Petition to Seal (Expungement) Information
Introduction
In some cases, you can ask the court to seal your criminal records.
This used to be called expungement. It is now called Petition and
Order to Seal. Your criminal records will not be physically destroyed,
but they will be sealed and treated as confidential.
What Records Can Be Sealed?
When you were sentenced, the sentencing had to be under a
law that allows your criminal records to be sealed. Before you can
ask to have your records sealed, you must complete all the terms
and conditions of your probation and pay any fines or costs that
were part of your sentence.
After you have finished your sentence, you have to wait 5 years to
seal your record for:
• Eligible violent felonies (only Class C and D)
• negligent homicide (if it was a Class A misdemeanor)
• driving while intoxicated
• battery in the third degree
• indecent exposure
• public sexual indecency
• sexual assault in the fourth degree
• domestic battering in the third degree
Other Misdemeanors and Felonies may be sealed immediately.
What Records Cannot Be Sealed?
The following records cannot be sealed:
• a sexual offense in which the victim was under the age
of 18 years
• a felony in which you spent any time in the Arkansas
Department of Corrections
• a Class Y felony
• a Class A or B felony that was not a drug offense
• manslaughter
• an unclassified felony with a maximum sentence that
was more than 10 years
• violent felonies that fall under A.C.A. § 5-4-501
Benefits of Sealing Your Records
When your criminal records are sealed, you may have an easier
time finding employment and housing. When you interview for a job
or housing, you can legally state that you have not been convicted
or arrested of a crime.
Sealing Your Criminal Records Cannot:
• restore your gun rights if you are sealing a felony
conviction (unless you were sentenced under a deferred
sentence statute)
• prevent your record from being used against you in a
trial, by the police, or by the prosecutor if you are
arrested or go to court
• block access by employers in law enforcement, day
care, nursing homes, and teaching
Who Can See Your Sealed Records?
• the defendant and their attorney
• the Criminal Justice Agency for a job reference
• a court if you have been convicted of another crime
• a prosecuting attorney
• the Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC)
If your criminal records appear in a background check after they
have been sealed, you have a right to ask for the background check
company’s information and give them the Order to Seal. The
company will have to correct their records. (Background check
companies are still governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.)
When certain employers (like teachers, day care workers, nursing
homes, and law enforcement agencies), do a background check, all
convictions show up. This means that they can see any sealed
criminal records.
For more information, visit acic.org.
This fact sheet is a collaboration of the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal
Aid of Arkansas, Inc. These nonprofit organizations provide free legal assistance to
eligible Arkansans who meet income, asset, and other guidelines. Legal assistance
may also include advice and counsel, brief services, or full representation depending
on the situation. For more information about civil legal aid in Arkansas, please visit
arlegalservices.org. For information specific to Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc.,
visit arlegalaid.org. Apply for services online or by calling 1-800-9-LAW-AID (1-
800-952-9243).
The information and statements of law in this fact sheet should not be considered
legal advice. This fact sheet is provided as a broad guide to help you understand how
certain legal matters are handled in general. Courts may interpret the law
differently. Before you take action, talk to an attorney and follow his or her advice.
Always do what the court tells you to do.
Content provided by:
Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc.
Updated October 2020
 Petition to Seal Additional Questions

What Can You Find on Your Judgement and
Disposition Sheet or Your ACIC Form?
• the type of felony you were convicted of can be found
on your Judgement and Disposition sheet
• the Arkansas Code Annotated (ACA) can be found on
both sheets, in a set of three numbers (for example, 1-
23-456)
• at what time and date you pled, or were found, guilty
can be found on your Judgement and Disposition
sheet, after your conviction information, titled similar to
the following: “Conditions of State Supervised
Probation of Sentence”
• how long your probation was, and how much you were
sentenced to pay as fines, can be found on your
Judgement and Disposition sheet, after your conviction
information
• whether you were sentenced under Act 346 (or no Act
346 information for those not sentenced under it) may
be found on either sheet
• your case number, which can also be found at
caseinfo.aoc.arkansas.gov under “person name,
business name, or case type,” may be found on your
Judgement and Disposition sheet
• the court, county, and division of your conviction can
be found on your Judgement and Disposition sheet
• your arrest date, also known as your offense date, can
be found on either sheet
• your arrest tracking number, SID number, and FBI
number can be found on the ACIC form
How Do You Know Which Form to Use?
What If You Have Three or More Felonies?
You are not eligible to seal your record if you have three or more
felonies. However, you are still eligible to apply for a Governors’
pardon. The application and instruction packet can be found on
https://www.dps.arkansas.gov/crime-info-support/arkansas-
crime-information-center/forms/. If you are seeking to restore
your gun rights, use the same pardon application. There will be
three options on the second page indicating what will be
restored by the pardon if successful. That is where you can
choose to pardon your convictions or restore your gun rights.
Importantly, if you were sentenced under Act 346, you do not
lose your gun rights.
Is There a Filing Fee?
No. The filing fee will be waived as of July 2019 under Act 680.
Where Can You Find a Notary?
Notaries that can sign your petition can be found at many places,
such as banks, car lots, courthouses, and law offices.
This fact sheet is a collaboration of the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal
Aid of Arkansas, Inc. These nonprofit organizations provide free legal assistance to
eligible Arkansans who meet income, asset, and other guidelines. Legal assistance
may also include advice and counsel, brief services, or full representation depending
on the situation. For more information about civil legal aid in Arkansas, please visit
arlegalservices.org. For information specific to Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc.,
visit arlegalaid.org. Apply for services online or by calling 1-800-9-LAW-AID (1-
800-952-9243).

