A conviction in Los Angeles County follows you into hiring decisions, rental applications and licensing reviews long after the case has closed. Expungement is the petition that changes what those checks show. This guide covers who qualifies, which forms the court wants, and how the process runs in LA County specifically.
What expungement is in California
Expungement here is a petition for dismissal, usually under Penal Code 1203.4 or 1203.4a. The court withdraws the plea, enters a plea of not guilty, and dismisses the case. The record is not erased. What changes is what it says: the case shows as dismissed rather than as a live conviction, and on most private job applications you can answer that you were not convicted.
Who is eligible
The conviction itself
Misdemeanors and some felony convictions can be eligible. Serious offences, including violent crimes, sex offences and convictions carrying a lifetime registration requirement, generally are not.
Your sentence has to be finished
Every term has to be complete: jail time served, probation completed or terminated early, fines and restitution paid, and any required classes or programmes done.
Nothing open
You cannot have current charges or an open warrant. Those have to be resolved first.
Step 1: Check what your record actually says
Start here, not with the form. People are often wrong about how a case was disposed of, and a petition built on the wrong details comes back.
You can request your record through the California Department of Justice or the Los Angeles County Superior Court, and the DOJ route runs on a Live Scan record review. That is a service we provide: see what is on your criminal record.
Step 2: Prepare the petition
The forms are CR-180, Petition for Dismissal and CR-181, the Order for Dismissal the judge signs if it is granted. Depending on the case you may also need supporting documentation, such as proof that probation was completed.
Useful to have in hand before you start:
- The case number and the courthouse that handled it.
- The charges, and how each one was resolved.
- Proof probation was completed, or the order ending it early.
- Records showing fines and restitution are satisfied.
Step 3: File it with the right courthouse
The petition is filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court — specifically, the courthouse that handled your case, not whichever one is nearest. There is a filing fee, it varies, and a waiver may be available depending on income. The clerk at that courthouse is the reliable source for what applies.
A copy normally has to be served on the District Attorney or prosecuting agency, which can object or let it through. Service is a common reason petitions stall.
Step 4: The hearing, if one is set
Not every petition needs a hearing. One is scheduled if the prosecutor objects or the judge wants more information. It happens at the court that handled the original case, and it is where evidence of what has changed since — work history, community involvement, letters of support — does its work.
Step 5: The order, and what to do with it
If the petition is granted you receive the signed order. It is sent to the California Department of Justice, the Sheriff’s Department and other agencies to update their records, but private background check companies are a different matter. They do not always pick the change up, and with the order in hand you can go back to the ones still reporting the old disposition.
What expungement does not do
- It does not delete the record. Courts, law enforcement and some agencies still see the original case.
- It does not restore firearm rights.
- It does not stop the conviction being considered in immigration proceedings.
- It does not end the disclosure requirement for some government, law-enforcement and licensing applications.
Where petitions run into trouble
The conviction is not eligible. Some never will be. In certain cases a felony where the sentence was probation rather than state prison may first be reduced to a misdemeanor and then dismissed.
Missing paperwork. Proof of probation completion is the usual gap, particularly on older cases.
A complicated history. Multiple convictions, or a violation of the terms of a sentence, make a petition harder and make an objection more likely.
What we do
Record sealing. The petition is a court form, and you are the one who signs it. You do not need an attorney to file it. We work with you to complete the form correctly and get it filed with the court. We do not give legal advice; we help you get your own paperwork right.
Expungement. The same is true here: it is your form, and you can file it yourself. Depending on the case, we can work with you the same way. Where a case needs more than that, such as a court appearance, we work with counsel. Tell us about the case and we will tell you whether it is one we can help with directly.
Either way, it starts with your own record. That is a Record Review Live Scan, and we do that here.
Notarization. Where a declaration or supporting statement has to be notarized, we do that too, and we can come to you anywhere in Los Angeles.
See also how expungement works in California, what it means for hiring and background checks, and expungement and record sealing.
FAQs About Criminal Expungement in Los Angeles County
Which convictions are eligible for expungement?
Misdemeanors and certain felonies can be. Serious offences, including violent crimes, sex offences and convictions requiring lifetime registration, generally are not.
Can I expunge more than one conviction?
Yes, as long as each one meets the requirements. Each conviction is considered separately.
Do I need an attorney to file?
No. The petition is a court form you sign yourself, and you can file it whether or not you have an attorney. Complex histories and cases where the prosecutor objects are where counsel earns its keep.
Can a felony be expunged?
Some can, particularly where the sentence was probation rather than state prison. In certain cases a felony may first be reduced to a misdemeanor and then dismissed.
Where do I file in Los Angeles County?
With the Los Angeles County Superior Court, at the courthouse that handled your case rather than the one closest to you.
Which forms does the court want?
CR-180, the Petition for Dismissal, and CR-181, the order the judge signs. Some cases need supporting documents as well.
Will I have to go to court?
Not always. Many petitions are decided without a hearing. One is set if the prosecutor objects or the judge wants more information.
Does an expungement restore my firearm rights?
No. A dismissal under Penal Code 1203.4 does not restore firearm rights.
My background check still shows the conviction. What now?
Private background check companies do not always pick up the change. With the signed order you can go back to them, and a fresh record review shows what is being reported now.
Start with your record
Every version of this begins the same way: knowing what your record says, rather than what you remember it saying. Book a Record Review Live Scan and we will take it from there.
