Sealing or Expunging Juvenile Records in Massachusetts
How juvenile records are sealed or expunged in Massachusetts, and whether it happens automatically.
Short answer: Delinquency records can be sealed by request to the Commissioner of Probation once 3 years have passed since the case and any supervision, probation, commitment or parole ended, with no delinquency finding or conviction and no imprisonment or commitment in the past 3 years. M.G.L. c. 276, §§ 100B, 100F, 100I, 100J
| Juvenile records | Delinquency records can be sealed by request to the Commissioner of Probation once 3 years have passed since the case and any supervision, probation, commitment or parole ended, with no delinquency finding or conviction and no imprisonment or commitment in the past 3 years. Expungement is available for people with no more than 2 delinquency or youthful-offender records when all offenses occurred before age 21. The wait is 3 years for misdemeanors and 7 years for felonies, the person must have no other records, and the offense must not be on the excluded list (for example offenses causing death or serious injury, armed offenses, sex offenses, OUI, firearms offenses, violations of protective orders and felony offenses against the person). A judge decides based on the best interests of justice. |
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Where to get help in Massachusetts
More Massachusetts expungement & criminal records
- Getting a Copy of Your Massachusetts Criminal Record
- Expunging or Sealing a Felony in Massachusetts
- Clearing a DUI From Your Record in Massachusetts
- How to File for Expungement in Massachusetts
- All Massachusetts expungement & criminal records rules
FAQ
How do you seal a juvenile record in Massachusetts?
Delinquency records can be sealed by request to the Commissioner of Probation once 3 years have passed since the case and any supervision, probation, commitment or parole ended, with no delinquency finding or conviction and no imprisonment or commitment in the past 3 years. Expungement is available for people with no more than 2 delinquency or youthful-offender records when all offenses occurred before age 21. The wait is 3 years for misdemeanors and 7 years for felonies, the person must have no other records, and the offense must not be on the excluded list (for example offenses causing death or serious injury, armed offenses, sex offenses, OUI, firearms offenses, violations of protective orders and felony offenses against the person). A judge decides based on the best interests of justice.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.