When a person is charged with a crime or convicted of a crime, the information stays on the person’s criminal record and may be accessed by the court or other federal, state, municipal, or county agencies—or by private persons or entities conducting a background check.

Under limited circumstances a person with a criminal record of arrest or conviction may be able to have the criminal record expunged—meaning the record will be permanently destroyed or deleted so it is no longer accessible by the court or other federal, state, municipal, or county agencies—or by private persons or entities conducting a background check.

Such an expungement or expunction of a criminal record is different from having a record sealed—which means the record still exists, but access to it is limited. A person whose only criminal record has been expunged may truthfully answer “no” when asked on an employment, licensing, or other application whether the person has ever been convicted of a crime.

Under both state and federal law, in most cases it is not possible to have a person’s criminal conviction expunged. For example, under federal law only a person who is guilty of a minor drug offense under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. §844) may have their record expunged. See 18 U.S.C. §3607(c).

Under state laws a person who has been convicted of a crime, pleaded guilty, or pleaded no contest (nolo contendere) is often ineligible to have their criminal record expunged. When a person is eligible to have a criminal record expunged, it is often dependent upon the person successfully completing a probation or deferred adjudication program. And in some states juveniles may be eligible to have a criminal record expunged if the criminal offense was committed before they turned 17 years of age, for example.

Expungement or expunction laws vary from state to state and are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Missouri, expungement laws allow certain criminal records to be permanently destroyed or deleted, making them inaccessible for background checks. This process is different from sealing a record, which restricts access but does not destroy the record. Missouri's expungement laws have expanded over the years, and as of recent updates, more offenses are eligible for expungement than in the past. However, not all crimes are eligible; serious offenses, such as violent crimes, sex offenses, and class A felonies, generally cannot be expunged. Eligibility often depends on factors such as the type of crime, the amount of time that has passed since the completion of the sentence, and the individual's criminal history. For instance, some non-violent felonies and misdemeanors can be expunged if a certain period has passed without the individual committing another offense. The process typically involves filing a petition with the court, and there may be a waiting period before the expungement is granted. It's important to consult with an attorney to understand the specific requirements and process for expungement in Missouri.