Expungements and Sealing of Arrest Records

Indiana’s “Second Chance” law took effect July 1, 2013. Under these statutes, a person may seal arrest records if the arrest did not result in a conviction or juvenile adjudication. Individuals with cases that have been dismissed after completing a Pre-trial Diversion Program may also be eligible for a sealing of arrest record.

A person may also petition the Court to expunge prior misdemeanor and felony criminal convictions.  The waiting period between the conviction date and the filing of the expungement petition differs depending on the crime.

A person whose record has been expunged will be treated, by law, as if the person had never been convicted of the expunged offense(s).  Additionally, anyone who discriminates against a person based on an expunged crime is guilty of a Class “C” infraction and may be held in contempt of court.

This “Second Chance” law will help those with prior criminal convictions receive less scrutiny in pursuit of employment and educational goals.