Can I get my record sealed or expunged in Ohio?
Most Ohio misdemeanors and many fourth- and fifth-degree felonies can be sealed after a waiting period: generally 1 year after final discharge for misdemeanors and 1–3 years for eligible felonies. Ohio also now allows true expungement (destruction of the record) for many sealed offenses after additional time. OVI convictions, sex offenses, and most violent offenses cannot be sealed.
Sealing removes the conviction from public records checks: employers and landlords no longer see it. The process requires a petition, a filing fee, a prosecutor response window, and usually a short hearing where the judge weighs your rehabilitation against the state's interest in the record.
Eligibility rules changed significantly in recent years and depend on your full record, not just the offense you want sealed. A 20-minute eligibility review answers it definitively.
Have this exact situation?
A consultation gets you an answer specific to your facts, usually the same week. Our criminal defense & dui/ovi team handles this daily.