Move Past Your Criminal History by Expunging Your Criminal Records
Having a criminal past can be a hindrance on your future. It can limit your employment, school and professional prospects. If you are trying to get past your mistakes, Indiana law gives you an avenue to do so by allowing you to expunge your criminal records.
After you have successfully expunged your records, it is illegal for a person or business to suspend, expel, refuse to employ, refuse to admit, refuse to grant or renew a license to engage in any activity or profession, or otherwise discriminate against a person because of an arrest or conviction which has been expunged or sealed. Employers are prohibited from asking job candidates the general question of whether they have been convicted of a crime. In addition, an order granting expungement restores a person’s civil rights, including the right to vote, hold public office and serve as a juror.
In order to get an expungement, a certain amount of time must have passed from the date of your last conviction and/or completion of your sentence. The minimum timeframe required depends on the type of conviction. Generally, you can seek expungement after the following number of years have passed:
| Type of Crime | Number of Years Passed Since Conviction |
| Arrest and Charged Not Resulting in Conviction | 1 year |
| Misdemeanor | 5 years |
| Class D Felony | 8 years |
| Other Felonies | 8 years from conviction or 3 years from completion of sentence (whichever is later) |
| Other Felony Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury to Another Person | 10 years from conviction or 5 years from completion of sentence (whichever is later) |
You can only pursue expungement of your Indiana criminal records once in your lifetime, so it is important you expunge all at the same time if you have more than one arrest/conviction. Seeking assistance from an attorney experienced in expunging records will help to ensure you follow strict statutory requirements and expunge all criminal records.
Call us at 574-243-4100 to discuss expungement of your criminal records.
This article is for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.