Clearing a criminal record in New Jersey
In New Jersey it is called expungement: an expungement removes and isolates the records of your arrest, court case, conviction and sentence from courts, police and correctional agencies. New Jersey also clears some records automatically.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026. · Free letter and checklist ↓
Can my record be cleared in New Jersey?
Expungement — In New Jersey an expungement removes and isolates the records of your arrest, court case, conviction and sentence from courts, police and correctional agencies; agencies must answer that there is no record. The records are kept in a separate file and can still be used in limited situations set by law.
New Jersey has 6 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Regular Expungement - Indictable Offense (crime)
One crime (felony-level indictable offense), or one crime plus up to three disorderly persons / petty disorderly persons offenses; or several crimes listed in a single judgment of conviction or committed as one closely related sequence of events.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Indictable offense (crime) | 5 years You can apply 5 years after the latest of these dates. | The most recent conviction, payment of court-ordered fines and fees, completion of probation or parole, or release from incarceration, whichever is later |
Indictable offense, early (compelling circumstances) | 4 years After at least 4 years, the court may grant early expungement if you have no conviction since and it finds compelling circumstances. | The same latest date |
- Not eligible
- Criminal homicide (except death by auto and strict-liability vehicular homicide); kidnapping; luring; human trafficking; sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault; aggravated criminal sexual contact; criminal sexual contact, criminal restraint or false imprisonment of a minor (in listed cases); robbery; arson; child sexual endangerment and child sexual abuse material offenses; perjury and false swearing; promoting prostitution of one's child; terrorism; chemical, biological or nuclear weapons; crimes by public officials touching their office; most drug sale/distribution convictions (except small marijuana/hashish amounts, or third/fourth-degree with compelling circumstances).
- Limits
- Denied if you have had a previous criminal conviction expunged (except municipal ordinance cases and non-conviction records), or if the prosecutor shows the need for the records outweighs relief.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-2, 2C:52-14, 2C:52-29
Source: Official text
Regular Expungement - Disorderly Persons and Petty Disorderly Persons Offenses
Up to five disorderly persons and/or petty disorderly persons offenses (or any number entered on the same day or committed as one closely related sequence), if you have no crime conviction. Old marijuana/hashish distribution convictions under 2C:35-5(b)(11)-(12) and some hypodermic-needle convictions count as disorderly persons offenses for this purpose.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Disorderly persons / petty disorderly persons offense | 5 years You can apply 5 years after the latest of these dates. | The most recent conviction, payment of court-ordered fines and fees, completion of probation or parole, or release from incarceration, whichever is later |
Disorderly persons offense, early (compelling circumstances) | 3 years After at least 3 years, the court may grant early expungement if you have no conviction since and it finds compelling circumstances. | The same latest date |
- Not eligible
- Not available under this section if you have any crime (indictable) conviction; use the indictable or Clean Slate route instead.
- Limits
- Up to five offenses; a prior criminal expungement bars relief (except under Clean Slate).
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-3
Source: Official text
Municipal Ordinance Violations
Violations of local ordinances, if you have no crime conviction (before or after) and no more than two disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons convictions.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Municipal ordinance violation | 2 years You can apply 2 years after the latest of these dates. | The conviction, payment of the fine, completion of probation or release from incarceration, whichever is later |
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-4
Source: Official text
Clean Slate Expungement by Petition
All of your convictions (any number of crimes and offenses), even if you had an earlier expungement, unless one of them is a non-expungeable crime.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Any number of convictions | 10 years You can apply 10 years after the latest of these dates. | The most recent conviction, payment of court-ordered fines and fees, completion of probation or parole, or release from incarceration, whichever is later |
- Not eligible
- Any conviction for a crime listed as non-expungeable in N.J.S.A. 2C:52-2(b) or (c).
