The 39 states where you have to file.

The basic petition flow

1. Pull a certified copy of your record from the state criminal history repository. Most states charge $15–$30.
2. Confirm restitution and fines are fully paid.Get a printed ledger from the court or the DA's office.
3. Verify the wait period for your offense category (state pages list the table) is satisfied.
4. File the petition at the court of conviction — usually the county clerk in the county where the case was disposed.
5. Serve the prosecutor with notice of the petition. Most states require this before a judge will rule.
6. Attend the hearing if the court schedules one. Many uncontested petitions are decided on the papers.

Roughly three-quarters of expungement petitions filed by attorneys are granted, where the petitioner meets the eligibility criteria and the prosecution does not contest. Pro se (self-represented) success rates are noticeably lower — usually because the packet is incomplete. The lawyer-match path exists for that reason; a 30-minute consultation often catches the missing form.

Read the substance

• When the eligibility clock starts — release vs. supervision vs. restitution.
• Excluded offenses — what the law leaves out.
• Unpaid restitution — silent block on petitions.
• Sealing and licensing — what changes for healthcare/real estate/CDL/etc.
• Multi-state records — the per-state rule.