Expunging a Criminal Record in Louisiana (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Louisiana · Last updated August 19, 2026
Louisiana clears eligible records through expungement under the Code of Criminal Procedure, articles 971 through 995. An expunged record is removed from public access, but law enforcement, prosecutors, and licensing boards can still view it under article 973. Records of arrest that did not result in a conviction can be expunged under article 976, while a misdemeanor conviction requires a five-year cleansing period under article 977 and a felony conviction requires a ten-year cleansing period under article 978. Crimes of violence, sex offenses, and certain drug-distribution felonies are excluded, and a $550 filing fee generally applies under article 983. Louisiana has no automatic clean-slate sealing, so relief is petition-only.
Find out where you stand in Louisiana
What are you trying to clear?
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What record-clearing relief does Louisiana offer, and what is it called?
Louisiana calls its relief expungement, governed by the Code of Criminal Procedure articles 971 through 995. Expungement removes a record from public access and most background checks, but under article 973 it is not a full erasure: law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and many licensing boards can still see the record.
What records are eligible for expungement in Louisiana, and is there a waiting period?
A record of arrest that did not lead to a conviction can be expunged under article 976, often with no waiting period. A misdemeanor conviction requires a five-year cleansing period under article 977, and a felony conviction requires a ten-year cleansing period under article 978, each measured from completion of the sentence.
Can you expunge a felony conviction in Louisiana?
Sometimes. Under article 978, an eligible felony conviction can be expunged after a ten-year cleansing period with no intervening convictions or pending charges. Crimes of violence under La. R.S. 14:2(B), sex offenses, and certain drug-distribution felonies are excluded, so many serious felonies can never be expunged in Louisiana.
Does Louisiana have automatic clean-slate sealing of criminal records?
No. Louisiana has no automatic clean-slate or auto-sealing law. Every expungement is petition-only: you must file a motion in the court of conviction or arrest, obtain a district attorney certification, and pay the filing fee. Nothing is cleared automatically once you become eligible, so you must act on your own.
How often can you file for expungement in Louisiana?
Louisiana limits frequency. Under article 978, a felony expungement is generally allowed no more than once during a fifteen-year period. Under article 977, a misdemeanor expungement is generally allowed no more than once during a five-year period, and a misdemeanor DWI expungement no more than once during a ten-year period.
Louisiana's Expungement Cleansing Periods, Exclusions, and the $550 Fee
Louisiana clears records through expungement under the Code of Criminal Procedure articles 971 through 995, handled by the district court where the arrest or conviction occurred. Under article 973 an expungement is not a destruction of the record: it is removed from public access, but law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, the Louisiana Board of Pardons, and many occupational-licensing and criminal-justice agencies retain access. A record of arrest that did not result in a conviction can be expunged under article 976, frequently without a waiting period. A misdemeanor conviction requires that more than five years have elapsed since completing the sentence, probation, or parole, with no intervening felony conviction, under article 977. A felony conviction requires that more than ten years have elapsed since completing the sentence, probation, or parole, with no intervening conviction and no pending charge, under article 978. Crimes of violence listed in La. R.S. 14:2(B), sex offenses, and certain controlled-dangerous-substance distribution or trafficking felonies are excluded. Frequency is capped: a felony expungement generally no more than once every fifteen years, a misdemeanor generally no more than once every five years, and a misdemeanor DWI no more than once every ten years. A $550 filing fee applies to a motion to expunge under article 983, subject to limited waivers, plus separate agency processing fees. Louisiana has no automatic clean-slate sealing, so relief is petition-only, and the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information is the state repository that updates the record after the order is granted.
Relevant Laws
Louisiana Expungement Statute (La. C.Cr.P. arts. 971 to 995)
Title XXXIV of the Code of Criminal Procedure governs expungement in Louisiana. Article 971 defines expungement as removal from public access, and article 973 confirms law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and many licensing agencies retain access to the record.
Petition-Only Relief: No Automatic Clean Slate in Louisiana
Louisiana has no automatic clean-slate or auto-sealing law. Every expungement requires a motion filed under article 979 in the court of arrest or conviction, a district attorney certification, and payment of the filing fee. Nothing is cleared automatically once you become eligible.
Eligibility and Cleansing Periods (arts. 976, 977, 978)
Article 976 covers non-conviction arrests. Article 977 allows misdemeanor-conviction expungement after a five-year cleansing period, once per five years. Article 978 allows felony-conviction expungement after a ten-year cleansing period, once per fifteen years, excluding crimes of violence and sex offenses.
No General Federal Expungement of Louisiana Records
There is no general federal law to expunge a Louisiana state conviction; record-clearing is set by Louisiana law. The $550 filing fee for a Louisiana expungement motion is set by article 983, which also governs collection and the limited fee waivers that can apply.
Regional Variances
Louisiana Expungement Eligibility Table
Relief type and name
Louisiana offers expungement under the Code of Criminal Procedure articles 971 through 995. Under article 973 it removes the record from public access rather than destroying it: law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and many licensing boards keep access. There is no separate sealing or set-aside track for adult convictions.
Non-conviction arrests (art. 976)
A record of arrest that did not result in a conviction can be expunged under article 976, including cases dismissed, refused, acquitted, or not prosecuted once the limitations period has run. These typically require no multi-year cleansing period, and reduced or waived fees may apply for qualifying non-convictions.
Misdemeanor convictions: 5-year cleansing period (art. 977)
A misdemeanor conviction can be expunged once more than five years have elapsed since completing the sentence, probation, or parole, with no intervening felony conviction and no pending charge, under article 977. A misdemeanor expungement is generally allowed no more than once every five years; a misdemeanor DWI no more than once every ten years.
