How much does it cost to seal or expunge a record in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts generally does not charge a filing fee to seal a record through the Commissioner of Probation or to petition a court for expungement under M.G.L. c.276 sections 100E to 100U. Your main costs are optional, such as hiring an attorney or obtaining certified copies. Confirm current fees with the clerk, since court practices can change.

How long does the sealing or expungement process take in Massachusetts?

Timing varies by court and by remedy. A time-based sealing request to the Commissioner of Probation is administrative and can process in a few weeks to a couple of months. An expungement petition takes longer because the court notifies the district attorney, may hold a hearing, and must find that expungement serves the interests of justice before ordering it.

Can police or licensing boards still see a sealed record in Massachusetts?

Yes for sealing. A record sealed under M.G.L. c.276 section 100A is hidden from most employers and the public, but courts, law enforcement, and certain licensing and government agencies can still access it in defined situations. Only expungement under sections 100E to 100U destroys the record so it is no longer accessible to any agency.

In Massachusetts, can I answer 'no record' on a job application after sealing?

In many cases, yes. Under Massachusetts law, once a record is sealed, you may generally answer that you have no record on most employment applications, and employers are limited in asking about sealed cases. Exceptions exist for certain sensitive positions. If the record is expunged, it is destroyed and does not have to be disclosed.

Can a marijuana or now-decriminalized offense be expunged in Massachusetts?

Often yes, through the non-time-based track. Under M.G.L. c.276 section 100K, a court can expunge a record that resulted from conduct that is no longer a crime, which can reach some older marijuana-possession cases decriminalized or legalized in Massachusetts. This track has no age limit, unlike the time-based expungement in sections 100F and 100G.

Expunging a Criminal Record in Massachusetts (2026)

Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Massachusetts · Last updated August 19, 2026

Massachusetts gives you two very different tools for a criminal record, and confusing them is costly. Sealing under M.G.L. c.276 sections 100A, 100B, and 100C hides a record from most background checks after a waiting period, and since the 2018 CORI reform that wait is 3 years for a misdemeanor and 7 years for a felony. True expungement, which destroys the record, is far narrower: it lives in M.G.L. c.276 sections 100E through 100U, added in 2018, and mainly reaches offenses committed before age 21 or records caused by fraud, error, or now-decriminalized conduct. Sealing is handled by the Commissioner of Probation, and expungement petitions go to the court.

Find out where you stand in Massachusetts

What are you trying to clear?

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What record-clearing relief does Massachusetts offer, and what is it called?

Massachusetts offers two distinct remedies. Sealing under M.G.L. c.276 sections 100A through 100C hides a record from most background checks but does not destroy it. Expungement under sections 100E through 100U permanently destroys the record. Sealing is common; expungement is narrow and rare. Naming the wrong one misleads you, so the terms matter.

Can you expunge or seal a felony in Massachusetts?

Yes for sealing. A felony can be sealed 7 years after the finding of guilt or after any incarceration ends, whichever is later, under M.G.L. c.276 section 100A. A felony can be expunged only through the narrow c.276 sections 100E to 100U tracks, and offenses that caused death or serious bodily injury are excluded under section 100J.

Who is eligible for expungement in Massachusetts, and what is the waiting period?

Time-based expungement under M.G.L. c.276 sections 100F and 100G requires that every offense was committed before your 21st birthday, that you have no more than two records total, and that at least 3 years (misdemeanor) or 7 years (felony) have passed since you completed the sentence. Section 100J offenses are excluded.

Does Massachusetts have automatic clean-slate sealing of records?

No. Massachusetts has no automatic clean-slate statute that seals eligible records without action. Both sealing and expungement are request-based: you file a form with the Commissioner of Probation to seal, or a petition with the court to expunge. Some non-conviction dispositions can be sealed through the court under M.G.L. c.276 section 100C.

