Texas Expungement Attorney

Do you have an old arrest or criminal record that is interfering with your ability to get a job, a loan, or a home? Do you even know what is on your criminal record? Would your life be improved if you could eliminate your criminal record with an expungement or order of nondisclosure?
In today’s digital age, having a clean criminal record is more important than ever.
Did you know that, even if you were only arrested but not convicted of a crime in Texas, the records of that arrest still appears in the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Computerized Criminal History System? Also, you may not know the disturbing fact that the TX DPS is allowed to sell access to the state’s criminal database to private vendors. So, anyone with an Internet connection can get access to records of your arrest or deferred adjudication.
When you have been found innocent (not guilty) of a crime or if charges have been dismissed, you may want to have your criminal record expunged of all files relating to your arrest and trial. If you were convicted of a misdemeanor and completed a deferred adjudication probation, you may be able to request an order of nondisclosure.

How to get a misdemeanor expunged in Texas

In Texas, the process of expunging a criminal record is often called “expunction.” In addition, some criminal records may be sealed by court order, called an “order of nondisclosure.” If your criminal record is expunged or sealed, it will no longer be visible to the general public, including potential employers. In most cases, you may say that you were never arrested or convicted of a crime.
If you were arrested for a misdemeanor or felony, your criminal record may qualify for expungement under the following conditions:

you were acquitted of the crime for which you were charged
you were convicted but subsequently found to be actually innocent
you were convicted but subsequently pardoned
you were formally charged by indictment or information and the case against you was later dismissed, and the statute of limitations has expired, or
you were arrested but not formally charged and you satisfy the waiting period described below.

If you were arrested but were not convicted, you may be eligible for an expunction, which deletes and destroys all records of the arrest. If you successfully completed deferred adjudication probation, you may be eligible for non-disclosure, which seals the records from the general public.

This page answers the most frequently asked questions about expunction and nondisclosure of criminal records in Texas only. If you are interested in clearing arrest records from another state then the information below will not help you.

Texas Felony Expungement

Having a felony arrest or prosecution on your criminal record can greatly impact your future. Employers, landlords and other interested parties can easily run a background check and uncover your past trouble with the law. Luckily, in Texas you have the opportunity to clear a felony arrest off your record through expungement.

Convictions do not qualify for expunction in Texas. The only exception to that is if he is pardoned. Unfortunately, he will always have this on his record and there is nothing that can be done to fix that under the current laws unless he receives a pardon.