How to File to Clear a Record in District of Columbia

Where and how to file in the District of Columbia

Sealing of criminal records by motion (D.C. Code § 16-806)

Get your arrest history from MPD (Option A, $7) and your case dispositions from D.C. Superior Court. Write a motion listing all your unsealed arrests and convictions and why sealing is in the interests of justice. Email everything to the Superior Court Seal Team or file in person at 500 Indiana Ave NW, Room 4001, and serve a copy on the prosecutor. The prosecutor responds only if the judge orders it. The judge may hold a hearing and must rule in writing, usually within 180 days. The prosecutor can waive the waiting period in writing.

Forms: How to File a Motion to Seal/Expunge Your Criminal Record (D.C. Superior Court, rev. June 30, 2026)

Expungement by motion on grounds of actual innocence (D.C. Code § 16-803)

File a written motion in D.C. Superior Court stating the grounds and facts, with any affidavits or documents, and serve the prosecutor. The court may order a response and hold a hearing. Records must be expunged within 90 days after the motion is granted.

Forms: How to File a Motion to Seal/Expunge Your Criminal Record (D.C. Superior Court)

Court self-help

Checklist: what to gather before you file

After your record is cleared

After sealing or expungement you cannot be charged with perjury or giving a false statement for not disclosing the sealed or expunged arrest, charge or conviction 'in response to any inquiry made of them for any purpose.' Sealed records remain available to courts, prosecutors, police, corrections, licensing agencies (for disqualifying offenses), schools and child-care facilities, and some senior government employers.

Law: D.C. Code §§ 16-801(5), 16-804, 16-807

Get your own record in the District of Columbia

Metropolitan Police Department, Arrest and Criminal History Section · (202) 727-4245

Ask for 'Option A' (full arrest record for sealing or expungement). Bring a driver's license or non-driver ID (or original birth certificate and Social Security card) to 441 4th Street NW, Room 550 South, by appointment, or mail a notarized letter. Fee $7 (cash or card in person; $7 money order to the DC Treasurer by mail). Up to 10 business days. You must be 18 or older.

Letter: ask the state records office for a copy of your record

Exclusions in the District of Columbia

Sealing of criminal records by motion (D.C. Code § 16-806): Felonies in Offense Severity Groups 1, 2 or 3 of the D.C. Sentencing Commission Master Grid (the most serious felonies) cannot be sealed.
Expungement by motion on grounds of actual innocence (D.C. Code § 16-803): Cases that ended in a conviction. An acquittal or dismissal alone does not prove innocence.

Law: D.C. Code §§ 16-801, 16-806, 16-807; D.C. Code §§ 16-803, 16-804

In nearby states

Maryland: No filing fee for acquittal, dismissal, PBJ, nolle prosequi, stet or not-criminally-responsible dispositions.
Delaware: $72 to apply (fingerprints and criminal history); if eligible, a $75 money order payable to the Delaware State Police.
Virginia: No court fees or costs to file. You may pay a service fee if you have the sheriff serve the prosecutor; hand delivery or mail avoids it.

Your next steps in the District of Columbia

Gather your papers
Collect your case numbers, final court papers and proof of payment. Checklist: what to gather before you file.
Use the court's forms
Official forms and instructions: D.C. Superior Court - Sealing Criminal Records and How to File a Motion to Seal/Expunge Your Criminal Record (PDF).
Turn in the petition
The clerk takes the petition; the court may set a hearing.
Ask for free help
Ask for free help: Public Defender Service for D.C. (ask for the Duty Day Attorney for seal cases) and Legal Aid DC.

Where to get free help in the District of Columbia

Questions about filing in the District of Columbia

How long do I have to wait in the District of Columbia?

Arrest or charge, no conviction: No waiting period, counted from end of the case (dismissal, no papering, or other final disposition without conviction); Misdemeanor conviction: 5 years, counted from completion of the sentence (discharge from incarceration, probation, parole or supervised release, whichever is latest); Felony conviction: 8 years, counted from completion of the sentence; Arrest or charge, actual innocence: No waiting period, counted from end of the case.

Where do I get my own record in the District of Columbia?

Ask for 'Option A' (full arrest record for sealing or expungement). Bring a driver's license or non-driver ID (or original birth certificate and Social Security card) to 441 4th Street NW, Room 550 South, by appointment, or mail a notarized letter. Fee $7 (cash or card in person; $7 money order to the DC Treasurer by mail). Up to 10 business days. You must be 18 or older.

Who helps for free in the District of Columbia?

Public Defender Service for D.C. (ask for the Duty Day Attorney for seal cases), Legal Aid DC and Neighborhood Legal Services Program.

How to file to clear a record in the District of Columbia

Short answer