Massachusetts Sealing vs. Expungement: Two Remedies With Very Different Reach

Massachusetts draws a sharp line between sealing and expungement, and getting the right one matters. Sealing under M.G.L. c.276 sections 100A, 100B, and 100C hides a record from most employers and the public but keeps it in existence, so courts and some agencies can still access it. Since the 2018 CORI reform, the time-based sealing wait through the Commissioner of Probation is 3 years for a misdemeanor and 7 years for a felony, measured from the finding of guilt or the end of any incarceration, whichever is later. Expungement under sections 100E through 100U, added in 2018, actually destroys the record. It comes in two tracks. Time-based expungement under sections 100F and 100G requires that every offense was committed before age 21, that you have no more than two records total, that at least 3 years (misdemeanor) or 7 years (felony) have passed since sentence completion, and that no offense is on the excluded list in section 100J, which bars offenses causing death or serious bodily injury and other serious crimes. Non-time-based expungement under section 100K applies at any age when the record resulted from false identification, unauthorized use of your identity, an offense that is no longer a crime, or an error by law enforcement or the court. Massachusetts has no automatic clean-slate sealing. Expungement petitions are decided by the court, and the criminal record system is maintained by the Commissioner of Probation and the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS).

Relevant Laws

Sealing a Criminal Record (M.G.L. c.276 sections 100A, 100B, 100C)

Section 100A lets a person seal an adult record through the Commissioner of Probation after 3 years for a misdemeanor or 7 years for a felony, measured from the finding of guilt or the end of incarceration, whichever is later. Sections 100B and 100C cover juvenile records and court sealing of non-convictions.

Expungement of a Criminal Record (M.G.L. c.276 sections 100E to 100U)

Added in 2018, this framework permits true expungement, which destroys the record. Time-based expungement under sections 100F and 100G reaches offenses committed before age 21 when limits are met; non-time-based expungement under section 100K reaches records caused by fraud, error, or decriminalized conduct.

Expungement Eligibility and Excluded Offenses (M.G.L. c.276 sections 100F, 100G, 100J)

Sections 100F and 100G set the time-based waits of 3 years (misdemeanor) and 7 years (felony) after sentence completion, the requirement that every offense predate age 21, and the two-record limit. Section 100J lists excluded offenses, including any offense that caused death or serious bodily injury.

No Automatic Clean Slate and No Federal Expungement of State Records

Massachusetts has no automatic clean-slate statute; sealing and expungement are both request-based. Separately, there is no general federal law to expunge a state conviction, so Massachusetts state law under M.G.L. c.276 controls whether a Massachusetts record can be sealed or destroyed.

Regional Variances

Massachusetts Record-Clearing Eligibility Table

Sealing (M.G.L. c.276 sections 100A to 100C)

Relief type: sealing, which hides the record from most background checks but does not destroy it. Waiting period: 3 years for a misdemeanor and 7 years for a felony, measured from the finding of guilt or the end of any incarceration, whichever is later, under section 100A. Filed with the Commissioner of Probation; section 100C covers court sealing of non-convictions.

Time-based expungement (sections 100F and 100G)

Relief type: expungement, which permanently destroys the record. Eligible only if every offense was committed before the petitioner's 21st birthday, the person has no more than two records total (offenses from one incident count as one), and at least 3 years (misdemeanor) or 7 years (felony) have passed since sentence completion. No offense may appear on the section 100J excluded list.

Non-time-based expungement (section 100K)

Relief type: expungement with no age or waiting-period limit. Available when the record resulted from false identification or unauthorized use of the petitioner's identity, from an offense that is no longer a crime (such as some decriminalized marijuana conduct), or from a demonstrable error by law enforcement, a witness, or the court. The court decides after the district attorney is notified.

Excluded offenses (section 100J)

Expungement is barred for offenses on the section 100J list, including any offense that caused death or serious bodily injury and other serious crimes. These records may still be candidates for sealing under section 100A once the 3-year or 7-year wait is met, since sealing has no equivalent categorical exclusion list.

