How to Expunge a Criminal Record in Illinois
- 1). Determine if the person is eligible to petition for his criminal record to be expunged. Refer to the short list found in the description or the detailed list provided by the Illinois attorney general.
- 2). Download the "Petition to Expunge" and "Order to Expunge" forms from the Illinois Office of the Appellate Defender website.
- 3). Fill out the entire "Petition to Expunge" form, but only the first two pages of the "Order to Expunge" form.
- 4). Attach proof of a recent drug test (taken within the last 30 days), if the petition concerns a felony first offender drug or Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC) probation case. Remember, felonies may only be expunged if the case was dismissed or the person was declared not guilty.
- 5). Notarize the signature on the "Petition to Expunge" form.
- 6). Make one copy of the "Order to Expunge" form and six copies of the "Petition to Expunge" form.
- 7). Take the original forms to the county where the arrest was made and file them with the local circuit clerk. The clerk also needs the names and addresses of the following entities: the state's attorney of the county the forms are filed in, the Illinois State Police, Bureau of Identification, 260 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60431-1342, the arresting authority, and the chief legal officer of the branch of local government which made the arrest.
- 8). Keep two of the "Petition to Expunge" copies and the copy of the "Order to Expunge" form. The other four copies will be sent to the entities listed in the previous step.
- 9). Wait up to a maximum of 60 days to see if one of the previously mentioned entities files an objection to the petition.
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Attend court if ordered to do so. Not all petitions will require a hearing for the judge to render a decision. - 11
Pay any associated fees if the petition is granted. Some counties will require certain fees to be paid. These generally include mailing fees and/or certification fees. All counties require a fee to have the record officially expunged. Certain counties will request this fee be paid upon filing while others make the request after the petition is granted.
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