YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO HAVE YOUR CRIMINAL RECORD PERMANENTLY SEALED/EXPUNGED

Seal or Expunge Record
Eligibility
Crimes and Arrests not eligible to Seal or Expunge
Sealing Criminal Record
Expunging Criminal Record
Frequent Questions
Glossary of Legal Terms

 11C-7.007 Procedures on Court-Ordered Sealings.

(1) Prior to petitioning the court to seal a criminal history record, the subject must apply to the Department for a certificate of eligibility for sealing. The application for the certificate of eligibility must include:
     (a) A money order, cashier’s check, or certified check for $75.00 made payable to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This processing fee is non-refundable, regardless of the results of the certification review. A fee waiver may be granted by the Executive Director of the Department upon submission of a written request and in his determination that the waiver is in the best interests of criminal justice.
     (b) A completed Application for Certification of Eligibility. The subject should complete section A of the application. The Application for Certification of Eligibility (form number FDLE 40-021, rev. July 2006 and incorporated by reference) may be obtained from:
     1. The Clerk of the Court, or
     2. Florida Department of Law Enforcement
     Expunge Section
     Post Office Box 1489
     Tallahassee, Florida 32302-1489
     Telephone Number: (850) 410-7870
     Website: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/expunge
(c) A legible set of fingerprints recorded on an FBI Applicant Fingerprint Card (FD-258) or Fingerprint form (40-024, rev. February 2008). The fingerprinting must be done by a law enforcement agency. The law enforcement agency fingerprinting the subject should place the following statement in the “Reason Fingerprinted” section on the card or Fingerprint form: “Application For Certification of Eligibility For Sealing.” The subject must pay any fees required by the law enforcement agency for providing this service. If a copy of the Applicant Fingerprint Card is needed, it may be obtained from:
     1. The Clerk of the Court, or
     2. Florida Department of Law Enforcement
     Expunge Section
     Post Office Box 1489
     Tallahassee, Florida 32302-1489
     Telephone Number: (850) 410-7870
     Website: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/expunge
(d) A certified copy of the disposition of the charge or charges to which the petition to seal pertains. The subject should obtain this document from the Clerk of the Court in the appropriate jurisdiction. The subject must pay any fees required by the Clerk of the Court for providing this service.
(2) The complete application packet should be mailed or delivered to Florida Department of Law Enforcement, ATTN: Expunge/Seal Section, Post Office Box 1489, Tallahassee, Florida 32302-1489.
(3) If the application packet is incomplete, the Department will not process it. The incomplete packet, along with the processing fee, will be returned to the subject with an indication as to the reason for non-acceptance. It will be the subject’s responsibility to obtain the missing information and return the complete packet to the Department.
(4) If the application packet is complete, the Department will review the submitted information and the subject’s criminal history record to determine if the specified record meets the requirements for sealing, which are listed in Section 943.059, F.S. Questions regarding the status of the review should be directed to the Expunge Section at (850) 410-7870.
(5) The Department will send the subject a Certificate of Eligibility (form number FDLE 40-022, rev. July 2006), if the specified criminal history record meets the requirements for sealing. If the specified criminal history record does not meet the requirements for sealing, the Department will send the subject a letter stating the reason for ineligibility with an explanation of appeal rights.
(6) Upon receipt of a certified court order to seal a criminal history record, the arresting agency shall:
(a) Make a positive association between the individual and the arrest covered by the court order and the arrest record generated by it; if the arrest record can be identified within the agency’s records,
(b) Forward the Certificate of Eligibility, a certified copy of the court order, and a letter of transmittal to the Department. The letter of transmittal shall make specific reference to identifying information, including:
     1. Name;
     2. Alias/Maiden Names;
     3. Sex;
     4. Race;
     5. Date of Birth;
     6. Social Security Number (If Available);
     7. Date or Dates of Arrest;
     8. Arrest Number or Numbers and Original Charges;
     9. FDLE Number and FBI Number (If Known).

The letter of transmittal shall be signed by the chief law enforcement officer of the agency or the authorized designee.
Specific Authority 943.03(4), 943.059(2) FS. Law Implemented 943.059 FS. History–New 8-5-92, Amended 7-7-99, 8-22-00, 6-9-08.

NOTE: The issuance of the Certificate of Eligibility is not the final step in the Sealing/Expunction process, nor does it guarantee that a criminal history record will be sealed or expunged. The final decision to Seal/Expunge your criminal history is placed by law in the sound discretion of the court. Please contact an attorney to file the petition with the court and finalize the process.

**Disclaimer: The information on this page should be used as a reference only and is not intended to be legal advice. Florida criminal law is continually changing therefore some of the provisions contained here may be out of date. It is always best to consult an experienced Orlando criminal defense attorney about your legal rights and responsibilities regarding your particular case.**

Contact an Orlando criminal defense attorney at Corzo & Kohrs to SEAL OR EXPUNGE YOUR CRIMINAL RECORD.

At Corzo & Kohrs you can speak directly with an experienced Orlando criminal defense lawyer about helping you expunge your criminal record or seal your criminal record. For questions about how to seal or expunge your criminal record, contact a criminal defense attorney at Corzo & Kohrs for a free initial consultation.