felonies, unclassified felonies and motor vehicle violations punishable by up to 5 years; DUI (14-227a). Absolute pardon (Board of Pardons and Paroles): Any Connecticut adult conviction, including those not eligible for Clean Slate; if granted, the convictions are erased.
How long do I have to wait in Connecticut?
Not guilty or dismissed: No waiting period, counted from end of the time to appeal (or the final appeal decision); Charge nolled: Records are erased once 13 months have passed since the nolle, counted from date of the nolle; Misdemeanor conviction: 7 years, counted from date of your most recent conviction; Class D/E or unclassified felony (max 5 years), or DUI: 10 years, counted from date of your most recent conviction.
Does Connecticut clear records automatically?
Misdemeanor convictions are erased 7 years, and eligible felony (up to 5-year maximum) and DUI convictions 10 years, after your most recent conviction, for offenses on or after January 1, 2000, once all sentences, parole and probation are done and no charges are pending. Cannabis possession convictions under 21a-279(c) from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2015 are also erased automatically.
How much does it cost to clear a record in Connecticut?
Erasure after not-guilty finding, dismissal or nolle: No court fee for any petition under this section. Clean Slate erasure of convictions: No court fee for any petition under this section. Absolute pardon (Board of Pardons and Paroles): The Board charges no application fee; you pay DESPP for the criminal history report ($75 personal record search).
Can a marijuana record be cleared in Connecticut?
Convictions for cannabis possession under 21a-279(c) from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2015 were erased automatically starting January 1, 2023. You can petition the Superior Court, with no fee, to erase possession of 4 ounces or less (convictions before January 1, 2000 or from October 1, 2015 to July 1, 2021), cannabis paraphernalia, and sale or manufacture of 4 ounces or less or 6 home-grown plants before July 1, 2021. There is no official form; include your arrest record or an affidavit.
Can juvenile records be cleared in Connecticut?
If you were found delinquent in juvenile court, you can petition the Superior Court to erase your juvenile records once you are 18 and 2 years have passed since discharge (4 years for a serious juvenile offense) with no new convictions or pending cases; victims of human trafficking can petition at any time. Cases dismissed as not delinquent are erased right away without a petition. Misdemeanor convictions in adult court for offenses you committed under age 18 between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2012 are erased automatically; for such offenses before 2000 you can petition the court.
What can I say after my record is cleared in Connecticut?
After erasure you are deemed never to have been arrested for those proceedings and may so swear under oath. Erasure does not end sex offender or deadly weapon registration duties, standing criminal protective orders or unpaid fines, and the DMV can keep the record on your driving history. Background check companies that buy court records must delete erased records.
How do I get a copy of my criminal record in Connecticut?
Request a personal record search ($75) by mail with form DPS-0846-C or online through the CT Criminal History Request System (CCHRS). Fingerprinting by DESPP costs $15; a name search alone ($36) gives only a yes/no answer.