Welcome to LSNJ’s Clearing Your Record Online toolkit. Here, you can find out whether you are eligible to expunge your criminal record, create forms you will need to submit to the court, access instructional videos, and find other resources to help you with expungement.
IMPORTANT ALERTS
On July 1, 2021 the New Jersey Supreme Court announced procedures for automatic vacation, dismissal, and expungement of certain marijuana- and hashish-related cases. If you have a question about an indictable, disorderly persons, or juvenile case involving marijuana or hashish, contact the LSNJLAWSM Hotline at 1-888-576-5529 or www.lsnjlawhotline.org.
COVID-19
Please be aware that, as of 3/27/20, you may still file your expungement petition through the mail, but the court is operating on a limited mail intake schedule and there may be delays in scheduling. Your patience is appreciated.
Electronic Filing of Expungements is now available through the eCourts system
Electronic Filing for Expungement: Pro Se Guide
Before you start
- Our eligibility interview can only help with expungement of New Jersey criminal records, not out-of-state criminal records. What if I have a record in another state?
- A judge in the Superior Court in the county where you were arrested or convicted will decide whether to approve your request for expungement. This site will tell you if you may be eligible to expunge and help you fill out the forms, but only a judge can decide whether or not to grant your request.
- If you decide to apply for expungement after completing our eligibility interview, you will need your entire adult and juvenile record in New Jersey, including the date of arrest, the statute number of the offense, the date you were convicted or pled guilty, the disposition of your case, and the status of any penalties imposed on you at sentencing, to complete the actual forms. Click here for information on how to get your entire New Jersey criminal record from the state police.
Once you are ready, you can click on the link below to answer some questions about your record. It should take between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on your record. When you are finished, we will let you know if your record is expungeable, and whether there is a waiting period before you can apply.
If you are low-income and need additional help, you can apply online for help from Legal Services of New Jersey at www.lsnjlawhotline.org.
Click here to see if you are eligible for expungement
If you have determined you are eligible for expungement and are ready to file your expungement electronically, you can file through the NJ Courts eCourts Expungement System. If you are unable to access the eCourts System or prefer to file your application manually, you may click the button below to fill out the forms to expunge your record. You will need to connect to a printer to print and mail them when you are finished.
Click here to fill out expungement forms
What is an expungement?
When you have your record expunged, it is almost as though the criminal proceeding(s) never happened. You can truthfully answer “no” to questions about a criminal record on school, job, and military applications. Law enforcement agencies are required to keep your records private, as long as you do not become involved in criminal proceedings again. If you do, then your records may be reviewed and used to make decisions about your punishment and your eligibility for certain pretrial programs, bail, probation, or parole.
What if I have a record in another state?
Many states have their own expungement laws, so if you have a record outside New Jersey, you would need to contact a lawyer in that state for help expunging that record. If you have a criminal conviction record in New Jersey and in another state, it is best for you to contact the LSNJLAW Hotline to speak with an advocate.
Disposition
A disposition is the final outcome of your case. It could be a dismissal, conviction or finding of innocence. It’s also possible that you were subject to pretrial intervention, conditional discharge, conditional dismissal, veterans diversion program, juvenile diversion or another diversion program. See page 13 of Clearing Your Record to learn more about diversion programs.
Expungement
When you have your record expunged, it is almost as though the criminal proceeding(s) never happened. With some exceptions, you can truthfully answer “no” to questions about a criminal record on school, job, and housing applications. Law enforcement agencies are required to keep your records private, as long as you do not become involved in criminal proceedings again. If you do, then your records may be reviewed and used to make decisions about your punishment and your eligibility for certain pretrial programs, bail, probation, or parole.