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Expungement FAQ

Expungement or record sealing is the process of requesting that the courts and/or law enforcement agencies modify, seal or destroy criminal records. The definition, benefits, and requirements of expungement or record sealing vary by state. In many instances when a record is expunged or sealed, it cannot be viewed by the public and the applicant does not have to disclose any past criminal activity. Most states offer this relief because it is good public policy to allow deserving people to fully contribute in society.

Do you have a criminal record? Or even just an arrest record?

As part of the independent MyClearStart program that backgroundchecsks.com launched for the background screening industry, we offer a FREE and confidential online case evaluation designed in partnership with a team of experienced attorneys to quickly and confidentially determine if you are eligible to have your criminal record expunged, cleared, or otherwise sealed from the public.

In what states can I have my record expunged?

MyClearStart currently supports the free eligibility test in the following states: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington. For other states that support expungement, click here.

What costs are involved in criminal record expungement?

Each state charges different fees. If you take the free eligibility test, all fees will be shown prior to you making any commitment.

What offenses can be cleared with MyClearStart's expungement service?

Each jurisdiction is different so take the free eligibility test to find out.

My case is deferred, dismissed, or discharged. Why is it still available to the public?

Court records are generally public records. Even if your case is dismissed, deferred or discharged, your offense is still publicly available. Which means your prospective employer, landlord or school may discover the court case.

Why does my record still show up on a background check report even after the judge ordered it expunged or sealed?

Since many courts and agencies do NOT proactively inform the public of expungements, a person may obtain a court order expunging or sealing a record but that order may never be received by the criminal record database companies, who are a source of criminal record information to many of the background screening companies in the US. Consumers that engage with the MyClearStart program and the attorneys from our partner can rest assured that, once the offense has been officially expunged or sealed, the lawyer also works to remove the records from proprietary criminal databases at the nation's largest criminal record database providers that have joined forces in the Expungement Clearinghouse.

And for people that already have an expungement, our partner can now offer you an additional service that will expedite the removal or modification of your criminal record.

The Expungement Clearinghouse expedites the updating of information provided to over 500 commercial background screening providers in the U.S. by securely sharing data about expunged criminal records with participating member companies. The clearinghouse provides a faster and more coordinated approach for consumers, their attorneys, courts and other sources to efficiently disseminate information about criminal records that have been cleared or updated by the courts to the commercial background screening industry.

Having MyClearStart handle your case means that you will have the security and confidence in knowing that you have an experienced and licensed attorney working to make sure your record is cleared by the court to the fullest extent possible as fast as possible and removed from private criminal databases.

We have partnered with The Law Firm of Higbee & Associates to offer you this service.

Take the eligibility test now!

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Virginia Criminal Search

A Virginia state background check can uncover more criminal records. Learn about these tools and the legal restrictions involved.

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