Expunging a Criminal Record in Arkansas (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Arkansas · Last updated August 19, 2026
In Arkansas the relief people call 'expungement' is legally called sealing, and it is governed by the Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013, Ark. Code 16-90-1401 et seq. Sealing treats a conviction as confidential and removes it from public view, but it is not physical destruction of the record, and law enforcement and some agencies can still access sealed information. Many misdemeanors can be sealed after you complete your sentence, and some nonviolent Class C and Class D felonies are eligible, while Class Y, Class A, and Class B felonies, felony sex offenses, and felonies involving violence are excluded. Arkansas has no automatic 'clean slate' sealing, so you must file a uniform petition to seal in the court of conviction. The Arkansas Crime Information Center and the Arkansas State Police maintain the state repository that reflects a sealing order.
Find out where you stand in Arkansas
What are you trying to clear?
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What record-clearing relief does Arkansas offer and what is it called?
Arkansas calls it sealing, not expungement, under the Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013, Ark. Code 16-90-1401 et seq. Sealing removes a conviction from public view and treats it as confidential, but it is not physical destruction, so law enforcement and some agencies can still see the record.
What is eligible for sealing in Arkansas and what is the waiting period?
Many misdemeanors can be sealed immediately after you complete your sentence and pay all costs, under Ark. Code 16-90-1405. Nonviolent Class C and Class D felonies may be sealed immediately after completion, while violent Class C and Class D felonies require a five-year wait under Ark. Code 16-90-1406.
Can you seal a felony conviction in Arkansas?
Some. Under Ark. Code 16-90-1406, nonviolent Class C or Class D felonies and certain drug felonies can be sealed if you have no more than one previous felony conviction. Class Y, Class A, and Class B felonies, manslaughter, felony sex offenses, and felonies involving violence are excluded from sealing.
Does Arkansas have automatic 'clean slate' sealing of records?
No. Arkansas has no automatic clean-slate law, so no eligible record seals itself by the passage of time. Even when an offense qualifies, you must file a uniform petition to seal in the court of conviction and meet every requirement of the 2013 Act before a judge can order the record sealed.
Arkansas Sealing Under the Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013
Arkansas clears records through sealing, not expungement, under the Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013, Ark. Code 16-90-1401 et seq. To seal a record means to expunge, remove, sequester, and treat it as confidential, but it does not include physical destruction of the record of conviction, and law enforcement, courts, and certain licensing and background agencies may still access sealed information. Most misdemeanors can be sealed immediately after you complete your sentence and pay all fines, restitution, and costs under Ark. Code 16-90-1405, though offenses listed in that section, such as certain traffic-related and commercial-license offenses, are treated differently. On the felony side, Ark. Code 16-90-1406 allows sealing of nonviolent Class C or Class D felonies and certain drug felonies immediately after completion of the sentence, and violent Class C or Class D felonies after five years, but only if the person has no more than one previous felony conviction, sealed or otherwise. Class Y, Class A, and Class B felonies, manslaughter, felony sex offenses, and felonies involving violence are excluded. There is no automatic clean-slate relief in Arkansas: you file a uniform petition to seal in the court where you were convicted, and for felonies the court generally waits about ninety days for prosecutor review unless the prosecuting attorney files a letter of no objection. The Arkansas Crime Information Center and the Arkansas State Police maintain the state criminal-history repository that a sealing order updates.
Relevant Laws
Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013 (Ark. Code 16-90-1401)
Establishes and names Arkansas's unified record-sealing law. It replaced decades of scattered expungement statutes with a single scheme for sealing eligible misdemeanors and felonies, defining sealing as treating a record as confidential rather than destroying it.
Misdemeanor Sealing Eligibility (Ark. Code 16-90-1405)
Allows a person to file a uniform petition to seal a misdemeanor offense or violation, generally immediately after completing the sentence and paying all costs, except for offenses specifically listed as ineligible, including certain traffic and commercial-driver offenses.
Felony Sealing Eligibility and Waiting Periods (Ark. Code 16-90-1406)
Permits sealing of nonviolent Class C or Class D felonies and certain drug felonies immediately after completion of sentence, and violent Class C or Class D felonies after five years, if the person has no more than one previous felony conviction. Class Y, A, and B felonies, manslaughter, felony sex offenses, and violent felonies are excluded.
No Federal Expungement of State Records; Petition-Only in Arkansas
There is no general federal law to expunge or seal state convictions, and Arkansas has no automatic clean-slate sealing. Relief is petition-only under the 2013 Act, filed in the court of conviction, so no eligible record clears itself by the passage of time.
Regional Variances
Arkansas Record-Sealing Eligibility Table
Relief type and name
Sealing under the Comprehensive Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2013, Ark. Code 16-90-1401 et seq. Arkansas does not use the term expungement; sealing removes a conviction from public view and treats it as confidential, but it is not physical destruction of the record.
Eligible offenses
Most misdemeanors and violations under Ark. Code 16-90-1405, plus nonviolent Class C or Class D felonies and certain drug felonies under Ark. Code 16-90-1406. Sealing a felony requires no more than one previous felony conviction, sealed or otherwise.
Waiting period by offense class
Most misdemeanors: immediately after completing the sentence and paying all costs. Nonviolent Class C or Class D felonies: immediately after completion. Violent Class C or Class D felonies: five years after completion of sentence, under Ark. Code 16-90-1406.
