Did you know that more than 40 million criminal records have been sealed automatically in Pennsylvania under Clean Slate? Clean Slate may automatically seal criminal cases ending without convictions (not guilty or dropped charges), summary offenses after 10 years, and some misdemeanor convictions after 10 years without another conviction.
Follow the instructions below to check if your record has been sealed by Clean Slate.
How to check if your record has been sealed online
To check if your record has been sealed, you should look up your criminal record on the public court website. If your record has been sealed, it will not show up.
You can look up your record on the Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court websites. Search for your record by "Participant Name." Enter your full first and last name and any other information you have about your case. You must include dates in the "Date Filed" field.
If you don't see your record, make sure you do a thorough search. Your criminal record could be listed under an alias, a previous name, a misspelled name, or with an incorrect date of birth. If your criminal record does not appear, try another name that the police could have used. You can also leave out information to widen your search. To get the widest search possible, enter just the first two letters of your first and last name and a large date range under "Date Filed." Leave every other field blank.
Requesting your record from the courthouse
If you still don't see your record on the courts' websites, then your record may be sealed. To make sure, you can get a copy of your complete record in the courthouse of the county where your case was originally filed. At the courthouse, you can request a copy of the court order sealing your case. If the courthouse is unable to help you access your record, please let us know here.
Requesting your record from the State Police
You can also request a copy of your criminal history from the Pennsylvania State Police by submitting an "Access and Review" request. You can download the form here, and mail it to the address listed on the form, along with the following:
- A money order or certified check for $20, payable to "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
- A copy of your drivers' license or state ID (or any other government issued photo ID).
It can take up to 6 months to get the results, so make sure to use an address where you'll be able to receive mail for the foreseeable future.
We want to hear from you!
We want to know what a sealed record would mean to you. Tell us how a sealed record would make a difference in your life using this submission form. Your stories help us to spread the word about how laws like Clean Slate impact our community. We will not share your story without speaking to you first.