Sealing Records After Conviction (NRS 179.245) in Nevada: which records can be cleared
What Nevada law lets you clear, record by record.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
In Nevada it is called record sealing: sealing removes the record from general sources but does not destroy it; the law treats the case as if it never happened. Some misdemeanor and felony convictions may be cleared, and Nevada also clears some records automatically.
- Main remedy
- Sealing Records After Conviction (NRS 179.245)
- What it covers
- Most misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor and felony convictions (category A to E).
- Ways to clear a record
- 5
- Automatic relief
- Yes
Ways to clear a record in Nevada
Record sealing — Sealing removes the record from general sources but does not destroy it; the law treats the case as if it never happened. Courts can reopen it only in narrow cases, and some agencies (gaming and insurance regulators, the pardons board, sex-offense registry staff) can still look at certain sealed records.
Nevada has 5 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Sealing Records After Conviction (NRS 179.245)
Most misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor and felony convictions (category A to E).
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Misdemeanor (most) | 1 year You can petition 1 year after your release or after your suspended sentence ends. | Release from actual custody or end of a suspended sentence, whichever is later |
Misdemeanor battery, harassment, stalking or violating a protection order | 2 years Wait 2 years. | Release from actual custody or end of a suspended sentence, whichever is later |
Misdemeanor DUI, misdemeanor domestic battery, or Medicaid fraud (NRS 422.540-422.570) | 7 years Wait 7 years. | Release from actual custody or end of a suspended sentence, whichever is later |
Gross misdemeanor | 2 years Wait 2 years. | Release from actual custody or discharge from probation, whichever is later |
Category E felony | 2 years Wait 2 years. | Release from actual custody or discharge from parole or probation, whichever is later |
Category B, C or D felony | 5 years Wait 5 years. | Release from actual custody or discharge from parole or probation, whichever is later |
Category A felony, crime of violence, or residential burglary | 10 years Wait 10 years. | Release from actual custody or discharge from parole or probation, whichever is later |
- Not eligible
- Crimes against a child; sexual offenses; home invasion with a deadly weapon; felony DUI; DUI causing death or substantial harm; vehicular homicide; felony boating under the influence. You must have no new conviction (other than minor traffic) and no pending charges during the waiting period.
- Limits
- If denied, you can ask for a rehearing after 2 years, or appeal.
Law: NRS 179.2405-179.301 (esp. 179.245, 179.2445, 179.265); NRS 179.265
Source: Official text
Sealing After Dismissal, Declined Prosecution or Acquittal (NRS 179.255)
Arrests where charges were dismissed, the prosecutor declined to charge, or you were acquitted.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Charges dismissed | No waiting period You can petition any time after the dismissal. | The dismissal |
Acquittal | No waiting period You can petition any time after the acquittal; the court must seal if no further action is expected. | The acquittal |
Prosecution declined | 8 years You can petition 8 years after the arrest, or earlier once the statute of limitations has run or if the prosecutor agrees. | The arrest |
- Limits
- Rehearing after denial: 2 years.
Law: NRS 179.255; NRS 179.265
Source: Official text
Sealing of Decriminalized Offenses (NRS 179.271)
Convictions for conduct that is no longer a crime, such as possessing small amounts of marijuana before legalization (not traffic offenses).
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Decriminalized offense | No waiting period You can send a written request at any time. | No waiting period |
- Not eligible
- Traffic offenses.
Law: NRS 179.271
Source: Official text
Sealing After Discharge From Deferred Probation (NRS 176A.265)
Cases where the court suspended proceedings and placed you on probation, then dismissed the case or set aside the conviction.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Deferred judgment completed | No waiting period The court must order the records sealed without a hearing, unless the Division of Parole and Probation shows good cause. | Discharge from probation or dismissal |
Deferred DUI or domestic battery case | 7 years You may petition after 7 years and the court must seal. | The conditional dismissal or set-aside |
- Not eligible
- Records cannot be sealed under this section if you were charged with child abuse or neglect or abuse, neglect or exploitation of an older or vulnerable person.
Law: NRS 176A.265; NRS 200.508; NRS 200.5099
Source: Official text
Sealing After Reentry Program (NRS 179.259)
A single non-violent felony for people who completed a correctional or judicial reentry program.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Reentry program completed | 4 years The court may seal 4 years after you complete the program, usually without a hearing. | Completing the reentry program |
- Not eligible
- Crimes against a child and sexual offenses.
Law: NRS 179.259
Source: Official text
After your record is cleared
After sealing, the proceedings are deemed never to have occurred and you may answer any inquiry, including a job application, as if they did not happen; your rights to vote, hold office and serve on a jury are restored, but not the right to own a gun unless a pardon restores it. Exceptions: gaming and insurance regulators can inspect sealed records related to gaming or insurance, the Central Repository can report sexual offenses to employers under federal law, and the pardons board can inspect records of applicants.
