Expunging or Sealing a Record
20 ILCS 2630/5.2 — an arrest without a conviction may be expunged with no waiting period
A person may petition the circuit court to expunge the records of arrests and charges that ended in acquittal, dismissal or release without charging, in a conviction later vacated or reversed, or in supervision or qualified probation successfully completed, unless the statute excludes the offense.
Who handles this in Illinois: Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Lawyer Finder; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
| How the case ended | Earliest expungement |
|---|---|
| How the case endedAcquittal, dismissal, release without charging, or a vacated or reversed conviction | Earliest expungementNo waiting period |
| How the case endedSupervision, successfully completed, for most offenses | Earliest expungement2 years after the supervision ended |
| How the case endedSupervision for domestic battery and the other offenses the statute names | Earliest expungement5 years after the supervision ended |
| How the case endedQualified probation, successfully completed | Earliest expungement5 years after it ended |
Sealing is separate and reaches more records. Arrests released without charging, and acquittals and dismissals, may be sealed at any time, completed supervision 2 years after the last sentence ends, and many felony convictions 3 years after it.
The statute excludes some offenses from both and sets further conditions. Whether a particular record qualifies is a question for a licensed Illinois attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- 20 ILCS 2630/5.2 — Expungement, sealing, and immediate sealing
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.