Expungements

EXPUNGING RECORDS

RCW 10.97.060 is the State law that governs the expungement of records.

In Washington State, expunging a record means to delete certain information from a record maintained by a criminal justice agency. The Washington State Patrol or any other arresting agency is a criminal justice agency. Criminal record information which consist of only “nonconviction” data can be expunged or deleted either two years after the date the case is dismissed or three years from the date of arrest. When our office is hired to expunge a record, we request that the Washington State Patrol and the arresting agency delete their records.

The criminal justice agency may refuse to delete the record if any of the following apply:

• The disposition was a deferred prosecution or similar diversion;
• If the subject of the record has had a prior conviction for a felony or gross misdemeanor;
• If the subject of the record has been arrested for or charged with another crime during the intervening period.