- Limits
- Petitions under this section end once the State's automated Clean Slate process is established.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-5.3; N.J.S.A. 2C:52-5.3(d)
Source: Official text
Arrests Not Resulting in Conviction (including expedited expungement)
Arrests and charges that were dismissed, acquitted, or discharged without a conviction or finding of guilt.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Dismissal or acquittal | No waiting period The Superior Court orders expungement at the time of dismissal or acquittal; if that did not happen, you can petition at any time. | The dismissal, acquittal or discharge |
Dismissal after PTI, conditional discharge or conditional dismissal | 6 months You must wait 6 months after the dismissal. | The order of dismissal |
- Not eligible
- Not available when the dismissal was part of a plea deal on other charges (until that conviction is expunged), or when the case ended because you were found insane or lacked capacity. After PTI, conditional discharge or conditional dismissal you must wait 6 months; after Veterans Diversion or Mental Health Diversion there is no wait.
- Limits
- A non-conviction expungement does not bar any future expungement.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-6
Source: Official text
Recovery Court (Drug Court) Expungement
Cases of people who graduated from Recovery Court.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Recovery Court graduation | No waiting period The court can order expungement when you graduate; you only need to apply if you graduated before April 18, 2016. | Graduation |
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:35-14(m)
Source: Official text
When can I file? Waiting periods in New Jersey
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 New Jersey
Regular Expungement - Indictable Offense (crime)
File online through the eCourts Expungement System (free) or on paper in the Superior Court of the county where you live or of any county where one of your convictions was entered. The prosecutor and other agencies get notice and may object; the judge may ask you to come to court. After the order, the State Police remove the record from its computerized criminal history; track it on the NJSP Expungement Status Portal.
- Cost
- No filing fee (N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29; NJ Courts: the eCourts Expungement System is free).
Regular Expungement - Disorderly Persons and Petty Disorderly Persons Offenses
File online through the eCourts Expungement System or in the Superior Court of the county where you live or of any county where one of your convictions was entered.
- Cost
- No filing fee.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29
Municipal Ordinance Violations
File through the eCourts Expungement System or in the Superior Court of the county where you live or of any county where a conviction was entered.
- Cost
- No filing fee.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29
Clean Slate Expungement by Petition
File through eCourts in the Superior Court of the county where you live or of any county where one of your convictions was entered. Unpaid fines not caused by willful noncompliance do not block relief; they become a civil judgment.
- Cost
- No filing fee.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29
Arrests Not Resulting in Conviction (including expedited expungement)
Usually ordered automatically at dismissal or acquittal; otherwise file a verified petition at any time in the Superior Court of the county where you live or where the case ended (eCourts).
- Cost
- No filing fee.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29
Recovery Court (Drug Court) Expungement
Ordered by the Recovery Court at graduation; earlier graduates apply through eCourts.
- Cost
- No filing fee.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29
Court self-help
Free help in New Jersey
- Legal Services of New Jersey (regional legal services offices) · 732-572-9100
- NJ State Bar Association county lawyer referral services
- Find free legal aid at LawHelp.org
National help
Free letter and checklist
Letter: ask for a copy of your own record
A request to the state records office (New Jersey State Police (Computerized Criminal History system)) 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 New Jersey.
Clearing a record in New Jersey by topic
Regular Expungement - Indictable Offense (crime) in New Jersey
Which records each remedy covers, who is not eligible and what changes afterwards.
Waiting periods in New Jersey
How long you wait for each kind of case, and a date helper.
How to file in New Jersey
The steps, the cost, fee waivers, the forms and court self-help.
Automatic relief in New Jersey
- Law
- Automatic marijuana expungement (Marijuana Decriminalization Law); automated Clean Slate
- What is cleared
- Under the 2021 law and a July 1, 2021 Supreme Court order, the courts expunged cases whose only charges were low-level marijuana or hashish offenses (distribution under 1 oz / 5 g, possession, plus related paraphernalia, use or failure-to-dispose charges). A 2019 law also requires the State to build an automated Clean Slate process that will make all convictions inaccessible 10 years after your last conviction, payment of fines, or end of probation, parole or prison, except non-expungeable crimes. That automated process is not yet running; you must still file a Clean Slate petition.
- Started
- Marijuana expungements: July 1, 2021. Automated Clean Slate: enacted December 18, 2019, not yet in operation as of 2026 (a May 2026 Assembly bill, A5095, states the automated process still does not exist).
