Get a Fresh Start in Georgia with an Expungement

For certain cases, persons with criminal records in Georgia have the opportunity to get a fresh start by having their case expunged from searches outside of the judicial branch of government. Simply stated, certain criminal history records can be restricted for non-criminal justice purposes (for example, employment background check or professional licensing).

Getting your criminal record expunged requires the prosecuting attorney to approve the request. Depending on your arrest date, there are two approaches to a successful expungement.

Arrests Prior to July 1, 2013

For arrests prior to July 1, 2013 there is a bit more effort.  In these cases, the application must be completed at the arresting agency.  Depending on the agency there could be a fee for this,  but the maximum charge is $50 per case.  To apply, you must complete a form with three sections and get it signed by the appropriate parties.

• Section 1: YOU complete
• Section 2: ARRESTING AGENCYcompletes
• Section 3: PROSECUTOR completes

Upon having all three sections filled out and approved, the prosecutor must submit the information into a database used by the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC). Once the approved request is submitted, the arresting agency will get a notification that your information has been successfully restricted (expunged).

Should the prosecutor be unable or unwilling to add your information to the GCIC database, your application will go back to the arresting agency. You will then need to send the approved applications to GCIC yourself.  This requires a $25 processing fee (using money order or checks payable to “Georgia Bureau of Investigation”). You can mail your approved application and money to:

Georgia Crime Information Center
Record Restrictions
P.O. Box 370808
Decatur, GA 30037-0808

Make sure that the forms have your correct email address because once approved, you will be notified by email when the restriction has been applied to your criminal history. 

Arrests After July 1, 2013

If your arrest took place after July 1, 2013, the request to expunge may have been part of your negotiated sentence.  You or your attorney will need to request final disposition documents to verify if this was done.  Otherwise, the process is similar to cases prior to July 2013. 

We Can Help Expedite your Expungement

Having the ability to get a fresh start can be powerful in more ways than one. Please reach out to our office to discuss how to expedite your record restriction fast.