Who Qualifies to Seal a Record in Ohio?
Ohio's record-sealing and expungement laws were significantly expanded under Senate Bill 288, effective in 2023, which shortened waiting periods and broadened the offenses that qualify. As a result, many people who were previously ineligible can now clear their records.
Eligibility depends on the type of offense, how many convictions you have, and how much time has passed since you completed your sentence. Some offenses remain ineligible — notably, OVI convictions cannot be sealed — but a great many misdemeanors and lower-level felonies now qualify.
Sealing and expungement eligibility and waiting periods are governed by Ohio law and are fact-specific. As a starting point: a minor misdemeanor is eligible for sealing after 6 months, an ordinary misdemeanor or a 4th/5th-degree felony after 1 year, and a 3rd-degree felony (1–2 eligible) after 3 years. Full expungement of a felony generally isn't available until 10 years after the sealing-eligible date. Dismissed charges and not-guilty findings generally carry no waiting period. The firm reviews your record to confirm exactly what you qualify for.
Sealing vs. Expungement — What's the Difference?
Sealing a record hides it from most background checks, so it no longer appears to employers, landlords, and licensing boards in most circumstances. Expungement goes further, resulting in the actual destruction of the record.
Ohio law now provides for both in more situations than before. The firm explains which applies to your record and what each would mean in practice for your job prospects, housing applications, and peace of mind.
A New Path for Marijuana Convictions
Starting March 20, 2026, a new law (R.C. 2953.321) creates a specific expungement path for certain prior marijuana and hashish possession convictions — including some that were previously ineligible for any relief. If you have an older marijuana possession case on your record, it's worth having it reviewed against this new provision.
What's Excluded, and What It Costs
Beyond OVI, Ohio law excludes a number of other convictions from ordinary sealing and expungement: first- and second-degree felonies, most felony offenses of violence, sexually oriented offenses requiring registration, certain offenses against victims under 13, some theft-in-office convictions, and certain domestic violence and protection-order convictions (though some lower-level DV convictions may still qualify for sealing, just not expungement). Whether a specific record qualifies depends on the exact offense and degree, not just its general category — and a charge that was dismissed, resulted in a not-guilty finding, or a no bill can often be sealed without any waiting period at all, even when a related conviction from the same case could not.
Filing costs $50 for a conviction record, unless you qualify as indigent, plus a local court fee of up to $50 — and you can request sealing or expungement of records from more than one case in a single application.
The Process — From Petition to Fresh Start
The firm begins by reviewing your complete record to determine eligibility and timing, then prepares and files the petition, and represents you at any hearing the court schedules. Prosecutors can object, and courts weigh factors like your rehabilitation and the public interest, so a well-prepared petition matters.
For many clients, sealing or expunging a record is genuinely life-changing — removing a barrier that has followed them for years. If you're wondering whether you qualify, a short conversation can give you a clear answer.