Law: NRS 179.285; NRS 179.301
Records Nevada clears on its own
- Law
- Automatic sealing in limited cases (deferred probation, unconditional pardons, juvenile records)
- What is cleared
- The court seals records without a petition when you finish a deferred-judgment probation or certain specialty court treatment programs; the court and the Central Repository seal records once they receive a certified unconditional pardon; juvenile records are sealed within 60 days after age 18. There is no automatic sealing of ordinary adult convictions.
- Started
- Pardon sealing added in 2021; juvenile automatic sealing since 2003 (amended 2015, 2021); deferred-probation sealing since 2001.
- Check your record
- Official status page
Law: NRS 176A.265; NRS 179.273; NRS 62H.140; NRS 176A.245, 176A.295
Cannabis convictions in Nevada
On June 16, 2020 the State Board of Pardons Commissioners unconditionally pardoned everyone convicted in Nevada of possessing one ounce or less of marijuana not for sale; you can ask the Board for a pardon document, and pardoned records are sealed. You can also ask the convicting court to seal a decriminalized offense at no cost.
Law: NRS 179.273; NRS 179.271
Records from when you were under 18
Juvenile records are sealed automatically within 60 days after you turn 18, or after juvenile court jurisdiction ends. Before 21 you can petition 3 years after your last adjudication; records of certain serious delinquent acts not sealed by 21 cannot be sealed until age 30.
Law: NRS 62H.140; NRS 62H.130; NRS 62H.150
Pardons in Nevada
- Who decides
- State Board of Pardons Commissioners (the Governor, the Supreme Court justices and the Attorney General)
- How
- File the Application for Pardon with the Board. A pardoned record is sealed automatically when the court and Central Repository receive the certified pardon, or you may petition the court at no cost.
Law: Nev. Const. art. 5, § 14; NRS 179.273
In nearby states
- California: Dismissal (often called expungement), arrest record sealing, automatic record relief
- Utah: Expungement
- Idaho: Expungement (non-conviction records), shielding from disclosure, and dismissal or reduction under I.C. § 19-2604
- Oregon: Set aside (also called expungement); sealing
Steps to clear a record in Nevada
See what is on your record
Find out exactly what your record shows: every arrest, charge and outcome. Nevada DPS: Criminal History & Sealing of Records (sample petitions and general information) and Clark County Law Library: Sealing Records.
Check the waiting period
Each kind of case has its own waiting period. Waiting periods.
File with the court
You file the request in the court that handled the case. How to file.
Get help
Legal aid can help for free: Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada - Criminal Record Sealing classes and forms clinic and Nevada Legal Services - record sealing forms.
Free legal help in Nevada
Questions about clearing a record in Nevada
What is clearing a record called in Nevada?
Record sealing. Sealing removes the record from general sources but does not destroy it; the law treats the case as if it never happened. Courts can reopen it only in narrow cases, and some agencies (gaming and insurance regulators, the pardons board, sex-offense registry staff) can still look at certain sealed records.
Which records can be cleared in Nevada?
Sealing Records After Conviction: Most misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor and felony convictions (category A to E). Sealing After Dismissal, Declined Prosecution or Acquittal: Arrests where charges were dismissed, the prosecutor declined to charge, or you were acquitted. Sealing of Decriminalized Offenses: Convictions for conduct that is no longer a crime, such as possessing small amounts of marijuana before legalization (not traffic offenses). Sealing After Discharge From Deferred Probation: Cases where the court suspended proceedings and placed you on probation, then dismissed the case or set aside the conviction. Sealing After Reentry Program: A single non-violent felony for people who completed a correctional or judicial reentry program.
Is there a Clean Slate law in Nevada?
The court seals records without a petition when you finish a deferred-judgment probation or certain specialty court treatment programs; the court and the Central Repository seal records once they receive a certified unconditional pardon; juvenile records are sealed within 60 days after age 18. There is no automatic sealing of ordinary adult convictions.
What about marijuana convictions in Nevada?
On June 16, 2020 the State Board of Pardons Commissioners unconditionally pardoned everyone convicted in Nevada of possessing one ounce or less of marijuana not for sale; you can ask the Board for a pardon document, and pardoned records are sealed. You can also ask the convicting court to seal a decriminalized offense at no cost.
What happens to juvenile records in Nevada?
Juvenile records are sealed automatically within 60 days after you turn 18, or after juvenile court jurisdiction ends. Before 21 you can petition 3 years after your last adjudication; records of certain serious delinquent acts not sealed by 21 cannot be sealed until age 30.
What can I say after my record is cleared in Nevada?
After sealing, the proceedings are deemed never to have occurred and you may answer any inquiry, including a job application, as if they did not happen; your rights to vote, hold office and serve on a jury are restored, but not the right to own a gun unless a pardon restores it. Exceptions: gaming and insurance regulators can inspect sealed records related to gaming or insurance, the Central Repository can report sexual offenses to employers under federal law, and the pardons board can inspect records of applicants.