Missouri Expungement Laws

As far as the courts are concerned, an expungement is "the process of legally destroying, obliterating or striking out records or information in files, computers and other depositories relating to criminal charges." When you break through all that legalese, what they're really saying is that if you have an arrest record or even a conviction in Missouri, you could be eligible to have that record cleared up and wiped out. That means anyone running a background check on your would come up with zero.

Missouri expungement laws states that a person who was arrested but not charged or found to have no probable cause can have their records clear. To qualify, you can't have any other misdemeanor or felony convictions on your record. You also can't have any civil action that is pending against you with regard to the case you are seeking to have expunged. If you have a felony conviction in Missouri the only way to obtain an expungement is with a pardon from the governor.

For DUI charges, there are certain instances where the case can be pleaded down to a lesser offense. If that happens then your chances of getting an expungement increase. That is something that has to be negotiated between your defense attorney and the court. For juvenile offenders, you can have your arrest records expunged once you become of age. The stipulation is that your offense can't be carried over to an adult court or involve drug offenses. In order to obtain an expungement in Missouri you will need to first file an application petition that has all your pertinent personal information. You will also have to detail all the charges against you and how they were resolved. These are not such much forms that you fill out, but are notarized documents which support the resolution of your case. Thanks to the internet you have access to a lot of these forms to download. However, just because you can download a file doesn't mean you'll be able to make sense of it. In order to make sure you don't create any mistakes on these important documents, you should fill them out with an experienced Missouri lawyer. They'll know with one glance of your record what your chances of expungement will be. They will also know where to file the documents and the time frame of obtaining a hearing. Having experience on your side is going to make all the difference when you come to clearing up your record.