Criminal Record Expunction

Minor offenses and misdemeanors on one’s criminal record create significant barriers to economic stability and opportunity. Through its Community Empowerment Project, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy helps low-income N.C. residents get their criminal records expunged allowing them to pursue a broader range of employment opportunities.

In recent years, North Carolina has expanded relief available for criminal justice involved individuals. Too often, individuals are automatically denied employment, housing, and other opportunities, based on past involvement with the criminal justice system, including dismissed charges and long-ago convictions. Through our individual representation and advocacy, we seek to help people with a criminal record have a fair chance at productive citizenship.

What is an expunction?

In North Carolina, an expunction (also called “expungement”) is the destruction of a criminal record by court order.

North Carolina has recently expanded expunction eligibility for criminal charges that do not result in conviction. However, opportunities to expunge convictions are limited, and eligibility depends on the type of offense, when it occurred, and whether other offenses appear on the record.

For a detailed analysis of eligibility, please see the N.C. Justice Center’s 2022 Summary of North Carolina Expunctions.

Get help

If you have a criminal record and want to find out if you are eligible for an expunction, call 704-376-1600 ext 510 to speak to someone about your situation and register for our expunction clinics. At the clinic, you will receive a free copy of your statewide criminal record and meet with an attorney to understand whether you are eligible for an expunction. If you are eligible, your case will be placed with a staff or volunteer attorney to help you complete the process.

*Please DO NOT register if you have pending criminal charges.

Please complete the form below if you’d like to receive a call back regarding criminal record expunction. Call backs and clinic placements are conducted on a rolling basis.