Felony convictions: 10-year cleansing period (art. 978)
A felony conviction can be expunged once more than ten years have elapsed since completing the sentence, probation, or parole, with no intervening conviction and no pending charge, under article 978. A felony expungement is generally allowed no more than once every fifteen years.
Excluded offenses
Crimes of violence listed in La. R.S. 14:2(B), sex offenses, and certain controlled-dangerous-substance distribution or trafficking felonies cannot be expunged under articles 977 and 978. Some misdemeanors such as domestic abuse battery and stalking are also excluded, so many serious offenses can never be cleared in Louisiana.
Clean-slate status and fee
Louisiana has no automatic clean-slate sealing; all relief is petition-only, filed in the district court of arrest or conviction. A $550 filing fee generally applies under article 983, plus agency processing fees, with limited waivers. The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information updates the state record.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Confirm your Louisiana offense class and cleansing period
Before you draft the motion days after startingVerify whether the record is a non-conviction under article 976, a misdemeanor under article 977 (five-year cleansing period), or a felony under article 978 (ten-year cleansing period). Confirm it is not a crime of violence under La. R.S. 14:2(B), a sex offense, or an excluded drug-distribution felony, and that you meet the once-per-period limit.
Obtain your Louisiana criminal history record
Before filing days after startingRequest your criminal history from the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information to capture exact charges, docket numbers, and disposition dates. The motion must identify each record precisely, and the district attorney and clerk verify these details against the state repository before certifying eligibility.
Prepare the Louisiana motion to expunge
Before the filing date days after startingComplete the statutory Motion for Expungement required by article 979, using the correct path for a non-conviction (art. 976) or a misdemeanor or felony conviction (arts. 977 or 978). Fill in the disposition and cleansing-period dates. An attorney can help confirm eligibility and complete the motion accurately.
File in the district court and pay or waive the fee
On the filing date days after startingFile the motion with the clerk of the district court for the parish of arrest or prosecution. Pay the $550 filing fee under article 983 plus agency processing fees to the Louisiana State Police, sheriff, clerk, and district attorney, or request a waiver for a qualifying non-conviction or indigency.
Serve the district attorney and confirm the record is updated
After filing, through the order days after startingServe the district attorney for certification and attend any contradictory hearing if there is an objection. After the judge signs the order, confirm the clerk transmits it to the Louisiana State Police and arresting agencies, and keep a certified copy showing the record is removed from public access.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm your Louisiana offense class and cleansing period | Verify whether the record is a non-conviction under article 976, a misdemeanor under article 977 (five-year cleansing period), or a felony under article 978 (ten-year cleansing period). Confirm it is not a crime of violence under La. R.S. 14:2(B), a sex offense, or an excluded drug-distribution felony, and that you meet the once-per-period limit. | - | Before you draft the motion |
| Obtain your Louisiana criminal history record | Request your criminal history from the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information to capture exact charges, docket numbers, and disposition dates. The motion must identify each record precisely, and the district attorney and clerk verify these details against the state repository before certifying eligibility. | - | Before filing |
| Prepare the Louisiana motion to expunge | Complete the statutory Motion for Expungement required by article 979, using the correct path for a non-conviction (art. 976) or a misdemeanor or felony conviction (arts. 977 or 978). Fill in the disposition and cleansing-period dates. An attorney can help confirm eligibility and complete the motion accurately. | - | Before the filing date |
| File in the district court and pay or waive the fee | File the motion with the clerk of the district court for the parish of arrest or prosecution. Pay the $550 filing fee under article 983 plus agency processing fees to the Louisiana State Police, sheriff, clerk, and district attorney, or request a waiver for a qualifying non-conviction or indigency. | - | On the filing date |
| Serve the district attorney and confirm the record is updated | Serve the district attorney for certification and attend any contradictory hearing if there is an objection. After the judge signs the order, confirm the clerk transmits it to the Louisiana State Police and arresting agencies, and keep a certified copy showing the record is removed from public access. | - | After filing, through the order |
Frequently Asked Questions
A $550 filing fee generally applies to a motion to expunge under article 983, payable to the clerk of court when you file. On top of that, separate processing fees go to the Louisiana State Police, the sheriff, the clerk, and the district attorney. Limited waivers exist for certain non-conviction records and for indigent applicants.
In Louisiana the process commonly takes several months, often four months to a year, because the motion must be served on the district attorney and circulated to the Louisiana State Police and arresting agencies for certification. A contested hearing, backlogged parish clerks, or corrections to your record can extend that timeline before the judge signs the order.
Yes. Under article 973 a Louisiana expungement removes the record from public access but does not destroy it. Law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, the Louisiana State Police, and many occupational-licensing boards, along with certain financial-industry and criminal-justice agencies, retain access to expunged records for permitted purposes such as background screening.
Generally yes for most private employment. Once a Louisiana conviction is expunged, in most situations you may lawfully state you were not convicted. But exceptions exist: certain licensed professions, law-enforcement and criminal-justice positions, and roles covered by other laws can require disclosure, so an attorney can help you confirm what applies to your job.
A first-offense misdemeanor DWI conviction can be expunged in Louisiana after the article 977 cleansing period, but the frequency limit is stricter: a misdemeanor DWI expungement is generally allowed no more than once during a ten-year period, rather than the five-year period for other misdemeanors. Felony DWI is treated under the felony rules of article 978.
Other Louisiana guides
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