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How Do I Get a DUI Off My Record? (a 50 State Expungement Guide For DUI Convictions) Note: Now includes Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) This Expungement Guide is intended to provide practical guidance on how you may be able to expunge a DUI / DWI conviction. There are times that you may NOT be able to expunge your conviction, and everyone's situation is unique to them. This guide must NOT be used in place of consulting a qualified attorney - it is informational only, and you are highly encouraged to seek appropriate legal counsel and possibly tax advice when attempting to get an expungement of your record. Nothing in this guide should be interpreted as legal advice, and the purchase and reading of it will NOT constitute or imply an attorney-client relationship. The authors of this guide are not attorneys and do not claim to be attorneys either. Page | 2 Contents Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………….....4 Alabama Expungement………………………………………………………………………………....5 Alaska Expungement…………………………………………………………………………………...7 Arizona Expungement………………………………………………………………………………….9 Arkansas Expungement………………………………………………………………………………..11 California Expungement…………………………………………………………………………….... 13 Colorado Expungement………………………………………………………………………………..15 Connecticut Expungement………………………………………………………………………….....17 Delaware Expungement…………………………………………………………………………….....19 Florida Expungement……………………………………………………………………………….....21 Georgia Expungement………………………………………………………………………………....23 Hawaii Expungement……………………………………………………………………………….....25 Idaho Expungement…………………………………………………………………………………...27 Illinois Expungement……………………………………………………………………………….....29 Indiana Expungement………………………………………………………………………………....31 Iowa Expungement…………………………………………………………………………………....33 Kansas Expungement…………………………………………………………………………………35 Kentucky Expungement……………………………………………………………………………....37 Louisiana Expungement………………………………………………………………………………39 Maine Expungement……………………………………………………………………………….....41 Maryland Expungement……………………………………………………………………………....43 Massachusetts Expungement………………………………………………………………………....45 Michigan Expungement……………………………………………………………………………....47 Minnesota Expungement……………………………………………………………………………..49 Page | 3 Mississippi Expungement…………………………………………………………………………......51 Missouri Expungement……………………………………………………………………………......53 Montana Expungement……………………………………………………………………………......55 Nebraska Expungement………………………………………………………………………………..57 Nevada Expungement……………………………………………………………………………….....59 New Hampshire Expungement……………………………………………………………………..….61 New Jersey Expungement……………………………………………………………………………...63 New Mexico Expungement………………………………………………………………………........65 New York Expungement…………………………………………………………………………........67 North Carolina Expungement……………………………………………………………………….... 69 North Dakota Expungement…………………………………………………………………………...71 Ohio Expungement……………………………………………………………………………….........73 Oklahoma Expungement…………………………………………………………………………........75 Oregon Expungement……………………………………………………………………………….....77 Pennsylvania Expungement…………………………………………………………………………....79 Rhode Island Expungement………………………………………………………………………........81 South Carolina Expungement…………………………………………………………………….........83 South Dakota Expungement……………………………………………………………………….......85 Tennessee Expungement…………………………………………………………………………….....87 Texas Expungement………………………………………………………………………………....... 89 Utah Expungement………………………………………………………………………………….....91 Vermont Expungement………………………………………………………………………………...93 Virginia Expungement…………………………………………………………………………………95 Washington Expungement…………………………………………………………………………......97 Washington - DC Expungement…………………………………………………………………….....99 West Virginia Expungement…………………………………………………………………….........101 Wisconsin Expungement………………………………………………………………………….…..103 Wyoming Expungement…………………………………………………………………………....... 105 Page | 4 Introduction A common question for people convicted of driving under the influence (aka DUI / DWI / OWI/ OVI / drunk driving) is how they may possible expunge, seal, or "disappear" their criminal record in order to obtain a job, a position in the military, rent a house or submit a credit application, etc. If you have a drunk driving (or drugged driving)DUI conviction on your record, you may pay for your crime long after your driver’s the license suspension is over, fines are paid, jail time is served. Employers can access the information criminal records information in many cases, and can use it as grounds to deny you a job. Colleges can look at this information when considering admitting you to their institution. And car auto insurers can use the information when determining your rate or can possibly deny you coverage. Don’t despair totally – there may be good news for you but there