- Check your record
- Official status page
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-6.1; N.J.S.A. 2C:52-5.4
Marijuana records in New Jersey
The 2021 Marijuana Decriminalization Law required expungement of cases involving only certain marijuana/hashish offenses, and the courts expunged them by Supreme Court order on July 1, 2021. You can confirm in person at the court that heard the case (or the Superior Court Clerk's Office in Trenton, 609-421-6100) and get a certification, or file a Motion for Judicial Review if your case was missed. If a low-level marijuana or hashish case (possession, or distribution under 1 oz / 5 g) was not cleared, you can petition at any time once your sentence is complete and the court must grant it immediately. Other marijuana distribution convictions under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5(b)(11) can be expunged by petition 3 years after the sentence ends.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-6.1; N.J.S.A. 2C:52-5.1(a); N.J.S.A. 2C:52-5.1(b)
Juvenile records in New Jersey
Juvenile delinquency adjudications can be expunged like adult offenses, or your whole juvenile record can be expunged 3 years after final discharge from custody or supervision (or the entry of any other order), if you had no new conviction, adjudication or pending charge in those 3 years, no adjudication for a non-expungeable crime, and no adult expungement or adult diversion dismissal.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-4.1
Pardons in New Jersey
- Who decides
- Governor (executive clemency)
- How
- Send a clemency application for a pardon or commutation by mail to the New Jersey State Parole Board, Attn: Clemency Unit, P.O. Box 862, Trenton, NJ 08625. If you applied to Governor Murphy and were not granted clemency, your application is treated as denied and you must re-apply under Governor Sherrill.
Law: N.J. Const. art. V, § 2, ¶ 1
After your record is cleared in New Jersey
After an expungement, the arrest, conviction and related proceedings are deemed not to have occurred, and you may answer questions about them accordingly. Exceptions: you must disclose expunged records if you apply for a job in the judiciary or with a law enforcement or corrections agency; you must tell a court deciding whether to admit you to a diversion program about an earlier diversion expungement; and the fact of an expungement is disclosed when required under N.J.S.A. 2C:52-8. Agencies must reply that there is no record.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-27; N.J.S.A. 2C:52-15
Get your own record in New Jersey
New Jersey State Police (Computerized Criminal History system) · 609-671-7900
After a judge signs your order, register on the NJSP Expungement Status Portal to track whether the State Police has removed the record.
Letter: ask the state records office for a copy of your record
Good to know in New Jersey
- New Jersey charges no fee to apply for an expungement.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29, as amended by P.L.2019, c.269
- Clean Slate lets you clear all of your convictions after 10 years, even if you had an earlier expungement.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-5.3
- Unpaid fines do not block expungement if not paid for reasons other than willful noncompliance; the balance becomes a civil judgment.
Law: N.J.S.A. 2C:52-2(a), 2C:52-3
Changes in 2024–2026
P.L.2024, c.92 (approved November 18, 2024) renamed the child sexual abuse material offenses that remain barred from expungement. The automated Clean Slate process required by the 2019 law is still not running; Assembly bill A5095 (introduced May 14, 2026) would set procedures for it. The clemency page now says applications made to Governor Murphy that were not granted are denied and must be re-filed with Governor Sherrill.
Questions about clearing a record in New Jersey
What is clearing a record called in New Jersey?
Expungement. In New Jersey an expungement removes and isolates the records of your arrest, court case, conviction and sentence from courts, police and correctional agencies; agencies must answer that there is no record. The records are kept in a separate file and can still be used in limited situations set by law.
Can convictions be cleared in New Jersey?
