Can an eviction be removed from your record?
Short answer: In some states eviction court records can be sealed or masked, automatically in certain cases (such as dismissals) or by asking the court. Many states have no sealing law yet.
Tenant-screening reports must be accurate under the federal FCRA; you can dispute errors with the screening company.
The rule in every state
Each answer below links to the statute or official page it comes from (39 of 51 jurisdictions verified).
| State | Eviction record sealing |
|---|---|
| Alabama | No statute — Alabama has no law sealing, masking or expunging eviction (unlawful detainer) court records. Ala. Code § 35-9A-461; §§ 6-6-310 et seq. (checked) |
| Alaska | Not verified yet |
| Arizona | Yes, but only in limited cases. The court must seal all records of an eviction case (special detainer, forcible entry and detainer, or summary eviction) when it dismisses the case before judgment or enters judgment for the tenant. It must also seal the case when the landlord and tenant file a written stipulation to set aside the eviction order and seal the file. Sealed records are available only to the tenant, parties and attorneys who appeared, the court, and the clerk. They may not be sold or released in bulk or individual transfers to third parties. Judgments for the landlord are not sealed unless both parties stipulate. A.R.S. § 33-1379 (Laws 2022, ch. 286, HB 2485) |
| Arkansas | Not verified yet |
| California | Masking is automatic and statutory. For the first 60 days after an unlawful detainer case is filed, the court file is open only to the parties and their attorneys, to anyone who gives the clerk the name of a plaintiff, the name of a defendant, and the unit address, to residents of the premises, and to anyone with a court order for good cause. After that, the record becomes public only if the landlord wins a judgment against all defendants: either within 60 days of filing, or after a trial held more than 60 days after filing. If the tenant wins, or the case is dismissed or settled without a landlord judgment, the record stays masked. Nonpayment cases filed between March 4, 2020 and September 30, 2021 stay masked. Post-foreclosure cases under CCP 1161a become public only after a trial judgment. The parties may also agree by stipulation that the court bar access to the record. There is no separate statutory expungement procedure. Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1161.2(a) (as amended by AB 2304, Stats. 2024, ch. 711) |
| Colorado | Yes, automatic suppression. Every eviction (forcible entry and detainer) court record is suppressed from the moment the case is filed. The parties, their attorneys, judges, court staff, and people with a court order can see it, and courts may not publish party names online. The record becomes public only if the court enters an order granting the landlord possession, unless both parties agree to keep it suppressed. Cases that are dismissed, settled, or won by the tenant stay suppressed. Since August 6, 2025, a defendant who is a victim-survivor of domestic violence, domestic abuse, stalking, or unlawful sexual behavior may move to suppress, or keep suppressed, any eviction record, including a judgment for possession and records predating the law. The court must grant the motion if the tenant provides qualifying documentation and states that public access risks the safety of the tenant or a household member. C.R.S. § 13-40-110.5 (subsection (3) as amended by HB 25-1168) |
| Connecticut | Partial: records are automatically removed from the court website, not sealed. Within 30 days after an eviction case is withdrawn, dismissed or nonsuited on any grounds, or ends in a final judgment for the tenant, the Judicial Branch must remove the case and identifying information from its website. The removal applies to cases disposed of before or after July 1, 2024. Removed records may not be included in bulk sales of court records. No person may disclose them for a commercial purpose, including tenant screening and consumer reports. Cases that end in a judgment for the landlord are not removed. If there is later activity or an appeal, the case is restored and stays online until 30 days after final disposition. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-26j |
