North Carolina Expungement
North Carolina Expunction: Remove Eligible Convictions from Your Record
North Carolina uses the term "expunction" rather than "expungement," but both words describe the same process: a court order directing all relevant agencies to purge the record of arrest, charge, and conviction from their files and repositories, leaving the person legally entitled to deny that the event ever occurred. North Carolina's expunction law is codified in Article 5 of Chapter 15A and covers a range of situations, from first-offense misdemeanors to nonviolent felony convictions to dismissed charges. Eligibility has expanded over multiple legislative sessions, but North Carolina still imposes meaningful restrictions — the waiting periods are among the longer ones in the Southeast, the character and reputation requirements are genuinely scrutinized, and certain offense types remain permanently outside the reach of expunction. Our specialists work across all 100 North Carolina counties to evaluate whether your history qualifies under the applicable subsection of § 15A-145 and to prepare petitions that meet the court's evidentiary requirements.
Who Qualifies in North Carolina
Eligibility Requirements
Each case is evaluated individually. The criteria below reflect the general statutory requirements. Your case will be reviewed in detail before any filing.
Dismissed charges, nolle prosequi dispositions, and acquittals at trial are generally eligible for immediate expunction under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-146, with no waiting period required for cases that ended without a conviction.
A single nonviolent misdemeanor conviction may be expunged under § 15A-145.5 after a waiting period of three years from the date of conviction or completion of sentence, whichever is later, reduced from five years for petitions filed on or after July 9, 2025.
More than one nonviolent misdemeanor conviction may be expunged together under § 15A-145.5 after a seven-year waiting period from the date of the last conviction or completion of any resulting sentence.
A single nonviolent felony conviction may be expunged under § 15A-145.5 after a ten-year waiting period from the date of conviction or completion of sentence; you must not have any other felony or misdemeanor conviction (other than traffic violations) during that period.
You must file an affidavit attesting that you are of good moral character and have not been convicted of any other felony or misdemeanor during the waiting period, and you must provide verified affidavits from two unrelated persons who can attest to your character and reputation in the community.
North Carolina does not permit expunction of a second conviction if you have previously had a conviction expunged under § 15A-145.5, with the exception that certain first-offense underage alcohol and drug diversion program completions under other subsections have their own separate eligibility paths.
Important exceptions: North Carolina law limits expunction to nonviolent offenses, and the definition of "violent" is broader than it might initially appear. Convictions for any Class A through Class G felony are generally excluded, as are convictions that involve assault, sexual offense, domestic violence, crimes against children, or any offense for which sex offender registration is required. A person who has previously received an expunction under § 15A-145.5 is categorically ineligible for a second expunction under that subsection, making North Carolina a one-time-relief state for conviction expunctions. The two-affidavit character witness requirement adds a procedural hurdle that is more substantive than in many other states — courts in North Carolina do scrutinize character evidence, and a petition without credible character support can be denied even when the legal eligibility requirements are otherwise met.
How It Works
The North Carolina Process
We begin by obtaining your complete North Carolina criminal history and reviewing each conviction against the applicable subsection of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-145, identifying the correct waiting period, confirming that no disqualifying convictions exist within the lookback window, and identifying character witnesses who can submit the required affidavits.
We prepare the petition and supporting documents, including your sworn affidavit and the character witness affidavits, and file everything with the superior court clerk in the county of conviction; the petition is served on the district attorney and the appropriate law enforcement agencies, and the court schedules a hearing typically within 60 to 90 days.
After the court grants the petition and enters the expunction order, we transmit the order to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and all agencies identified in the order; those agencies are required by statute to purge all records of the arrest, charge, and conviction from their files, and the petitioner is thereafter entitled to deny under oath that the matter ever occurred.
Typical Timeframe
4–8 Months
Legal Reference
Governing Statute
The primary legal authority governing expungement in North Carolina is N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-145 et seq. (Expunction of Records); § 15A-145.5 (Nonviolent Misdemeanor and Felony Expunction); § 15A-146 (Dismissed Charges). This page was last reviewed on January 15, 2025.
State laws change. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in North Carolina for guidance specific to your case. Fresh Start Expungement provides document preparation services, not legal representation.
Related Reading
More on North Carolina Expungement
Expungement in Other States
California
Clear your California criminal record under Penal Code § 1203.4. Learn eligibility requirements, timelines (2–4 months) for CA expungement.
Texas
Texas expunction removes arrests from your record; nondisclosure seals eligible convictions. Learn eligibility and timelines for Texas record clearing.
Florida
Florida offers record sealing (§ 943.059) and expungement (§ 943.0585) for eligible offenses. Timelines 4–6 months.
New York
New York offers sealing of up to 2 convictions under CPL § 160.59 after a 10-year clean period. Learn eligibility and timelines (6–18 months).
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About this service
Fresh Start Expungement is a record-clearing services provider, not a law firm. We coordinate document preparation and filing for individuals seeking expungement. We do not provide legal advice or attorney representation. Complex or contested matters may require independent legal counsel.
Results disclosure
Results are not guaranteed. Eligibility and outcomes depend on state law, conviction type, court approval, and individual case circumstances. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
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