Additional Resources

I listened to the case of a man who’d lost his Green Card some years back and was now facing deportation because of an old felony drug conviction. Although federal immigration authorities ordered the man deported in 2006, at that time his country of origin did not honor such requests. A year or so ago, immigration authorities notified the man that it was renewing its efforts to deport him. Can he petition for executive clemency in Illinois?

Illinois is on track to join the growing number of states adopting Clean Slate laws that automate parts of the criminal record–sealing process. The Clean Slate Act won’t automate expungement, but it will introduce new waiting periods, remove outdated barriers, and eventually automate the sealing of many convictions beginning in 2029. For anyone navigating record relief, understanding these upcoming changes is essential.

Illinois law places specific waiting periods on when you can clear your criminal record, and filing too early can result in an automatic denial by the court. While some non-convictions require short delays before expungement, all convictions carry a three-year wait before they can be sealed—unless you qualify for the education waiver. Understanding these timelines can help you avoid setbacks and move toward a clean record more efficiently.

If a past conviction is limiting your life, learning how to seal a criminal record in Illinois can provide the fresh start you need for jobs, housing, and licenses. Discover which convictions are eligible under the state's generous laws and the crucial differences between expungement and sealing. We walk you through the judicial process—from filing the petition at the courthouse to the 5-month-to-one-year timeline—so you can finally shed the heavy weight of a public criminal history.

How to get a felony record expunged in Illinois. Can I expunge my felony record? My response: “It depends on whether you were convicted of the crime.” A criminal record can be expunged if you weren’t convicted of the crime you were charged with. For example, if a judge dismisses charges against you for misdemeanor retail theft or burglary, a felony, you can petition to expunge your record. We call the record you’re expunging a “record of an arrest.”