How long you wait to clear a record in Vermont
How long you wait in Vermont for each kind of case, and what the waiting period is counted from.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
Vermont law sets a waiting period for each kind of case. The wait starts from a set event.
- Main remedy
- Sealing of a conviction (qualifying misdemeanor)
- Waiting periods
- Qualifying misdemeanor conviction: 3 years, counted from completing the terms and conditions of the sentence
Qualifying felony conviction: 7 years, counted from completing the terms and conditions of the sentence
Qualifying DUI misdemeanor: 10 years, counted from completing the terms and conditions of the sentence
Your earliest date in Vermont
Pick your kind of case and the date the waiting period runs from. We add the waiting period from the law; nothing else.
Waiting periods: Sealing of a conviction (qualifying misdemeanor)
Most misdemeanor convictions
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Qualifying misdemeanor conviction | 3 years Wait at least 3 years after you finished your sentence. | Completing the terms and conditions of the sentence |
- Not eligible
- Listed crimes; sexual exploitation of children; violating an abuse prevention, stalking, sexual assault or child-contact order; abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult; voyeurism; cruelty to animals or children; cruelty by a custodian; mistreating persons with impaired cognitive function; failure to comply with sex offender registry rules; hate-motivated crimes; female genital mutilation; violating an extreme risk protection order; offenses requiring sex offender registration; offenses in a motor vehicle by a commercial driver's license holder.
Law: 13 V.S.A. §§ 7601(4)(A), 7602(a)(2), 7602(c), 7604, 7605, 7608
Source: Official text
Waiting periods: Sealing of a conviction (qualifying felony)
Only these felonies: burglary not into an occupied dwelling (or into an occupied dwelling if you were 25 or younger and had no weapon); listed property felonies (forgery, false pretenses, identity theft, grand larceny, embezzlement, receiving stolen property, retail theft, unlawful mischief, unlawful trespass, computer crimes and others); drug possession, cultivation, sale or transport felonies; and any offense for which the Governor granted an unconditional pardon.
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Qualifying felony conviction | 7 years Wait at least 7 years after you finished your sentence. | Completing the terms and conditions of the sentence |
- Not eligible
- Any felony not on the qualifying list.
Law: 13 V.S.A. §§ 7601(4)(B), 7601(5), 7602(d)
Source: Official text
Waiting periods: Sealing of a qualifying DUI misdemeanor
A qualifying misdemeanor DUI conviction
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Qualifying DUI misdemeanor | 10 years Wait at least 10 years after you finished your sentence. | Completing the terms and conditions of the sentence |
- Not eligible
- Not available if you hold a commercial driver's license or permit. A sealed DUI can still be used to enhance the penalty for a later DUI.
Law: 13 V.S.A. §§ 7602(e), 7607(c)(4); 32 V.S.A. § 1431(e)
Source: Official text
Waiting periods: Sealing for offenses committed at ages 18-21
Qualifying crimes (misdemeanor or felony, as defined above) committed when you were 18 to 21 years old
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Qualifying crime committed at age 18-21 | See the rule You can ask once 30 days have passed after you finished your sentence. | Completing the terms and conditions of the sentence |
- Not eligible
- A record that includes both qualifying and non-qualifying offenses cannot be sealed under this rule.
Law: 13 V.S.A. § 7609
Source: Official text
Waiting periods: Sealing for crimes committed before age 25 (33 V.S.A. § 5119(g))
Any Vermont conviction for a crime you committed before you turned 25
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Crime committed before age 25 | 2 years Wait at least 2 years after your final discharge. You also must not have been convicted of a listed (serious or violent) crime in the 10 years before you apply. | Final discharge from the sentence |
- Not eligible
- Not available if, in the 10 years before you apply, you were convicted of (or adjudicated delinquent for) a listed crime under 13 V.S.A. § 5301(7), or if such a case is pending.
