A past conviction can follow you long after a case is closed — showing up on background checks for jobs, housing, and licensing. Ohio law offers a path to seal, and in some cases expunge, eligible records.
1. Sealing vs. Expungement: What's the Difference
Sealing removes a record from public view, though it may still exist for limited purposes like certain background checks by law enforcement or licensing boards. Expungement generally goes further, effectively treating the record as though it didn't happen, though eligibility for true expungement is narrower.
2. What Types of Offenses May Qualify
Eligibility depends on the type and number of offenses on your record. Many misdemeanors and lower-level felonies can qualify, while certain offenses — including many violent or sexual offenses — generally cannot be sealed.
3. Waiting Periods
Ohio requires a waiting period after the end of a case — completion of sentence, probation, or supervision — before you can apply, and the length of that period depends on the offense's classification.
4. What Sealing/Expungement Does (and Doesn't) Do
A sealed record generally won't appear on most background checks, and you're typically permitted to answer that you haven't been convicted when asked by most employers. It doesn't erase the underlying event for every purpose, including certain professional licensing applications.
5. The Application Process
The process typically involves filing an application with the court that handled your case, and may include a hearing where the court weighs your interest in sealing the record against the state's interest in maintaining it.
6. Reasons People Pursue Record Sealing
Common motivations include improving job prospects, qualifying for housing, and simply moving forward without a past charge continuing to define opportunities.
7. Finding Out If You Qualify
Eligibility rules are specific and can be easy to misjudge on your own. An attorney can review your record and let you know whether you currently qualify, or when you will.
If you'd like to find out whether your record qualifies for sealing in Youngstown, Salem, Lisbon, or Canfield, Ohio, or Weirton or Chester, West Virginia, Stowers Law Office LLC is available to review your case.