Beginning on 7/1/2024, California’s clean slate law will bring some significant changes to court records.
The California Department of Justice and Court staff will be responsible for expunging records from public access automatically under the following situations for misdemeanor offenses:
Misdemeanor arrests with no charges: immediately following the arrest;
Misdemeanor arrests with no conviction: immediately after the case is dismissed;
Misdemeanors with probation: immediately on completion of probation;
Misdemeanors with jail time: one year after release with no further arrests.
Courts will also be obligated to expunge eligible (certain felony case types including violent and sexual crimes are not included) felony offenses:
Felony arrests with no charges: three years after the arrest;
Felony arrests with no conviction: immediately upon dismissal;
Felonies with probation: immediately on completion of probation;
Felonies with prison time: four years after release with no further arrests.
Courts are to receive monthly updates from the Department of Justice on cases eligible for expungement, and the court staff must then remove these records from public view.
More information on SB731:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220SB731