Regular Expungement - Indictable Offense (crime): One crime (felony-level indictable offense), or one crime plus up to three disorderly persons / petty disorderly persons offenses; or several crimes listed in a single judgment of conviction or committed as one closely related sequence of events. Regular Expungement - Disorderly Persons and Petty Disorderly Persons Offenses: Up to five disorderly persons and/or petty disorderly persons offenses (or any number entered on the same day or committed as one closely related sequence), if you have no crime conviction. Old marijuana/hashish distribution convictions under 2C:35-5(b)(11)-(12) and some hypodermic-needle convictions count as disorderly persons offenses for this purpose. Municipal Ordinance Violations: Violations of local ordinances, if you have no crime conviction (before or after) and no more than two disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons convictions. Clean Slate Expungement by Petition: All of your convictions (any number of crimes and offenses), even if you had an earlier expungement, unless one of them is a non-expungeable crime. Arrests Not Resulting in Conviction (including expedited expungement): Arrests and charges that were dismissed, acquitted, or discharged without a conviction or finding of guilt. Recovery Court (Drug Court) Expungement: Cases of people who graduated from Recovery Court.
How long do I have to wait in New Jersey?
Indictable offense (crime): 5 years, counted from the most recent conviction, payment of court-ordered fines and fees, completion of probation or parole, or release from incarceration, whichever is later; Indictable offense, early (compelling circumstances): 4 years, counted from the same latest date; Disorderly persons / petty disorderly persons offense: 5 years, counted from the most recent conviction, payment of court-ordered fines and fees, completion of probation or parole, or release from incarceration, whichever is later; Disorderly persons offense, early (compelling circumstances): 3 years, counted from the same latest date.
Does New Jersey clear records automatically?
Under the 2021 law and a July 1, 2021 Supreme Court order, the courts expunged cases whose only charges were low-level marijuana or hashish offenses (distribution under 1 oz / 5 g, possession, plus related paraphernalia, use or failure-to-dispose charges). A 2019 law also requires the State to build an automated Clean Slate process that will make all convictions inaccessible 10 years after your last conviction, payment of fines, or end of probation, parole or prison, except non-expungeable crimes. That automated process is not yet running; you must still file a Clean Slate petition.
How much does it cost to clear a record in New Jersey?
Regular Expungement - Indictable Offense (crime): No filing fee (N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29; NJ Courts: the eCourts Expungement System is free). Regular Expungement - Disorderly Persons and Petty Disorderly Persons Offenses: No filing fee. Municipal Ordinance Violations: No filing fee. Clean Slate Expungement by Petition: No filing fee. Arrests Not Resulting in Conviction (including expedited expungement): No filing fee. Recovery Court (Drug Court) Expungement: No filing fee.
Can a marijuana record be cleared in New Jersey?
The 2021 Marijuana Decriminalization Law required expungement of cases involving only certain marijuana/hashish offenses, and the courts expunged them by Supreme Court order on July 1, 2021. You can confirm in person at the court that heard the case (or the Superior Court Clerk's Office in Trenton, 609-421-6100) and get a certification, or file a Motion for Judicial Review if your case was missed. If a low-level marijuana or hashish case (possession, or distribution under 1 oz / 5 g) was not cleared, you can petition at any time once your sentence is complete and the court must grant it immediately. Other marijuana distribution convictions under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5(b)(11) can be expunged by petition 3 years after the sentence ends.
Can juvenile records be cleared in New Jersey?
Juvenile delinquency adjudications can be expunged like adult offenses, or your whole juvenile record can be expunged 3 years after final discharge from custody or supervision (or the entry of any other order), if you had no new conviction, adjudication or pending charge in those 3 years, no adjudication for a non-expungeable crime, and no adult expungement or adult diversion dismissal.
What can I say after my record is cleared in New Jersey?
After an expungement, the arrest, conviction and related proceedings are deemed not to have occurred, and you may answer questions about them accordingly. Exceptions: you must disclose expunged records if you apply for a job in the judiciary or with a law enforcement or corrections agency; you must tell a court deciding whether to admit you to a diversion program about an earlier diversion expungement; and the fact of an expungement is disclosed when required under N.J.S.A. 2C:52-8. Agencies must reply that there is no record.
How do I get a copy of my criminal record in New Jersey?
After a judge signs your order, register on the NJSP Expungement Status Portal to track whether the State Police has removed the record.
Where can I get free help in New Jersey?
Legal Services of New Jersey (regional legal services offices) and NJ State Bar Association county lawyer referral services.