Clean-slate / automatic status

None. Massachusetts does not automatically seal or expunge eligible records. Every remedy requires action: a sealing form to the Commissioner of Probation or an expungement petition to the court. The state criminal record is maintained by the Commissioner of Probation and the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS).

Suggested Compliance Checklist

Decide between sealing and expungement and confirm eligibility

Before you file anything days after starting

Determine which Massachusetts remedy fits. Sealing under M.G.L. c.276 section 100A needs 3 years (misdemeanor) or 7 years (felony) from the finding of guilt or end of incarceration. Expungement under sections 100E to 100U is narrow: time-based requires all offenses before age 21, no more than two records, and no section 100J excluded offense.

Obtain your Massachusetts CORI

Before preparing the form or petition days after starting

Request your Criminal Offender Record Information from DCJIS so you have the exact offense classes and disposition dates. The sealing waits and the two-record expungement limit turn on precise dates, so verify each entry against the official record before you rely on it.

Prepare the correct sealing form or expungement petition

Before the filing deadline you set days after starting

Complete the Commissioner of Probation sealing form under section 100A, or the court petition for time-based expungement (sections 100F and 100G) or non-time-based expungement (section 100K). Sign under the penalties of perjury where required and attach supporting proof of your dates and any error or decriminalization.

File with the correct office or court

When your paperwork is complete days after starting

Send time-based sealing forms to the Office of the Commissioner of Probation and file expungement petitions and section 100C non-conviction sealings with the court that handled the case. Massachusetts generally charges no filing fee, but confirm current requirements with the clerk before submitting.

Attend any hearing and confirm the record is updated

After filing, through final order days after starting

For expungement, the district attorney is notified and may object, and a judge decides whether expungement serves the interests of justice, so be ready for a hearing. After an order issues, verify the change with the Commissioner of Probation and DCJIS. An attorney can help if the case is contested or complex.

Task	Description	Document	Days after starting
Decide between sealing and expungement and confirm eligibility	Determine which Massachusetts remedy fits. Sealing under M.G.L. c.276 section 100A needs 3 years (misdemeanor) or 7 years (felony) from the finding of guilt or end of incarceration. Expungement under sections 100E to 100U is narrow: time-based requires all offenses before age 21, no more than two records, and no section 100J excluded offense.	-	Before you file anything
Obtain your Massachusetts CORI	Request your Criminal Offender Record Information from DCJIS so you have the exact offense classes and disposition dates. The sealing waits and the two-record expungement limit turn on precise dates, so verify each entry against the official record before you rely on it.	-	Before preparing the form or petition
Prepare the correct sealing form or expungement petition	Complete the Commissioner of Probation sealing form under section 100A, or the court petition for time-based expungement (sections 100F and 100G) or non-time-based expungement (section 100K). Sign under the penalties of perjury where required and attach supporting proof of your dates and any error or decriminalization.	-	Before the filing deadline you set
File with the correct office or court	Send time-based sealing forms to the Office of the Commissioner of Probation and file expungement petitions and section 100C non-conviction sealings with the court that handled the case. Massachusetts generally charges no filing fee, but confirm current requirements with the clerk before submitting.	-	When your paperwork is complete
Attend any hearing and confirm the record is updated	For expungement, the district attorney is notified and may object, and a judge decides whether expungement serves the interests of justice, so be ready for a hearing. After an order issues, verify the change with the Commissioner of Probation and DCJIS. An attorney can help if the case is contested or complex.	-	After filing, through final order

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Massachusetts guides

Adverse Possession in Massachusetts: Twenty Years, Unless the Land Is Registered

Asset Protection Planning in Massachusetts (2026)

Dealing With Debt Collectors in Massachusetts (2026)

Filing a Workplace Harassment Complaint in Massachusetts

Filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Massachusetts (2026)

Firing an Employee in Massachusetts (2026)

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