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HAVING YOUR ARREST RECORD SEALED

Even if your criminal charge was not dismissed, you may be eligible for record clearing relief. In many cases, if a criminal offense is resolved with a “Withhold of Adjudication,” our office can pursue a “Petition to Seal” the arrest record.

Benefits of Sealing a Criminal Record

There are many benefits to having a Florida Criminal Arrest Record sealed. Once an individual’s record is sealed, he or she will not have to disclose the fact of the arrest or plea in most scenarios. In fact, under Florida law, the client would be permitted to truthfully deny that the arrest ever even occurred. More importantly, once a record is sealed, it will not show up during ordinary background checks.

How Long Does it Take to Get a Criminal Record Sealed

Having a criminal record sealed is generally faster than seeking a record expungement. This is because a record sealing does not require the procedural step of securing the signature of the State Attorney’s Office on the application. In most cases, a criminal arrest record can be sealed in six months or less from the day that our office is retained.

Do I Qualify for Record Sealing?

Not everyone will qualify to have his or her record sealed. In order to qualify for record sealing, you:

  • Must have never been convicted of any crime
  • Must have never been adjudicated delinquent of any offense as a juvenile
  • Must have received a “Withhold of Adjudication” for the offense that you seek to seal
  • Must have never secured a sealing or expungement in the past
  • Must not be seeking to seal an “excluded” offense

What Offenses Cannot be Sealed?

There are certain offenses that the legislature has defined as being ineligible to sealing. These offenses include:

  • Sexual misconduct
  • Illegal use of explosives
  • Terrorism
  • Murder
  • Manslaughter or homicide
  • Assault or battery respectively, of one family or household member by another family or household member (Domestic Assault or Domestic Battery)
  • Aggravated assault
  • Felony battery, domestic battery by strangulation, or aggravated battery
  • Stalking or aggravated stalking
  • Luring or enticing a child
  • Human trafficking
  • Kidnapping or false imprisonment
  • Any offense defined in chapter 794;
  • Procuring a person less than 18 years of age for prostitution
  • Lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of persons less than 16 years of age
  • Arson
  • Burglary of a dwelling
  • Voyeurism or video voyeurism
  • Robbery or robbery by sudden snatching
  • Carjacking
  • Home-invasion robbery,
  • A violation of the Florida Communications Fraud Act
  • Abuse of an elderly person or disabled adult, or aggravated abuse of an elderly person or disabled adult
  • Lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of an elderly person or disabled person
  • Child abuse or aggravated child abuse
  • Sexual performance by a child
  • Any offense defined in chapter 839;
  • Certain acts in connection with obscenity, as defined in s. 847.0133;
  • Any offense defined in s. 847.0135;
  • Selling or buying of minors
  • Aircraft piracy
  • Manufacturing a controlled substance
  • Drug trafficking
  • Any violation specified as a predicate offense for registration as a sexual predator

Contact Our Office Today to Begin the Process of Sealing Your Florida Arrest Record

Call our office at 727-855-3847 for a free consultation to discuss having your Florida arrest record sealed. Take our free online quiz to determine if you are eligible to have your arrest record sealed.

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Clearwater Office:

2380 Drew Street, Unit 6
Clearwater, FL 33765

Phone: (727) 855-3847

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