Expungement
Clear your record in New Jersey
A record can follow you into every job and apartment application. New Jersey lets many people clear it, filing costs nothing, and you can do it yourself online. Here's how it works.
Who can clear a record
| Your record | Usual wait |
|---|---|
| Charges dismissed or found not guilty | None. The court should expunge them when the case ends. |
| PTI or conditional discharge completed | 6 months |
| Municipal ordinance violation | 2 years |
| Disorderly or petty disorderly persons offense | 5 years (3 if a judge finds it's in the public interest) |
| Indictable offense (a crime) | About 6 years, with an early path at about 5 (see note below) |
| Clean Slate: everything eligible | 10 years since your most recent conviction or release |
The clock usually runs from the latest of the conviction, paying the fines, finishing probation or parole, or release. Summaries of the 2019 reforms disagree on the indictable wait, so confirm yours before filing. (summary of NJ law)
What usually can't be cleared
Murder, kidnapping, robbery, arson, sex offenses, human trafficking, endangering a child, serious drug distribution, and crimes by public officials tied to their office. Pending charges also block an expungement until they're resolved.
How to file, for free
- List your record. Every arrest, charge and outcome in New Jersey, with dates and courts.
- Use the court's eCourts Expungement system. It pulls your New Jersey court history and builds the petition. Check every entry against your own records.
- File. There's no court fee to apply (N.J.S.A. 2C:52-29).
- Wait for the prosecutor. They review it and can object. Hearings are usually set 35 to 60 days out, and without an objection the judge may decide without one.
- Keep certified copies of the order. Then check a background report a few months later to make sure it's gone.
Unpaid fines
Since the 2019 reforms, unpaid fines don't automatically block an expungement if you're on a payment plan or couldn't pay. They may be turned into a civil judgment instead. Ask legal aid how it applies to you.
Free help
Legal Services of New Jersey has a free expungement toolkit and a hotline at 1-888-LSNJ-LAW (1-888-576-5529). If a prosecutor objects and you don't have a lawyer, contact the county Public Defender's office.
Missing a court record?
If you need a judgment of conviction or dismissal from a courthouse you can't get to, we can pick up certified copies and send you scans. Records retrieval. We don't decide eligibility or fill out the petition.
Printable kit
New Jersey Expungement Kit
An eligibility worksheet with the waiting periods, a records checklist, the filing steps, what to do after the order, and a tracker.
General information, checked November 2026. Not legal advice. MCC Solutions is not a law firm.
Questions
Does it cost money to file an expungement in New Jersey?
No court fee. State law says no one can be charged a fee to apply. You may pay small costs for copies or mailing, and a lawyer if you hire one.
What is Clean Slate?
A New Jersey path that clears your whole eligible record once 10 years have passed since your most recent conviction or release. You can petition for it now; the State's automatic process has been slow to roll out.
Do I need a lawyer?
No. Many people file themselves through the eCourts Expungement system. Get help if a prosecutor objects or your record is complicated; legal aid is free if you qualify.
What do I say on a job application after it's expunged?
In most cases you can answer as if it didn't happen. There are exceptions, including jobs in law enforcement, corrections and the courts (N.J.S.A. 2C:52-27).