Section 18 expungement – non-conviction records (22 O.S. § 18(A)(1)-(3), (5), (7), (14)) in Oklahoma: which records can be cleared
Which records Oklahoma lets you clear, who is not eligible and what changes after the court says yes.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
In Oklahoma it is called expungement: 'expungement' means sealing: the records are hidden from the public but not physically destroyed. Some misdemeanor and felony convictions may be cleared, and Oklahoma also clears some records automatically (Clean Slate).
- Main remedy
- Section 18 expungement – non-conviction records (22 O.S. § 18(A)(1)-(3), (5), (7), (14))
- What it covers
- Acquittals; convictions reversed on appeal and dismissed; DNA exonerations; arrests with no charges filed; dismissed charges (not after a deferred sentence); identity-theft arrests.
- Ways to clear a record
- 3
- Automatic relief
- Yes
Ways to clear a record in Oklahoma
Expungement (Section 18 expungement; Section 991c deferred-sentence expungement) — In Oklahoma, 'expungement' means sealing: the records are hidden from the public but not physically destroyed. Depending on the category, police and prosecutors can still see them, and some sealed records can be used in a later prosecution.
Oklahoma has 3 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Section 18 expungement – non-conviction records (22 O.S. § 18(A)(1)-(3), (5), (7), (14))
Acquittals; convictions reversed on appeal and dismissed; DNA exonerations; arrests with no charges filed; dismissed charges (not after a deferred sentence); identity-theft arrests
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Acquitted, reversed on appeal, or DNA exoneration | No waiting period You can petition right away. | The acquittal, reversal or exoneration |
Arrested, no charges filed | See the rule You can petition once the prosecutor declines to file charges or the time limit to file has passed. | The prosecutor declining to file, or the statute of limitations running out |
All charges dismissed (not after a deferred sentence) | See the rule You can petition once the charges cannot or will not be refiled, if you have never been convicted of a felony and have no pending charges. | The statute of limitations running out, or the prosecutor confirming the charges will not be refiled |
- Not eligible
- Dismissal category requires that you have never been convicted of a felony and have no pending charges; it does not cover charges dismissed after a deferred judgment or delayed sentence (see the deferred categories).
Law: 22 O.S. §§ 18, 19 (as amended through Laws 2024, c. 259 and c. 452, and Laws 2025, c. 292)
Source: Official text
Section 18 expungement – deferred sentences and convictions (22 O.S. § 18(A)(8)-(13), (15))
Misdemeanor and felony charges dismissed after a deferred judgment or delayed sentence; misdemeanor convictions; nonviolent felony convictions; up to two felony convictions; felonies later reclassified as misdemeanors
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Misdemeanor dismissed after deferred sentence | 1 year You can petition 1 year after the charge was dismissed, if you have no felony conviction and no pending charges. | The dismissal |
Nonviolent felony dismissed after deferred sentence | 5 years You can petition 5 years after the charge was dismissed, if you have never been convicted of a felony and have no pending charges. | The dismissal |
Up to two felony charges dismissed after deferred sentences | 10 years You can petition 10 years after the charges were dismissed, if neither felony is a listed violent offense or a registrable sex offense and you have no pending charges. | The dismissal |
Misdemeanor conviction, fine under $501 only | No waiting period You can petition once the fine is paid, if you have no felony conviction and no pending charges. | Paying the fine |
Misdemeanor conviction with jail, suspended sentence or fine over $500 | 5 years You can petition 5 years after your last misdemeanor sentence ended, if you have no felony conviction and no pending charges. | The end of your last misdemeanor sentence |
One nonviolent felony conviction | 5 years You can petition 5 years after finishing the sentence, if you have no other felony and no separate misdemeanor conviction in the last 7 years. | Completing the felony sentence |
Up to two felony convictions | 10 years You can petition 10 years after finishing the sentence, if neither felony is a listed violent offense or a registrable sex offense. | Completing the felony sentence |
Felony later reclassified as a misdemeanor | See the rule You can petition 30 days after finishing the sentence, once restitution is paid and any ordered treatment is completed. | Completing or commutation of the sentence (at least 30 days) |
- Not eligible
- The nonviolent felony categories exclude violent offenses listed in 57 O.S. § 571. The two-felony categories (convictions and deferred dismissals) exclude offenses listed in 21 O.S. § 13.1 and offenses requiring sex offender registration. Pending charges make you ineligible.
- Limits
- Two-felony categories: no more than two felonies. Offenses from the same transaction count as one conviction. An offense that has already been expunged does not count as a prior offense when deciding whether another offense qualifies.
Law: 22 O.S. §§ 18(A)(8)-(13), (15), 19; 22 O.S. § 18 as amended by SB 2038 (Laws 2024, c. 452, § 12); 22 O.S. § 18(D); 22 O.S. § 19(T), added 2025
Source: Official text
Section 991c expungement after a deferred sentence (22 O.S. § 991c)
Cases where you received a deferred sentence and completed it
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Completed deferred sentence | No waiting period When you complete the deferred sentence and pay all fines, fees and assessments, the court discharges you without a judgment of guilt, dismisses the charge with prejudice and expunges the plea from the public record. | Completion of the deferred sentence |
- Limits
- This does not remove the arrest record; a Section 18 expungement is needed for that. The records stay available to law enforcement and can prove a prior deferred judgment in a later case.
