There are three different procedures for cleaning up your court record.
Expungement removes information about your case from court and law enforcement records. It may be available if you were not convicted in your criminal case. If you were convicted, you may be eligible if you were convicted of certain nuisance crimes, or if the act on which your conviction is based is no longer a crime.
Shielding Criminal Records removes criminal records from public view, including Case Search. It may be available if you were convicted of certain misdemeanors. Although removed from public view, the records of the case are still available to law enforcement and other agencies.
Access to Other Court Records. Sealing or shielding a case record is the process of requesting the court to keep certain information private. You may be able to shield certain Failure to Pay Rent cases. Failure to Pay Rent cases are eligible for shielding if they meet two requirements. The landlord must have filed the case on or after March 5, 2020 and before January 1, 2022, and the tenant’s failure to pay rent was because of a loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can also request to shield certain protective orders and peace orders. Victims or witnesses in criminal cases can shield identifying information.
Last updated: December 2022
