Automatic vs petition: which regime applies to you?

The decision tree

1. Identify your state of conviction. The location of the conviction controls — not where you currently live. Records in multiple states require separate analyses.
2. Check the regime. Sage tile = automatic Clean Slate. Amber tile = petition required.
3. If automatic: verify the seal happened. The verification path on each state page tells you how.
4. If petition: assemble the form checklist on the state page and file. A 30-minute attorney consultation often saves a rejected packet.

Why this matters

The same person can have an automatic-sealed record in one state and a still-public record in another. The same offense can be eligible in one state's regime and excluded in another's. The same time elapsed since conviction can mean “sealed already” on one side of a state line and “another four years to wait” on the other.

The quiz is the fastest way to get a per-state answer. State pages are the deepest. The lawyer-match path is for when the answer is nuanced enough to want a licensed expungement attorney to work the file.

What automatic does NOT mean

• Not instant. Most states process automatic sealing in batches.
• Not retroactive without limit. Some Clean Slate laws apply only to convictions after a certain date.
• Not destructive. The record is sealed from public view, not destroyed. Law enforcement keeps a copy.
• Not universal. Sex offenses and most violent felonies are excluded in nearly every state.