Informational, not legal advice. Statute citations and eligibility windows reflect research as of the “last verified” date on this page. Always confirm with a licensed attorney in your state of conviction before acting.
Missouri expungement eligibility.
Missouri requires you to file a petition with the court of conviction to seal your record. The eligibility, fee, and form details are below.
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Eligibility quiz
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Form checklist
Printable PDF: every form, fee, and document you need to file in Missouri.
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Wait periods by offense category
Years required between completion of all sentence requirements and the earliest date relief is available.
| Offense category | Wait period | Eligible after |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor | 3 yr | Year 3 after sentence completion |
| Non-violent felony | 7 yr | Year 7 after sentence completion |
| Violent felony | Excluded | — |
| Sex offense | Excluded | — |
| DUI | 5 yr | Year 5 after sentence completion |
| Drug offense | 5 yr | Year 5 after sentence completion |
Wait periods are counted from the latest of: release from custody, end of probation/parole, or final restitution payment. Statute citation applies. Confirm with a licensed attorney before relying.
Compute your earliest eligible date
Enter your sentence-completion date and offense category to compute the earliest petition date.
Wait-period calculator
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 610.140Enter the date all sentence requirements were fully completed (release date, end of probation, or final restitution payment — whichever is latest). We'll compute the earliest date you can file.
Earliest eligible date: May 4, 2030
About 48 months remaining (wait period: 7 years).
How to file in Missouri
- Pull a certified copy of your record from Missouri's criminal history repository.
- Confirm restitution and fines are fully paid. Outstanding obligations block almost every petition.
- Confirm probation/parole discharge. Get a final discharge letter or a current letter from your supervising officer.
- Verify the wait period for your offense (table above) is satisfied.
- File the petition at the Missouri Circuit Court. Filing fee: $250.
- Serve the prosecutor with notice of the petition. Most states require this before a judge will rule.
- Attend the hearing if the court schedules one. Many uncontested petitions are decided on the papers.
Recent amendments
Major statutory changes affecting record relief in Missouri.
- 2024
SB 754 / HB 1659 (amending RSMo 610.140), effective Jan 1, 2025
Reduced waiting periods to 3 years for felonies and 1 year for misdemeanors (from 7 and 3 respectively); raised lifetime caps to 2 felonies and 3 misdemeanors; allowed petitioning 18 months after arrest (down from 3 years); barred a victim's testimony alone from being the sole reason for denial.
Primary source: revisor.mo.gov ↗
Missouri-specific carve-outs
Categories the law treats differently in this state.
'Same course of conduct' rule
Multiple counts in one case no longer automatically count as one offense for lifetime-cap purposes — the petitioner must prove the offenses were committed as part of the same course of criminal conduct.
Source: revisor.mo.gov ↗Categorically excluded offenses
Class A felonies, dangerous felonies, sex offenses, intoxication-related traffic offenses (most), and offenses requiring sex-offender registration are not eligible for expungement under §610.140.
Source: revisor.mo.gov ↗
Common mistakes to avoid
Reasons Missouri petitions get bounced or sealings fail to land.
- Petitioners often miss that the 1-year (misdemeanor) or 3-year (felony) clock starts at completion of the entire sentence including probation/parole — not at conviction or release.
- Multi-count cases now require an evidentiary showing of 'same course of conduct' to be treated as one offense against the lifetime cap; absent that proof each count consumes a slot.
Excluded categories
These categories are typically excluded from petition relief in Missouri based on our research. An attorney may still see options.
Sex offenses
Excluded from automatic and petition relief in nearly every state. A few narrow carve-outs exist for older non-registerable offenses.
See state-by-state pagesViolent felonies
Generally excluded from automatic Clean Slate sealing; some states allow petition relief after long wait periods.
DUI / DWI
Treatment varies widely. Some states (e.g. Michigan, Virginia) carve out DUIs entirely; others treat them as standard misdemeanors.
Pending cases or unpaid restitution
Most states require all sentence requirements — including restitution to victims — to be fully discharged before the clock starts.
Federal convictions
Federal expungement is functionally non-existent. There is no statutory federal expungement remedy for most offenses.
Related reading
When the eligibility clock starts
Why the wait period in Missouri runs from the latest of release, end of supervision, or restitution paid.
What most states leave out
Categories of offenses excluded from automatic sealing and petition relief.
Unpaid restitution as a silent block
How an open balance on the criminal docket blocks an otherwise eligible record.
Sealing and professional licensing
Why FBI-fingerprint background checks see records that consumer reports don't.
Missouri form checklist
What to assemble before you file. The petition gets bounced for missing items more than any other reason — work through this list end-to-end.
- Certified copy of your record from the state repository ($15–$30).
- Final probation/parole discharge letter or current supervisor letter.
- Restitution-paid confirmation from the court ledger or DA.
- The petition form (state-specific — see court website).
- Proposed order for the judge to sign.
- Fee waiver application if income qualifies.
- Notice to the District Attorney with proof of service.
- Filing fee: $250.
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