If you have ever been convicted (adjudicated guilty) of any crime, you are legally disqualified from getting any part of your criminal history expunged or sealed.

In order to request that a criminal record be expunged

• the prosecutor had to have filed a “no information” or “nolle prosequi” in your case (“dropped” your case),
• you must have been found not guilty by a judge or jury after a trial, or
• a judge must have dismissed your case.

Generally, if you were not formally convicted (“adjudication withheld”), the charge may be eligible to get sealed. However, even if you had adjudication withheld, if the record you want sealed stems from any of the charges listed in Florida Statutes section 943.0584 (mostly terrorism, violent, sexual, and drug trafficking charges), you cannot get the records related to that charge sealed.

There is no legal time limit for the government to take any action on expungements and sealing, and the amount of time expungement and sealing cases take vary from county to county. Typically, though, the entire process takes anywhere from 4 months to 1 year to complete.

The law firm provides criminal history expungement and sealing services to all 67 Florida counties.

You will have to get your fingerprints taken at your local police department or sheriff’s office as part of the application process. The police or sheriff may charge you a fee for that services. Also, you will have to have some documents notarized and mailed. You will be required to pay for notary services and for postage.