Clearing a criminal record in Tennessee
In Tennessee it is called expunction (expungement): expunction removes the charge from your public criminal record. Some misdemeanor and felony convictions may be cleared.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026. · Free letter and checklist ↓
Can my record be cleared in Tennessee?
Expunction (expungement) — Expunction removes the charge from your public criminal record. At TBI the charge is deleted, not just sealed, though court clerks keep confidential copies that only law enforcement can use.
Tennessee has 2 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Expunction of dismissed charges (no conviction)
Charges that were dismissed, nolle prosequi, no true bill, or ended in a not-guilty verdict; also dismissals after pretrial or judicial diversion.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Dismissed, nolle prosequi, no true bill, or not guilty | No waiting period You can ask the court to expunge it right away, at no cost. | Dismissal or verdict |
Dismissed after pretrial or judicial diversion | No waiting period You can ask once the case is dismissed after diversion; a clerk fee applies. | Dismissal after completing diversion |
Law: Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-32-106; § 40-32-102 (TBI certificate)
Source: Official text
Expunction of convictions
Most misdemeanors (except those on an exclusion list) and listed Class E, D and C felonies committed on or after November 1, 1989; older offenses only if nonviolent and meeting extra conditions. One conviction, or up to two convictions (two misdemeanors, or one felony and one misdemeanor). Also: convictions for which you received a governor's pardon (nonviolent offenses), and convictions that resulted from being a victim of human trafficking.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Misdemeanor conviction | 5 years You can file five years after you finish your whole sentence. | Completion of sentence, including probation and parole |
Eligible Class E felony | 5 years You can file five years after you finish your whole sentence. | Completion of sentence, including probation and parole |
Eligible Class C or Class D felony | 10 years You can file ten years after you finish your whole sentence. | Completion of sentence, including probation and parole |
Conviction from being a human-trafficking victim | 1 year You can file one year after you finish the sentence for your most recent offense, if you have no convictions in that year and no pending charges. | Completion of the sentence for your most recent offense |
- Not eligible
- Misdemeanors on the statutory exclusion list, including DUI, domestic assault, assault committed before July 1, 2000 and assault by offensive or provocative contact, violating an order of protection, stalking, child abuse or neglect, certain sex and indecency offenses, aggravated criminal trespass, reckless burning, and certain firearm and obscenity offenses. Felonies are eligible only if listed. Drug offenses committed while holding a commercial driver license in a motor vehicle, or any license in a commercial vehicle, are excluded. The offense must have happened before any conviction for an ineligible offense (including federal and out-of-state convictions).
- Limits
- Conviction expunction under § 40-32-107(a), (b) or (c) can be granted only once in your life (one offense, or two offenses together).
Law: Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-32-107(a), (b), (d); § 40-32-105 (human trafficking)
Source: Official text
When can I file? Waiting periods in Tennessee
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 Tennessee
Expunction of dismissed charges (no conviction)
File with the court in the county where you were arrested. The court sends the order to the arresting agency, jail, Department of Correction and TBI. Expunction is not automatic.
- Cost
- Free for dismissed, nolle prosequi, no true bill and not-guilty charges. Dismissals after pretrial or judicial diversion: $100 nonrefundable clerk fee (Knox County District Attorney; TBI says clerk fees apply).
Expunction of convictions
Get the conviction expungement petition from the District Attorney or court clerk in the county of conviction. All fines, costs and restitution must be paid and all prison, probation and parole completed. The court must get a TBI certificate that the offense is eligible before it signs the order; the DA may oppose.
- Cost
- $100 nonrefundable fee to the clerk of court (Knox County District Attorney).
- Forms
- Davidson County - Petition to Expunge Records of Conviction, T.C.A. § 40-32-107(a) (one offense, with felony inclusion and misdemeanor exclusion lists)
- Davidson County - Petition to Expunge, T.C.A. § 40-32-107(b) (two offenses)
- Davidson County - Petition to Expunge after a Pardon, T.C.A. § 40-32-107(d)
- Davidson County - Petition to Expunge (human-trafficking victims), T.C.A. § 40-32-105
Court self-help
Free help in Tennessee
- Help4tn.org (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services)
- Tennessee Free Legal Answers
- University of Tennessee College of Law Expungement Hotline (listed by Knox County DA) · 865-974-6775
- 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 (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), CJIS Division) 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 Tennessee.
Clearing a record in Tennessee by topic
Expunction of dismissed charges (no conviction) in Tennessee
Which records each remedy covers, who is not eligible and what changes afterwards.
Waiting periods in Tennessee
How long you wait for each kind of case, and a date helper.
How to file in Tennessee
The steps, the cost, fee waivers, the forms and court self-help.
