Sealing A Juvenile Record
Fam. Code 58.253 — sealed without applying, at 19, for a record with no felony adjudication
Sealed without an application. A person referred to a juvenile probation department for delinquent conduct is entitled to have all records of their juvenile matters sealed without applying to the court, if the person is at least 19 years of age, was not adjudicated for felony grade delinquent conduct, has no pending delinquent matters, was not transferred to criminal court, and has not been convicted, and has no pending charge, as an adult for a felony or a jailable misdemeanor.
Applying instead. A person may apply to the juvenile court that served the probation department, and the court may not charge a fee for filing. The court may order sealing if the person is at least 17 years of age, or younger with at least one year since final discharge in each matter, has nothing pending, was not transferred to criminal court, and has no adult felony conviction or pending felony or jailable misdemeanor charge.
Where sealing is barred. A court may not seal the records of a person who received a determinate sentence for certain serious or habitual felony conduct, who is currently required to register as a sex offender, or who was committed to the juvenile justice department on the terms the section describes.
Adult records, federal agencies' own files, immigration consequences, and sex offender registration are outside this page. Whether a particular record qualifies, and what a sealed record still allows an agency to see, are questions for a licensed Texas attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- Fam. Code 58.253 — Sealing records without application: delinquent conduct
- Fam. Code 58.256 — Application for sealing records
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Texas attorney.