Law: 22 O.S. § 991c(C)-(D)
Source: Official text
Records Oklahoma clears on its own
- Law
- Clean Slate
- What is cleared
- Arrest records in which every charge is 'clean slate eligible' are to be sealed automatically, without a petition. Eligible: acquittals, reversals, DNA exonerations, full pardons (adult or juvenile), arrests with no charges filed, identity-theft cases and felonies reclassified as misdemeanors; and, only if your record is an Oklahoma-only ('single-source') record, dismissals where the prosecutor declined to file, misdemeanor deferred-sentence dismissals after 1 year, and misdemeanor convictions (fine-only, or 5 years after the sentence). Each month OSBI is to identify eligible records and send lists to prosecutors and arresting agencies, which have 45 days to object (for example over unpaid restitution); a court then signs the orders. Felony convictions and felony deferred-sentence dismissals are never automatic. If your record has not been sealed automatically, you can still file a petition.
- Started
- Law effective November 1, 2022; automatic sealing could begin November 1, 2025, subject to funding. OSBI says it is implementing Clean Slate in phases with no fixed deadline.
- Check your record
- Official status page
Law: 22 O.S. §§ 18(B)-(C), 19(B)-(D) (as amended by SB 1770, Laws 2024, c. 259)
What changes afterwards
After sealing, the case is treated as never having happened: you and criminal justice agencies may say no such action occurred. Employers, schools and government agencies may not require you to disclose sealed records, and you may state that no such action occurred. Exceptions: 'partially sealed' records (deferred dismissals, convictions, pardons, identity theft, reclassified felonies) stay visible to law enforcement, deferred dismissals and convictions can prove a prior offense in a later prosecution, and sealed records may be used to impeach a witness or as character evidence.
Law: 22 O.S. § 18(B), (E); § 19(H), (J), (Q)
Juvenile records in Oklahoma
If you were under 18 when the offense happened and received a full pardon, you can have the record expunged, and it is Clean Slate eligible.
Law: 22 O.S. § 18(A)(6)
Pardons in Oklahoma
- Who decides
- Governor of Oklahoma, after a hearing and favorable recommendation by a majority of the Pardon and Parole Board
- How
- Apply online through the Pardon and Parole Board portal. You must have completed your whole sentence (or five straight years of parole or probation with no new offenses), paid all fines, fees, restitution and costs, have no pending charges, warrants, tax liens or child-support arrears, not be in jail or prison, and not have been considered for a pardon in the previous 3 years. A pardon does not clear the record by itself, but a full pardon makes you eligible for Section 18 expungement (partial sealing) and is listed as Clean Slate eligible.
Law: Okla. Const. art. VI, § 10; Okla. Const. art. VI, § 22 O.S. § 18(A)(4)
In nearby states
What to do now in Oklahoma
See what is on your record
Get a copy of your record so you know each case and how it ended. OSBI – Criminal History Record Expungement (FAQ) and OSBI – Clean Slate eligibility by category (PDF).
Count the waiting period
Waiting periods differ by case and remedy. Waiting periods.
Start the case
You file the request in the court that handled the case. How to file.
Ask for free help
Ask for free help: Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.
Where to get free help in Oklahoma
Questions about clearing a record in Oklahoma
What does Oklahoma call expungement?
Expungement (Section 18 expungement; Section 991c deferred-sentence expungement). In Oklahoma, 'expungement' means sealing: the records are hidden from the public but not physically destroyed. Depending on the category, police and prosecutors can still see them, and some sealed records can be used in a later prosecution.
Which records can be cleared in Oklahoma?
Section 18 expungement – non-conviction records: Acquittals; convictions reversed on appeal and dismissed; DNA exonerations; arrests with no charges filed; dismissed charges (not after a deferred sentence); identity-theft arrests. Section 18 expungement – deferred sentences and convictions: Misdemeanor and felony charges dismissed after a deferred judgment or delayed sentence; misdemeanor convictions; nonviolent felony convictions; up to two felony convictions; felonies later reclassified as misdemeanors. Section 991c expungement after a deferred sentence: Cases where you received a deferred sentence and completed it.
Is there a Clean Slate law in Oklahoma?
Arrest records in which every charge is 'clean slate eligible' are to be sealed automatically, without a petition. Eligible: acquittals, reversals, DNA exonerations, full pardons (adult or juvenile), arrests with no charges filed, identity-theft cases and felonies reclassified as misdemeanors; and, only if your record is an Oklahoma-only ('single-source') record, dismissals where the prosecutor declined to file, misdemeanor deferred-sentence dismissals after 1 year, and misdemeanor convictions (fine-only, or 5 years after the sentence). Each month OSBI is to identify eligible records and send lists to prosecutors and arresting agencies, which have 45 days to object (for example over unpaid restitution); a court then signs the orders. Felony convictions and felony deferred-sentence dismissals are never automatic. If your record has not been sealed automatically, you can still file a petition.
Can juvenile records be cleared in Oklahoma?
If you were under 18 when the offense happened and received a full pardon, you can have the record expunged, and it is Clean Slate eligible.
What can I say after my record is cleared in Oklahoma?
After sealing, the case is treated as never having happened: you and criminal justice agencies may say no such action occurred. Employers, schools and government agencies may not require you to disclose sealed records, and you may state that no such action occurred. Exceptions: 'partially sealed' records (deferred dismissals, convictions, pardons, identity theft, reclassified felonies) stay visible to law enforcement, deferred dismissals and convictions can prove a prior offense in a later prosecution, and sealed records may be used to impeach a witness or as character evidence.