Excluded offenses
Class Y, Class A, and Class B felonies, manslaughter, felony sex offenses, and felonies involving violence cannot be sealed. Certain traffic and commercial-driver offenses are also ineligible under Ark. Code 16-90-1405, and DWI sealing is limited.
Clean-slate and filing status
No automatic clean-slate sealing exists in Arkansas; relief is petition-only. File a uniform petition to seal in the court of conviction with no filing fee under Ark. Code 16-90-1419. For felonies the court generally waits about ninety days for prosecutor review unless a letter of no objection is filed.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Confirm your Arkansas offense class and waiting period
Before you prepare the petition days after startingCheck Ark. Code 16-90-1405 and 16-90-1406 to verify each offense is eligible and its waiting period has run. Confirm you have no more than one prior felony conviction and that no count is a Class Y, A, or B felony, manslaughter, felony sex offense, or violent felony, which cannot be sealed.
Obtain your Arkansas criminal history record
Before drafting the petition days after startingRequest your state criminal-history record from the Arkansas Crime Information Center, maintained with the Arkansas State Police, to confirm every charge, disposition, offense class, and the court of conviction. Use it to identify which counts are eligible and where each petition must be filed.
Pay off all fines, restitution, and costs from the case
Before filing days after startingSatisfy all fines, restitution, court costs, and any driver-license reinstatement obligations from the underlying conviction. Arkansas generally requires the sentence to be fully complete, including payments, before a record can be sealed under the 2013 Act. Keep proof of payment for the petition.
Complete and file the Uniform Petition to Seal
When eligible and prepared days after startingPrepare the Uniform Petition to Seal for each eligible count and file it in the Arkansas circuit or district court of conviction. There is no filing fee under Ark. Code 16-90-1419. File separate petitions if your convictions span more than one court or county, and serve the prosecuting attorney.
Serve the prosecutor and confirm the order and repository update
After filing, through entry of the order days after startingServe the prosecuting attorney, allow for the roughly ninety-day felony review or a letter of no objection, and attend any hearing. After the judge signs the order to seal, get certified copies and confirm the Arkansas Crime Information Center and Arkansas State Police reflect the sealing. An attorney can help with contested or multi-county petitions.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm your Arkansas offense class and waiting period | Check Ark. Code 16-90-1405 and 16-90-1406 to verify each offense is eligible and its waiting period has run. Confirm you have no more than one prior felony conviction and that no count is a Class Y, A, or B felony, manslaughter, felony sex offense, or violent felony, which cannot be sealed. | - | Before you prepare the petition |
| Obtain your Arkansas criminal history record | Request your state criminal-history record from the Arkansas Crime Information Center, maintained with the Arkansas State Police, to confirm every charge, disposition, offense class, and the court of conviction. Use it to identify which counts are eligible and where each petition must be filed. | - | Before drafting the petition |
| Pay off all fines, restitution, and costs from the case | Satisfy all fines, restitution, court costs, and any driver-license reinstatement obligations from the underlying conviction. Arkansas generally requires the sentence to be fully complete, including payments, before a record can be sealed under the 2013 Act. Keep proof of payment for the petition. | - | Before filing |
| Complete and file the Uniform Petition to Seal | Prepare the Uniform Petition to Seal for each eligible count and file it in the Arkansas circuit or district court of conviction. There is no filing fee under Ark. Code 16-90-1419. File separate petitions if your convictions span more than one court or county, and serve the prosecuting attorney. | - | When eligible and prepared |
| Serve the prosecutor and confirm the order and repository update | Serve the prosecuting attorney, allow for the roughly ninety-day felony review or a letter of no objection, and attend any hearing. After the judge signs the order to seal, get certified copies and confirm the Arkansas Crime Information Center and Arkansas State Police reflect the sealing. An attorney can help with contested or multi-county petitions. | - | After filing, through entry of the order |
Frequently Asked Questions
Under Ark. Code 16-90-1419, there is no filing fee to file a uniform petition to seal an eligible record in Arkansas. You may still pay small costs for certified copies or obtaining your criminal history, and you must first satisfy all fines, restitution, court costs, and any driver-license reinstatement obligations from the underlying case before sealing.
It varies by court and whether the prosecutor objects. For felony petitions the court generally waits about ninety days after filing to allow prosecutor and victim review before a judge signs the order to seal. If the prosecuting attorney files a letter of no objection, the judge can sign sooner. Contested petitions can take longer and may require a hearing.
A sealed Arkansas record is removed from public view and treated as confidential, but sealing is not physical destruction. Law enforcement, the courts, and certain licensing, employment, and firearms authorities can still access sealed information under exceptions in the 2013 Act. Federal agencies and immigration authorities may also see it, so sealing is not a complete erasure.
Generally yes for a truly sealed record. Once an Arkansas court seals a conviction under Ark. Code 16-90-1401 et seq., you may usually treat the offense as not having occurred for most employment purposes and answer that you have not been convicted. Exceptions apply for certain licensed positions, law enforcement, and jobs where the sealed record remains accessible, so confirm before you answer.
It is limited. Some driving offenses are treated specially under Ark. Code 16-90-1405, and certain traffic and commercial-license offenses are not eligible for sealing. Arkansas also does not allow a DWI to be reduced to a lesser charge, so eligibility depends on the exact offense and disposition. An attorney can help confirm whether a specific DWI record qualifies.
Other Arkansas guides
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