Law: 33 V.S.A. § 5119(g)
Source: Official text
Waiting periods: Sealing when there was no conviction
Arrests and citations with no probable cause found at arraignment, charges dismissed before trial (with or without prejudice), and acquittals
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Dismissed, acquitted or no probable cause | See the rule The court seals the record on its own within 60 days after the case ends, unless either side objects. | Final disposition |
Any arrest or citation without conviction (petition) | No waiting period You can also petition at any time; the court grants it if sealing serves the interests of justice or the prosecutor agrees. | Any time |
Law: 13 V.S.A. § 7603
Source: Official text
Waiting periods: Expungement (conduct no longer a crime)
Convictions for conduct that is no longer prohibited by law
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Conviction for conduct that is no longer a crime | No waiting period No waiting period once you have finished any sentence or supervision and paid restitution and surcharges. | Completing the sentence or supervision |
Law: 13 V.S.A. §§ 7602(a)(1), 7602(b), 7606
Source: Official text
Clean Slate relief in Vermont
When no probable cause is found at arraignment, the charge is dismissed before trial (with or without prejudice), or you are acquitted, the court seals the record within 60 days after the case ends unless either side objects in the interests of justice. Convictions are not sealed automatically. Juvenile delinquency records are sealed automatically 2 years after final discharge unless the State's Attorney objects, and dismissed cases against minors are sealed right away.
Law: 33 V.S.A. § 5119
Current version in effect since July 1, 2025. Before that date, acquittals and dismissals with prejudice were expunged within 60 days instead of sealed.
Law: 2025 Act 60
Law: 13 V.S.A. § 7603(a); 33 V.S.A. § 5119(a), (h)
In nearby states
- Massachusetts: Misdemeanor: 3 years, counted from the later of the guilty finding or the end of any jail or prison time
- New York: Case dismissed, acquitted or otherwise ended in your favor: No waiting period, counted from the end of the case
- Connecticut: Not guilty or dismissed: No waiting period, counted from end of the time to appeal (or the final appeal decision)
Steps after the wait in Vermont
Find your dates
Your court papers show when the case ended and when your sentence was done.
Look at the exclusions
The wait is only one rule; the court looks at the whole record.
File when you are ready
After the wait, the next step is the petition. How to file.
Talk to legal aid
Ask for free help: Vermont Legal Aid / Legal Services Vermont (VTLawHelp.org) and Vermont Legal Aid Bennington Legal Advice Clinic (includes expungement).
Free legal help in Vermont
- Vermont Legal Aid / Legal Services Vermont (VTLawHelp.org)
- Vermont Legal Aid Bennington Legal Advice Clinic (includes expungement) · 802-318-4169
- Brattleboro BIPOC Legal Aid Clinic (Vermont Legal Aid and Root Social Justice Center) · 802-885-5181
- Local Community Justice Centers (named by the Vermont Judiciary as able to help)
Questions about waiting periods in Vermont
Which records can be cleared in Vermont?
Sealing of a conviction (qualifying misdemeanor): Most misdemeanor convictions. Sealing of a conviction (qualifying felony): Only these felonies: burglary not into an occupied dwelling (or into an occupied dwelling if you were 25 or younger and had no weapon); listed property felonies (forgery, false pretenses, identity theft, grand larceny, embezzlement, receiving stolen property, retail theft, unlawful mischief, unlawful trespass, computer crimes and others); drug possession, cultivation, sale or transport felonies; and any offense for which the Governor granted an unconditional pardon. Sealing of a qualifying DUI misdemeanor: A qualifying misdemeanor DUI conviction. Sealing for offenses committed at ages 18-21: Qualifying crimes (misdemeanor or felony, as defined above) committed when you were 18 to 21 years old. Sealing for crimes committed before age 25: Any Vermont conviction for a crime you committed before you turned 25. Sealing when there was no conviction: Arrests and citations with no probable cause found at arraignment, charges dismissed before trial (with or without prejudice), and acquittals. Expungement (conduct no longer a crime): Convictions for conduct that is no longer prohibited by law.
How long do I have to wait in Vermont?
Qualifying misdemeanor conviction: 3 years, counted from completing the terms and conditions of the sentence; Qualifying felony conviction: 7 years, counted from completing the terms and conditions of the sentence; Qualifying DUI misdemeanor: 10 years, counted from completing the terms and conditions of the sentence; Qualifying crime committed at age 18-21: You can ask once 30 days have passed after you finished your sentence, counted from completing the terms and conditions of the sentence.
Is there a Clean Slate law in Vermont?
When no probable cause is found at arraignment, the charge is dismissed before trial (with or without prejudice), or you are acquitted, the court seals the record within 60 days after the case ends unless either side objects in the interests of justice. Convictions are not sealed automatically. Juvenile delinquency records are sealed automatically 2 years after final discharge unless the State's Attorney objects, and dismissed cases against minors are sealed right away.
Is there free help to clear a record in Vermont?
Vermont Legal Aid / Legal Services Vermont (VTLawHelp.org), Vermont Legal Aid Bennington Legal Advice Clinic (includes expungement) and Brattleboro BIPOC Legal Aid Clinic (Vermont Legal Aid and Root Social Justice Center).