Minnesota

Expungements

A criminal record can follow you around like a shadow. It can prevent you from finding housing, job opportunities, and education. But the good news is that, under certain circumstances, you can get rid of that criminal record with an expungement.

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Minneapolis Expungement

Expungement is the legal process of sealing criminal records from public view. While the records are not destroyed, they become inaccessible to the general public, including potential employers and landlords.

Under Minnesota law, you are entitled to expungement if your case is resolved in your favor, meaning:

You were acquitted by a jury
Your charges were dismissed
You were exonerated after being convicted

In certain situations, however, you may still be able to petition for expungement when the court did not rule in your favor, for example:

You received a stay of adjudication or completed an ordered diversion program and haven’t had any new charges for a year
You received a stayed sentence for a misdemeanor and have not had any new criminal convictions for 2-4 years (depending on the level of misdemeanor)
You received a stayed sentence for certain felony offenses and have had no criminal convictions for five years

Some offenses, like certain felonies, are only eligible for partial expungement, which seals your public court records but leaves your records open for other government agencies. However, most of the time you can receive a full expungement, which means that your records are sealed everywhere. The only people who can see your criminal record after a full expungement are law enforcement and certain potential employers like a school or childcare agency.

The expungement process involves several steps, including filing a petition with the court, notifying relevant agencies, and attending a court hearing.

The good news is you can handle the expungement process by yourself. There’s no need to hire an attorney. Minnesota has made some recent changes that make it easy. Click the orange button below to start the process yourself.

Expungement Now

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the expungement process take?

The expungement process can take several months, depending on the complexity of the case and the court’s schedule.

Can all criminal records be expunged in Minnesota?

Not all criminal records are eligible for expungement. Generally, if a case was resolved in your favor (acquittal, dismissal, etc.), you can get your records expunged no matter the type of offense. But if the case was not resolved in your favor, you will only be eligible for expungement under certain circumstances. Eligibility depends on the type of offense, the outcome, and other factors.