Check your Judgement and Disposition sheet to see what your The information and statements of law in this fact sheet should not be considered
sentence was, and then find the corresponding form. The most legal advice. This fact sheet is provided as a broad guide to help you understand how
certain legal matters are handled in general. Courts may interpret the law
common forms are Act 346, Community Punishment (Act 1460 differently. Before you take action, talk to an attorney and follow his or her advice.
and Act 680; there is one for felonies and one for mis- Always do what the court tells you to do.
demeanors), Nolle Prosequi, and Arrest Only.
Content provided by:
Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc.
What Do You Need to Know About Your
Updated October 2020
Arrest Tracking, SID, and FBI Numbers?
While the SID number is a permanent number across all your
convictions, your arrest tracking number changes with each
arrest. If no FBI number appears on your ACIC sheet, do not fill
out the FBI form on the petition.
 Petition to Seal Instructions
Before You Start
You will need your Judgment and Commitment Order. This legal
document gives information about the sentence that you
received from the court. If you do not have this document, you
can get it by visiting the clerk’s office at the court where you were
sentenced and ask for copies. You may be charged a small fee
(generally $5) to get copies.
It also helps to ask for a background or ACIC check. If you do
this, you will have detailed information for what is on your
criminal record.
The background check will also have:
• your arrest tracking number
• the date of your arrest
• the SID number
• the FBI number
Your arrest tracking number is very important. You need your
arrest tracking number to make sure that your Order to Seal is
entered correctly in ACIC. ACIC is the Arkansas Crime
Information Center. It is the state agency that gives information
and technology help to police and other criminal justice agencies
in Arkansas.
Getting a background check also makes the process of sealing
your criminal records easier, because you will have the
information that you need to give to the court and the
prosecuting attorney. This information is easy to get from the
ACIC Website: https://www.dps.arkansas.gov/crime-info-
support/arkansas-crime-information-center/forms/. Print the
form to request your criminal background from ACIC.
Most prosecutors require proof that you have completed the
terms of your sentence. You can get proof that you paid your
fines from the sheriff’s department. You can get proof that you
have finished the terms of your probation from the probation
office.
After You File
For misdemeanors, anyone who does not want your record to
be sealed has to file a notice of opposition and give the reasons
that they are opposing within 30 days. If no one disagrees with
your attempt to seal your criminal records, then the court may
grant your petition. If some-one is against your attempt to seal
your criminal records, then the court will set a hearing.
For felonies, the court must wait 90 days before a judge can sign
off on an order to seal. However, if the prosecutor gives the court
a letter of no objection, then you can have your order to seal
signed at any time.
If your Petition to Seal is granted, the uniform Order to Seal
should be filed with the Circuit Clerk. The clerk will send copies
to the prosecutor, arresting agency, ACIC, and Administrative
Office of the Courts. The Circuit Clerk will put all legal
documents of your case in a separate and private area within
the clerk’s office.
This fact sheet is a collaboration of the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal
Aid of Arkansas, Inc. These nonprofit organizations provide free legal assistance to
eligible Arkansans who meet income, asset, and other guidelines. Legal assistance
may also include advice and counsel, brief services, or full representation depending
on the situation. For more information about civil legal aid in Arkansas, please visit
arlegalservices.org. For information specific to Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc.,
visit arlegalaid.org. Apply for services online or by calling 1-800-9-LAW-AID (1-
800-952-9243).
The information and statements of law in this fact sheet should not be considered
legal advice. This fact sheet is provided as a broad guide to help you understand how
certain legal matters are handled in general. Courts may interpret the law
differently. Before you take action, talk to an attorney and follow his or her advice.
Always do what the court tells you to do.
Content provided by:
Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc.
Updated October 2020

Step 1
File a uniform Petition to Seal in the Circuit or District Court
where you were sentenced. These forms are at the forms tab at
https://www.dps.arkansas.gov/crime-info-support/arkansas-
crime-information-center/forms/. Use the form that fits your case
and prepare the petition and order. Only file the petition.

There is no filing fee as of July 2019 under Act 680.

Step 2
You must give a copy of the legal forms that you filed to the
prosecuting attorney and arresting agency.

A collaboration of Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc.
1-800-9-LAW-AID (1-800-952-9243) | arlegalservices.org | arlegalaid.org