Criminal Records & Restoring Your Rights
A conviction, or even an arrest that went nowhere, can follow you for years without having to be permanent. How to expunge, seal, or set aside a record, and how to restore the rights a conviction can take away: owning a firearm, voting, and serving on a jury.
All Criminal Records & Restoring Your Rights guides
- Can a Pardon Restore Your Gun Rights?
A pardon can restore gun rights, but only if its wording allows it and the federal-vs-state conviction rule is met. How the unless-clause works.
- How a Pardon Works: Process and What It Restores
A pardon is executive forgiveness—not a record erasure. Learn who can grant one, what rights it restores, and how it differs from expungement.
- What Expungement Actually Does (and What It Doesn't)
Expungement clears your public record — but immigration consequences, professional licensing, and private databases often survive. Know your real rights.
- Will an Expunged or Sealed Record Show Up on a Background Check?
Expunging or sealing a record doesn't automatically erase it from private databases. How background checks work and how to use your FCRA dispute rights.
- How to Clear an Arrest That Didn't Lead to a Conviction
Many states allow you to seal or expunge an arrest that never led to a conviction. Learn the process, what relief is available, and how to protect yourself.
- Can Marijuana Users Own a Gun? What the Supreme Court’s Hemani Decision Changed
Hemani (2026) bars § 922(g)(3) charges on marijuana use alone — but the felon ban survives, ATF forms evolve, and marijuana stays federally illegal.
- Do You Have to Tell Employers About an Expunged Record?
In most states, an expunged record need not be disclosed to private employers—but exceptions exist for government jobs, licensed professions, and more.
- Can You Expunge a DUI?
Many states bar DUI expungement or count sealed priors in later cases. Learn how the rules work, what varies by state, and what steps to take.
- Expunging a Juvenile Record: How It's Different
Juvenile records are often sealed automatically — but serious offenses are excluded. Learn how the juvenile system differs from adult expungement rules.
- How Restoration of Civil Rights Can Restore Your Gun Rights
Restoration of civil rights can lift the federal felon-in-possession ban under § 921(a)(20) — but only if no firearm restriction is attached.
- Felons and Firearms: What Federal Law (18 U.S.C. 922(g)) Says
Federal law permanently bans felons from possessing firearms. Learn what § 922(g)(1) covers, the § 921(a)(20) restoration exception, and your options.
- Restoring Your Gun Rights After a Felony Conviction
A felony bans you from firearms under federal law, but a pardon, civil-rights restoration, or expungement can lift it—if done right. How the rules work.
- How to Expunge a Criminal Record: The General Process
Learn how expungement works: eligibility, waiting periods, the petition process, and what clearing your record actually does—and doesn't—accomplish.
- Restoring Your Right to Vote After a Felony Conviction
Most people with felony convictions eventually regain voting rights; Maine, Vermont, and D.C. never remove them. How the state-by-state rules work.
- Does a Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Bar You From Owning a Gun?
A domestic violence misdemeanor can trigger a lifetime federal gun ban under the Lautenberg Amendment. Learn when expungement or a pardon can lift it.
- How Much Does It Cost to Expunge a Record?
Expungement costs vary by state—filing fees, attorney fees, and background-check fees all add up. Learn what to expect and how to find fee waivers.
- Expungement vs. Sealing vs. Set-Aside: What's the Difference?
Expungement, sealing, and set-aside are not the same. Learn how each type of record relief works, what it affects, and why the terms vary by state.
- Automatic Expungement and 'Clean Slate' Laws Explained
Pennsylvania passed the first Clean Slate law in 2018. Learn how automatic sealing works, which records qualify, and what these laws cannot do for your record.
- Can a Felony Be Expunged or Sealed?
Whether a felony can be expunged or sealed depends on your state and offense. Learn what the law allows, what federal limits still apply, and what to do next.