You are likely eligible for expungement.
A few things to keep in mind:
Before you apply to expunge your record, we recommend that you ask the court for a certified copy of your record. Once expunged, your record will be destroyed and you will not be able to get a copy from the courts if you ever need it in the future.
Most people are better off expunging their record but there are times when you should not proceed on your own:
If you are not a US citizen, speak to a lawyer before you seal or expunge a record.
If you are challenging your case, (for example, because you were falsely accused or your case was part of the drug lab scandal), you too should speak to your lawyer first so sealing or expungement doesn’t impact your case.
Just because you are eligible does not mean you will be approved. Your petition will be reviewed by the courts, where there will be a hearing to approve or deny the expungement request.
Once expungement is approved, your record will be destroyed by all criminal justice agencies, including from the CORI. The court is also required to send the expungement request to the FBI to destroy the arrest record associated with the expunged offense.
You can seek to update your FBI arrest records if your case is dropped, dismissed, sealed or expunged. Learn more here.