Expungement in Pennsylvania: which records can be cleared
What Pennsylvania law lets you clear, record by record.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
In Pennsylvania it is called expungement or limited access: expungement removes the record so it is no longer kept, except for limited lists prosecutors and police may keep. Some misdemeanor and felony convictions may be cleared, and Pennsylvania also clears some records automatically.
- Main remedy
- Expungement
- What it covers
- Non-conviction records (charges dismissed, withdrawn, nolle prossed), acquittals, completed ARD programs, summary offense convictions, underage drinking convictions after age 21, pardoned convictions, and records of people 70 or older or who died three years ago.
- Ways to clear a record
- 2
- Automatic relief
- Yes
What each remedy covers in Pennsylvania
Expungement; limited access (including Clean Slate automatic limited access) — Expungement removes the record so it is no longer kept, except for limited lists prosecutors and police may keep. Limited access seals a record from most employers, landlords and the public, but police, courts and some agencies required by law can still see it.
Pennsylvania has 2 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Expungement
Non-conviction records (charges dismissed, withdrawn, nolle prossed), acquittals, completed ARD programs, summary offense convictions, underage drinking convictions after age 21, pardoned convictions, and records of people 70 or older or who died three years ago.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Charges dismissed, withdrawn or not prosecuted | No waiting period You can file a petition for expungement any time after the case ends without a conviction. | Final disposition |
Acquitted of all charges at trial | No waiting period The court must expunge the record on its own within 12 months of the acquittal, unless the prosecutor shows it was a partial acquittal. | Acquittal |
ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition) completed | No waiting period When the judge dismisses the charges after ARD, the judge also orders expungement, unless the prosecutor objects with good reasons. | Dismissal after ARD |
Summary offense conviction | 5 years You can petition after five years free of arrest or prosecution since the conviction. | Date of conviction |
Underage drinking conviction (18 Pa.C.S. 6308) | See the rule If you are 21 or older and finished the sentence, the court must expunge it on petition. | Completing the sentence, once you are 21 |
Age 70 or older, any conviction | 10 years If you are 70 or older and have been free of arrest or prosecution for ten years since final release, you can petition. | Final release from confinement or supervision |
Conviction with an unconditional pardon | No waiting period Pardoned convictions are sent by the Board of Pardons to the courts and expunged. | Pardon |
- Not eligible
- Most misdemeanor and felony convictions cannot be expunged (use limited access instead), unless pardoned or you are 70+. ARD cannot be expunged for rape, statutory sexual assault, IDSI, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, indecent exposure, and certain prostitution and obscenity offenses when the victim was under 18.
Law: 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122; Pa.R.Crim.P. 320, 490, 790
Source: Official text
Petition for Limited Access
Misdemeanor convictions and ungraded offenses with a maximum penalty of five years or less; and, after 10 years, certain felonies other than first- or second-degree felonies: criminal mischief, criminal trespass, theft, forgery and fraud, public-assistance fraud, and drug offenses ('qualifying offenses').
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Misdemeanor conviction | 7 years You can petition after seven years with no conviction for an offense punishable by a year or more, once restitution and the limited access fee are paid. | Your last conviction for an offense punishable by one year or more |
Qualifying felony (not F1 or F2) | 10 years You can petition after ten years with no conviction for an offense punishable by a year or more, once restitution and the fee are paid. | Your last conviction for an offense punishable by one year or more |
- Not eligible
- Convictions punishable by more than two years for crimes against the person (except misdemeanor terroristic threats), offenses against the family, firearms offenses, registrable sex offenses, or corruption of minors. Also ineligible if you were ever convicted of murder, a first-degree felony or an offense punishable by 20+ years; or, in the last 15 years, a serious violent, family, firearms or sex felony, four or more offenses punishable by two+ years, or indecent exposure and certain other listed crimes; or, in the last 10 years, two or more offenses punishable by more than two years.
Law: 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.1; Pa.R.Crim.P. 791
Source: Official text
Automatic relief in Pennsylvania
- Law
- Clean Slate (clean slate limited access)
- What is cleared
- Records are sealed from the public without a petition: all non-conviction charges; summary convictions after 5 years; second- and third-degree misdemeanors and misdemeanors punishable by two years or less after 7 years free of any conviction punishable by one year or more; drug offenses under the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act ('qualifying offenses') after 10 years free of such a conviction, unless the sentence was a minimum of 30 months or a maximum of 60 months or more; and conditionally pardoned convictions. Restitution must be paid. Not available for crimes against the person, offenses against the family, firearms offenses, registrable sex offenses, animal cruelty or corruption of minors; or if you have ever been convicted of any other felony, two or more offenses punishable by more than two years, four or more offenses punishable by one year or more, or certain listed offenses (such as indecent exposure). A conviction is also not sealed if the same case includes a conviction punishable by five years or more (this does not apply to drug 'qualifying offenses').
