Updated November 2026. This post replaces our 2016 article on Pennsylvania's expungement law, which is now out of date.
A criminal record can follow you long after your case is over. It can cost you a job, an apartment, a professional license, or a spot in school. Pennsylvania gives you three ways to clean up your record: expungement, a petition for limited access, and automatic Clean Slate limited access. Which one fits depends on how your case ended, what you were convicted of, and how much time has passed.
Expungement vs. Limited Access
An expungement erases the record. Once a court orders it, the case is removed from public court records and from the State Police criminal history database.
Limited access, often called "sealing," hides the record instead of erasing it. The public, most employers, and most landlords can no longer see it. Courts, police, and prosecutors still can.
When a Record Can Be Expunged
You may be eligible for expungement if:
Your charges were dismissed, withdrawn, or nolle prossed.
You were found not guilty of all charges at trial.
You completed ARD or another diversion program, such as probation without verdict under Section 17 of the Drug Act.
You received an unconditional pardon from the Governor. Since the 2023 changes to the law, pardoned convictions are expunged automatically.
You were convicted of a summary offense and have stayed free of arrest or prosecution for five years.
You were convicted of underage drinking for an offense committed at 18 or older, you are now 21, and you have finished your sentence.
You are at least 70 years old and have been free of arrest or prosecution for ten years since finishing your sentence.
Most misdemeanor and felony convictions cannot be expunged without a pardon. For those, limited access is usually the answer.
Clean Slate: Automatic Limited Access
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law, first passed in 2018 and expanded by Act 36 of 2023, seals many records automatically. You do not have to file anything. Each month, the courts and the State Police identify eligible cases and seal them. Clean Slate covers:
Charges that did not end in a conviction.
Summary convictions, five years after the conviction.
Second- and third-degree misdemeanors, and misdemeanors punishable by up to two years, after seven years without a conviction for an offense punishable by a year or more.
Certain lower-level felony drug convictions, after ten years without such a conviction.
Any court-ordered restitution must be paid in full first.
Petition for Limited Access
If Clean Slate does not reach your record, you may be able to ask the court to seal it. Under the current law:
Misdemeanors, including first-degree misdemeanors, and ungraded offenses with a maximum penalty of five years or less can be sealed after seven years without a new conviction.
Certain lower-level felonies, including some theft, forgery, criminal trespass, and criminal mischief convictions, can be sealed after ten years without a new conviction.
Restitution must be paid. The District Attorney gets notice and 30 days to object.
Records That Cannot Be Sealed
Some convictions are excluded. These include murder, first-degree felonies, sex offenses that require registration, many firearms offenses, and many offenses against a person that carry more than two years. A history of several serious convictions can also disqualify you.
Why You Should Still Talk to a Lawyer
Clean Slate is not perfect. Cases get missed. Cases with a mix of charges can be partly sealed and partly left open. Private background-check companies may still show old information. A lawyer can pull your full record, figure out which option fits each case, file the petitions Clean Slate does not cover, and make sure the court's order reaches the State Police.
Do not assume your record is clean. Check.
If you want to clear your criminal record in Allegheny County or anywhere in Western Pennsylvania, call or text Attorney Adam Bishop at (412) 589-9422 for a free consultation.