How to file to clear a record in Pennsylvania

Where and how you file in Pennsylvania, the fee and the official forms.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

File a petition with the clerk of courts in the county where the case ended.

Main remedy
Expungement
Cost
Filing costs are set by each county; ask the clerk of courts.
Forms
6

Filing step by step in Pennsylvania

Expungement

File a petition with the clerk of courts in the county where the case ended. Attach a Pennsylvania State Police criminal history report from the last 60 days unless the prosecutor waives it, and serve the prosecutor. The prosecutor has 60 days to consent or object; then the judge decides or holds a hearing.

Law: Rule 790; Rule 490 for summary cases before a magisterial district judge

Cost
Filing costs are set by each county; ask the clerk of courts.
If you can't pay
Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (statewide form for Court of Common Pleas or Magisterial District Court).

Law: Rule 790; Rule 490 for summary cases before a magisterial district judge

Petition for Limited Access

File a petition with the clerk of courts in the county of conviction, with a State Police record report from the last 60 days, and serve the district attorney. The DA has 30 days to object; if not, the court may grant it without a hearing.

Law: Rule 791

Cost
County filing costs vary. The statute also requires payment of 'the fee previously authorized' for limited access before an order can be entered.
If you can't pay
Motion to Proceed In Forma Pauperis.

Law: Rule 791

Court self-help

Checklist: what to gather before you file

Who cannot use these remedies in Pennsylvania

  • Expungement: 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.
  • Petition for Limited Access: 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; Pa.R.Crim.P. 320, 490, 790; 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.1; Pa.R.Crim.P. 791

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

Get your own record in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository (Bureau of Records and Identification) · 888-783-7972

For your full record (convictions and non-convictions), mail form SP 4-170 Individual Access and Review; fee $20. A standard check through PATCH (epatch.pa.gov) or form SP 4-164 costs $22.

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

In nearby states

  • Maryland: No filing fee for acquittal, dismissal, PBJ, nolle prosequi, stet or not-criminally-responsible dispositions.
  • New Jersey: No filing fee (N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29; NJ Courts: the eCourts Expungement System is free).
  • Delaware: $72 to apply (fingerprints and criminal history); if eligible, a $75 money order payable to the Delaware State Police.

Steps to file in Pennsylvania

  1. Gather your papers

    You need your case numbers, court papers and proof you finished your sentence. Checklist: what to gather before you file.

  2. Prepare the petition

    The court's self-help pages explain each form: Unified Judicial System of PA - Forms for the Public (Expungements and Limited Access).

  3. File with the clerk

    File the petition with the clerk and follow the court's rules for notice to the prosecutor.

Where to get free help in Pennsylvania

Questions about filing in Pennsylvania

What is the waiting period in Pennsylvania?

Charges dismissed, withdrawn or not prosecuted: No waiting period, counted from final disposition; Acquitted of all charges at trial: No waiting period, counted from acquittal; ARD completed: No waiting period, counted from dismissal after ARD; Summary offense conviction: 5 years, counted from date of conviction.

Is there a fee to clear a record in Pennsylvania?

Expungement: Filing costs are set by each county; ask the clerk of courts. Petition for Limited Access: County filing costs vary. The statute also requires payment of 'the fee previously authorized' for limited access before an order can be entered.

How do I get a copy of my criminal record in Pennsylvania?

For your full record (convictions and non-convictions), mail form SP 4-170 Individual Access and Review; fee $20. A standard check through PATCH (epatch.pa.gov) or form SP 4-164 costs $22.

Is there free help to clear a record in Pennsylvania?

PALawHelp.org (Pennsylvania legal aid network) and Community Legal Services of Philadelphia - criminal records.

Related Pennsylvania pages