- Started
- June 28, 2019; expanded by Act 83 of 2020 and by Act 36 of 2023 (signed Dec. 14, 2023; the 7-year misdemeanor and 10-year drug-offense rules took effect in June 2024, 180 days later).
Law: 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9102 ('qualifying offense'), 9122.2, 9122.3; Act 56 of 2018
What changes afterwards
You may not be required or asked to disclose an expunged or limited-access record, and you may answer as if the offense did not occur, except for criminal justice agencies, employers who must check under federal law, and other uses required by law. Such records may not be used for employment, housing or school admission unless federal law requires it. Courts can still see limited-access records for sentencing.
Law: 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.5
Juvenile records
Juvenile court records are expunged after notice to the DA when, for example, the case was dismissed, six months after a consent decree or diversion, two years after discharge for a misdemeanor adjudication, or five years after discharge for a felony adjudication, if you have no new conviction or adjudication. Rape, IDSI and aggravated indecent assault adjudications at age 14+ are excluded.
Law: 18 Pa.C.S. § 9123
Pardons in Pennsylvania
- Who decides
- The Governor, on the recommendation of the Board of Pardons
- How
- Apply to the Board of Pardons (English or Spanish application). The Board holds hearings and votes; a decision can take a few years. A pardon leads to expungement of the conviction.
Law: Pa. Const. art. IV, § 9; Pa. Const. art. IV, § 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122(a)(2.1), (a.1)
In nearby states
- Maryland: Expungement; shielding
- District of Columbia: Record sealing and expungement
- New Jersey: Expungement
- Delaware: Expungement (mandatory and discretionary)
What to do now in Pennsylvania
Get your own record
Your record lists each case; you need it to see which remedy fits. Unified Judicial System of PA - Forms for the Public (Expungements and Limited Access).
See if enough time has passed
Waiting periods differ by case and remedy. Waiting periods.
Start the case
The court decides each request. How to file.
Get help
Legal aid can help for free: PALawHelp.org (Pennsylvania legal aid network) and Community Legal Services of Philadelphia - criminal records.
Where to get free help in Pennsylvania
Questions about clearing a record in Pennsylvania
What does Pennsylvania call expungement?
Expungement; limited access (including Clean Slate automatic limited access). Expungement removes the record so it is no longer kept, except for limited lists prosecutors and police may keep. Limited access seals a record from most employers, landlords and the public, but police, courts and some agencies required by law can still see it.
Which records can be cleared in Pennsylvania?
Expungement: Non-conviction records (charges dismissed, withdrawn, nolle prossed), acquittals, completed ARD programs, summary offense convictions, underage drinking convictions after age 21, pardoned convictions, and records of people 70 or older or who died three years ago. Petition for Limited Access: Misdemeanor convictions and ungraded offenses with a maximum penalty of five years or less; and, after 10 years, certain felonies other than first- or second-degree felonies: criminal mischief, criminal trespass, theft, forgery and fraud, public-assistance fraud, and drug offenses ('qualifying offenses').
Will Pennsylvania clear my record on its own?
Records are sealed from the public without a petition: all non-conviction charges; summary convictions after 5 years; second- and third-degree misdemeanors and misdemeanors punishable by two years or less after 7 years free of any conviction punishable by one year or more; drug offenses under the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act ('qualifying offenses') after 10 years free of such a conviction, unless the sentence was a minimum of 30 months or a maximum of 60 months or more; and conditionally pardoned convictions. Restitution must be paid. Not available for crimes against the person, offenses against the family, firearms offenses, registrable sex offenses, animal cruelty or corruption of minors; or if you have ever been convicted of any other felony, two or more offenses punishable by more than two years, four or more offenses punishable by one year or more, or certain listed offenses (such as indecent exposure). A conviction is also not sealed if the same case includes a conviction punishable by five years or more (this does not apply to drug 'qualifying offenses').
Are juvenile records sealed in Pennsylvania?
Juvenile court records are expunged after notice to the DA when, for example, the case was dismissed, six months after a consent decree or diversion, two years after discharge for a misdemeanor adjudication, or five years after discharge for a felony adjudication, if you have no new conviction or adjudication. Rape, IDSI and aggravated indecent assault adjudications at age 14+ are excluded.
What changes after a record is cleared in Pennsylvania?
You may not be required or asked to disclose an expunged or limited-access record, and you may answer as if the offense did not occur, except for criminal justice agencies, employers who must check under federal law, and other uses required by law. Such records may not be used for employment, housing or school admission unless federal law requires it. Courts can still see limited-access records for sentencing.