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.
Oregon expungement eligibility.
Oregon 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 Oregon.
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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
Or. Rev. Stat. § 137.225Enter 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 Oregon
- Pull a certified copy of your record from Oregon'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 Oregon Circuit Court. Filing fee: $281.
- 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 Oregon.
- 2021
SB 397 (codified at ORS 137.225), effective Jan 1, 2022
Reduced waiting periods (Class B felony 7 years, Class C felony 5 years, Class A misdemeanor 3 years, Class B/C misdemeanor & violation 1 year), eliminated the filing fee, and broadened eligibility. A drafting error in section (9) cross-referenced subsection (1) instead of (1)(a), creating a 5-year wait for some dismissed first-degree-theft charges.
Primary source: olis.oregonlegislature.gov ↗
Oregon-specific carve-outs
Categories the law treats differently in this state.
Class A felonies always excluded
Convictions for Class A felonies are categorically not eligible to be set aside under ORS 137.225 (with limited marijuana-related carve-outs).
Source: oregon.public.law ↗Person-felony exclusion within Class B
Class B felonies are excluded from set-aside if they are classified as a 'person felony' under the rules of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, even though Class B is otherwise eligible after the 7-year wait.
Source: oregon.public.law ↗
Common mistakes to avoid
Reasons Oregon petitions get bounced or sealings fail to land.
- The drafting bug in ORS 137.225(9) means certain dismissed charges (e.g., first-degree theft) still face a 5-year wait despite the broader 1-year/violation wait — confirm by exact subsection reference, not bill-summary text.
- A Class B felony classified as a 'person felony' under OCJC rules is excluded even though the statute lists Class B as eligible — check the OCJC rules table before filing.
Excluded categories
These categories are typically excluded from petition relief in Oregon 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 Oregon 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.
Oregon 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: $281.
Find an expungement attorney in Oregon
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