Did you know that you are eligible to expunge your entire record of juvenile adjudications of delinquency if you meet a few simple requirements? You may be eligible, if you meet any of the following conditions:
- Three years have passed since you were discharged from legal custody or supervision (or any court order of delinquency not involving custody or supervision).
- You were not convicted of a crime, disorderly persons or petty disorderly persons offense, or adjudicated delinquent or in need of supervision during the three-year period prior to filing your petition and there is no such pending complaint against you.
- You were never declared a juvenile delinquent based on an act that, if committed by an adult, would be classified as a “non-expungeable” crime (such as murder, robbery, sexual assault, certain drug sale offenses, etc.).
- You never had an adult conviction expunged.
- You never had adult criminal charges (indictable) dismissed following completion of a supervisory treatment or other diversion program (such as PTI).
If you are eligible, you will need to file a petition with the court and follow other procedural steps.
For more information on expungement of juvenile or adult criminal records, contact LSNJLAWSM, Legal Services of New Jersey’s statewide, toll-free legal hotline. You may apply for help online or call 1-888-LSNJ-LAW (1-888-576-5529).
You can also access our online expungement tool, Clearing Your Record Online. Clearing Your Record Online is available in English and in Spanish (Cómo borrar los antecedentes penales en línea).