Juvenile records in Tennessee
Juvenile records can be expunged on motion to the juvenile court, for example when no petition was filed, the case was dismissed, or the child was found not delinquent.
Source: TBI expungement order form lists the juvenile grounds
Pardons in Tennessee
- Who decides
- The Governor; the Board of Parole's Executive Clemency Unit processes applications
- How
- Apply to the Board of Parole's Executive Clemency Unit under the Governor's Executive Clemency Process Criteria; the Board holds clemency hearings.
Law: Tenn. Const. art. III, § 6
After your record is cleared in Tennessee
After expunction, the charge is removed from your public record and deleted from TBI's record; clerks must keep expunged records confidential, and releasing them except to law enforcement is a Class A misdemeanor. A conviction expunction does not restore voting or other citizenship rights by itself (Davidson County petition).
Law: Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 40-32-102, 40-32-104, per CTAS
Get your own record in Tennessee
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), CJIS Division
TBI lets anyone get a Tennessee adult criminal history (name-based, no fingerprints) online or by mail for $29; results are sent by email. A fingerprint-based FBI check costs $50 through TBI's contractor (IdentoGO).
Letter: ask the state records office for a copy of your record
Good to know in Tennessee
- In 2025 Tennessee reorganized its expunction law: dismissed charges are now in § 40-32-106, conviction expunction in § 40-32-107 (one offense in (a), two in (b), pardons in (d)), and human-trafficking victims in § 40-32-105; courts must get a TBI eligibility certificate before entering most orders (CTAS; Davidson County 2025 petitions).
- TBI deletes expunged charges rather than sealing them, and sends the order to the FBI.
Source: TBI FAQ
- Tennessee also offers a Certificate of Employability by petition (help4tn).
Changes in 2024–2026
2025: expunction provisions moved out of § 40-32-101 into §§ 40-32-105 to 40-32-109, with a new TBI eligibility certificate requirement in § 40-32-102 (CTAS). Waiting periods on the 2025 court forms stayed 5 years (misdemeanor, Class E felony) and 10 years (Class C or D felony). 2025 bills to shorten waits did not pass.
Law: HB 451, HB 835
Questions about clearing a record in Tennessee
What is clearing a record called in Tennessee?
Expunction (expungement). Expunction removes the charge from your public criminal record. At TBI the charge is deleted, not just sealed, though court clerks keep confidential copies that only law enforcement can use.
Can convictions be cleared in Tennessee?
Expunction of dismissed charges (no conviction): Charges that were dismissed, nolle prosequi, no true bill, or ended in a not-guilty verdict; also dismissals after pretrial or judicial diversion. Expunction of convictions: Most misdemeanors (except those on an exclusion list) and listed Class E, D and C felonies committed on or after November 1, 1989; older offenses only if nonviolent and meeting extra conditions. One conviction, or up to two convictions (two misdemeanors, or one felony and one misdemeanor). Also: convictions for which you received a governor's pardon (nonviolent offenses), and convictions that resulted from being a victim of human trafficking.
How long do I have to wait in Tennessee?
Dismissed, nolle prosequi, no true bill, or not guilty: No waiting period, counted from dismissal or verdict; Dismissed after pretrial or judicial diversion: No waiting period, counted from dismissal after completing diversion; Misdemeanor conviction: 5 years, counted from completion of sentence, including probation and parole; Eligible Class E felony: 5 years, counted from completion of sentence, including probation and parole.
How much does it cost to clear a record in Tennessee?
Expunction of dismissed charges (no conviction): Free for dismissed, nolle prosequi, no true bill and not-guilty charges. Dismissals after pretrial or judicial diversion: $100 nonrefundable clerk fee (Knox County District Attorney; TBI says clerk fees apply). Expunction of convictions: $100 nonrefundable fee to the clerk of court (Knox County District Attorney).
Can juvenile records be cleared in Tennessee?
Juvenile records can be expunged on motion to the juvenile court, for example when no petition was filed, the case was dismissed, or the child was found not delinquent.
What can I say after my record is cleared in Tennessee?
After expunction, the charge is removed from your public record and deleted from TBI's record; clerks must keep expunged records confidential, and releasing them except to law enforcement is a Class A misdemeanor. A conviction expunction does not restore voting or other citizenship rights by itself (Davidson County petition).
How do I get a copy of my criminal record in Tennessee?
TBI lets anyone get a Tennessee adult criminal history (name-based, no fingerprints) online or by mail for $29; results are sent by email. A fingerprint-based FBI check costs $50 through TBI's contractor (IdentoGO).
Where can I get free help in Tennessee?
Help4tn.org (Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services), Tennessee Free Legal Answers and University of Tennessee College of Law Expungement Hotline (listed by Knox County DA).