is good news. It may be possible to expunge a DUI conviction it from your record. This means that it your criminal record and history is “sealed” or erased, like it never happened. But laws very before you jump joy, it’s vital to know that DUI laws, expungement laws, and this whole process varies state by state, so here is a list of states and a brief summary of their expungement laws to help you understand your options. myDUIattorney.org has compiled this information-packed guide as a resource to help walk you through the DUI expungement process at every stage, and in so doing, minimize the stress, worry, and feeling of helplessness you may experience following a DUI / DWI Conviction. Foremost, it is up to you to take action – now it’s not the time to procrastinate as time is an essential factor in getting the best result in your DUI case, and reducing the negative impact on your life. Page | 5 Alabama Expungement If you are charged with a crime in Alabama, you’ll not only have to deal with the stress of the police and the judicial system, possibly even going to trial, you might have to live with the consequences of your actions for the rest of your life on your criminal record. Depending on the type and severity of the crime, this can make it difficult for you to find a place to live, get a job, and live a normal life – even well after you’ve paid your dues to society. Fortunately, the state of Alabama has expungement laws that you can use to attempt to get a number of crimes removed, erased, struck out, obliterated, or even have the record itself destroyed. Essentially, expungement is the legal elimination of a person’s criminal records. This means that you can legally say that you were never arrested or convicted of a crime. As far as potential new employers or landlords will know, your crime simply won’t exist. What kinds of records can be expunged in Alabama? Alabama laws state that expungement is allowed for individuals who were charged and sentenced incorrectly in cases where a conviction was never reached. In layman’s terms, if you are charged or convicted of a crime but can find a way to prove that the information about the crime was wrong or incomplete, you might be able to erase or expunge the crime from your record. In Alabama, only certain records are even eligible for expungement, including records in relation to: • Child abuse investigations (the authority or agency that investigated the case is responsible for expunging your record) • Cases with wrong or incomplete information toward criminal convictions • DNA records For example, if the police had you under investigation for abusing your spouse but did not have enough evidence to convict you, it is possible that Alabama law would allow you to expunge your criminal record. Expungement may also be allowed if you receive a criminal conviction that is then repealed, or if you complete pretrial or pre-prosecution diversionary programs in the state. The Alabama Expungement Process So how do you go about getting your eligible criminal record expunged in Alabama? If you want a record from an incorrect or incomplete case to disappear, the first step is to turn in a request to the Alabama Criminal Information Center. Be sure you include the correct information with your request so that they have proof of your innocence. Page | 6 If you are not dealing with an incorrect or incomplete case, you will need to file your request to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. In addition, you are required to turn paperwork in to the Attorney General, the district attorney, and to the judge who oversaw your case within 30 days of filing with the Pardons and Paroles Board. In the event that your request for expungment is denied, you have the legal right to appeal to the circuit court within 30 days of the refusal. For records related to the investigation of child abuse, you will need to contact whatever agency or authority did the investigating and tell them that you would like the records expunged. Under Alabama law, once you do this the investigating agency is required to expunge all information from your records. Sealed Records There is one other avenue by which someone can remove or otherwise “hide” their records in Alabama, and that is to have them sealed. This is an option only open to juvenile records, and in order to be eligible you must be discharged and have no outstanding subsequent criminal charges leveled against you, or records of having participated in any criminal acts for two years after your discharge. An example of this kind of sealed record is a juvenile DUI. Rather than being expunged, this offense is simply sealed so that no future employers need to know it exists. To seal a record, the proper paperwork must be filed and everyone involved with the case – the prosecuting attorney,