Expungement

How to Get a Criminal Record Expunged in New Jersey


A New Jersey Certified Criminal Trial Attorney Working to Clear Your Criminal Record

The Law Offices of William D. Ware, Esq., has successfully handled expungements of arrests, criminal charges, and criminal convictions throughout the State of New Jersey.

Certain criminal convictions are eligible for an expungement in New Jersey, and we can easily guide you through the expungement statute to determine whether you are eligible for an expungement. In addition to determining the crimes which are eligible, it is equally important to determine the length of the waiting period from the date of your conviction to the date upon which you are eligible to file a petition for expungement. Remember, the time requirements and limitations on criminal expungement eligibility in NJ only apply to convictions. If you were arrested and charged but the charges were ultimately dismissed, you may be eligible for an immediate expungement.

Our office will provide you with a free consultation to determine whether you are eligible for an NJ Expungement of your criminal record. I have successfully handled the expungements of criminal records throughout the State of New Jersey.

Why You Should Have Your Criminal Record Expunged

Unfortunately, many employers, and educational institutions place a stigma on any person who has been arrested let alone convicted of a crime. A prior criminal conviction can affect your employment opportunities and may be an absolute bar to certain job opportunities. A prior arrest or conviction can also affect professional licensing boards and college applications.

Increasingly, employers are conducting background checks on new employees as well as existing employees who may have been with the company for many years. The criminal background check will uncover not only convictions but also arrests no matter how long ago they occurred. If you were fingerprinted for an offense regardless of the ultimate outcome, a criminal record with that information has been generated and is on file with the New Jersey State Police. Many people assume that because their charges were dismissed or because they completed a diversionary program, such as Pretrial Intervention or a Conditional Discharge, that the offense will not show up on a background check. Invariably, many of our clients soon learn that the records exist and have been accessed by a potential employer.

Being an Experienced NJ Expungement Attorney, I Can Assist You in Quickly Obtaining an Expungement

Background checks, once an exception to a job application, are now the norm. You may never even know that a potential employer passed you up for a job for this reason. In addition, your criminal record remains on file indefinitely unless you have that record expunged. An expungement of your NJ record will prevent an employer from accessing your criminal record and allow you to lawfully answer “no” to employment application question as to whether or not you had ever been arrested or convicted of an offense.

Crimes which are Eligible for Expungement

In order to have your record expunged (cleared), you must first look at whether or not you are eligible to have the criminal conviction expunged. Individuals should contact an attorney at Clark & Clark, LLC for a free consultation to determine whether they meet the requirement for an expungement of their New Jersey Criminal Record.

Convictions for the Following Crimes are not Eligible for Expungement in NJ:

In addition, the NJ expungement statute does not apply to motor vehicle violations or DWI or DUI. Thus, neither DWI/ DUI or traffic tickets can be expunged.

Waiting Period for Expungements

The following is a chart which sets forth the general eligibility requirements for an expungement in NJ and the waiting periods for filing a petition for expungement in NJ.

Type Of Conviction Time Elapsed Since Conviction
Indictable two or more convictions 10 years waiting period from completion of sentence
Disorderly Persons (up to 3 disorderly) 5 years waiting period from completion of sentence
Petty Disorderly Persons 5 years waiting period from completion of sentence
Municipal Ordinances 2 years waiting period from completion of sentence
Juvenile Delinquency 5 years waiting period from completion of supervision
Possession of CDS < 21 years of age 1 year period from completion of sentence
Arrests not resulting in convictions Immediately
Conditional Discharges/Pretrial Invention 6 months

Out of State Residents Eligible for an Expungement in NJ

The Law Offices of William D. Ware, Esq., handle New Jersey expungements for out of state residents as well as in state residents. You do not need to come back to New Jersey in order to have your expungement effectively litigated. Our attorneys will prepare all the filings and handle any expungement matter that needs to be litigated in court without you ever coming to New Jersey. Contact us today to discuss the details.

Length of Time Before Expungement is Complete

Pursuant to Court rules, the expungement motion should be scheduled from 30 to 60 days from the filing of the expungement petition. Of course, each County is slightly different as far as the time it takes to get your case listed on the expungement calendar. Due to the tremendous increase in the amount of people seeking expungements in NJ, some courts may take slightly longer. If you need your matter expunged quickly, please contact our office and we will assist in getting your case expunged on an expedited basis if possible.

Information Needed to Get Started

In order for an attorney to file your NJ expungement petition, specific information about the offense such as summons or complaint number, arresting agency, criminal charge and corresponding statutory number, arrest date, and disposition in court will need to be obtained. Without this information, the expungement cannot be appropriately filed and, consequently, it will not be granted. Let my criminal trial experience guide you in obtaining the necessary information for the filing of your NJ expungement petition. We have the ability to research your previous record to ensure that the petition for expungement is accurate. Often times, there is information on a clients criminal history that they did not even know existed or that they believed was never memorialized in a record.

Remember an arrest for any crime absent a conviction may be expunged. Not everyone who has been convicted of a crime in New Jersey, however, qualifies for an expungement in NJ. We would be happy to provide a free consultation to see if you qualify for a NJ expungement. Call us today at (908) 955-7065.