| Delaware | By motion (no filing fee). The court must shield the record if: the case was dismissed, withdrawn, or decided for the tenant; it was resolved by stipulation and the tenant complied; both parties agree; shielding is clearly in the interests of justice; or 5+ years have passed since a judgment that has been satisfied, with no similar judgments in the past 5 years. The judgment is set aside, the case is treated as never filed, and records are removed from public court systems. 25 Del. C. § 5720 (85 Del. Laws c. 106) |
| District of Columbia | Yes, automatic: Superior Court must seal eviction records 30 days after final resolution if there is no judgment for possession for the landlord, and 3 years after final resolution if there is one (applies to older cases as of Jan. 1, 2022). By tenant motion at any time if, e.g., the case was for $600 or less, involved a subsidized unit, was retaliatory or discriminatory, the landlord failed to abate housing code violations, it arose from domestic violence, or a settlement left the tenant in possession, or for other good grounds. Landlords may not base screening decisions on sealed records, on cases without a possession judgment, or on cases filed 3+ years ago. D.C. Code §§ 42-3505.09, 42-3505.10(d) |
| Florida | No statute — chapter 83 has no eviction-record sealing or masking provision. Fla. Stat. ch. 83 |
| Georgia | No statute in effect yet. Beginning January 1, 2027, a court may, on motion and after a hearing, order all court records of a dispossessory (eviction) case made unavailable to the public if the tenant won the case, the tenant paid the judgment in full with interest and costs, or seven years have passed since a dismissal or judgment (with any judgment paid in full). The landlord may still pursue amounts owed in a separate action or through collections. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(e) (added by SB 406, 2026, Act 715, § 8; effective January 1, 2027) |
| Hawaii | Not verified yet |
| Idaho | Automatic shielding (no petition) for unlawful detainer cases filed on or after Jan. 1, 2025, if the entire case was dismissed, no appeal is pending, and either 3 years have passed since filing or the parties filed a stipulation to shield. Shielded records are removed from public view but remain available to the parties and court staff. Any party may also petition to seal eviction records under Idaho Supreme Court administrative rules. Idaho Code § 6-303A |
| Illinois | Yes, by court order. The court may seal an eviction court file if the landlord's case was sufficiently without basis in fact or law, sealing is clearly in the interests of justice, and those interests are not outweighed by the public's interest. Sealing is mandatory for cases against bona fide tenants after foreclosure (9-207.5 / 15-1701(h)(6)) and for cases dismissed because a minor was named as a defendant. Residential eviction files filed March 9, 2020 - March 31, 2022 (COVID period) were sealed, subject to unsealing in some cases not based on nonpayment. 735 ILCS 5/9-121; 735 ILCS 5/9-122; 735 ILCS 5/9-106(c) (P.A. 104-317, eff. 1-1-26) |
| Indiana | Yes. Automatic: if the eviction case is dismissed (including for failure to prosecute), judgment is for the tenant, or a judgment against the tenant is overturned on appeal, the court must on its own motion order the records not disclosed and sealed/redacted. By tenant motion: if judgment was against the tenant and the money judgment has been satisfied, or no money judgment was entered and at least 7 years have passed, the court shall order nondisclosure (possibly without a hearing). Older cases (outcomes before July 1, 2022 or July 1, 2025) can be sealed by verified petition with the tenant's name, date of birth, address, case number, grounds, and a sworn statement that no money judgment is outstanding. IC 32-31-11-3, -4 (P.L.164-2022; amended P.L.128-2025) |
| Iowa | No statute — the 2026 Iowa Code's forcible entry and detainer chapter (ch. 648) contains no sealing or record-removal provision. Bills to seal dismissed/defendant-won cases (HF 548, 2023) and to allow later sealing of nonpayment cases (HSB 261, 2025 study bill) were not found in the enacted Code. Iowa Code ch. 648 (section list checked) |
| Kansas | Yes, by petition (new in 2026). A defendant in a residential (RLTA) eviction case may file electronically, at no cost, for expungement under the case number, serving the landlord by return-receipt delivery. The landlord has 30 days to object (then a hearing); without objection the court decides without a hearing and money judgments are presumed satisfied. The court must grant expungement if 3 years have passed since judgment, any money judgment from the tenancy is satisfied, and the tenant has had no other residential eviction judgment in those 3 years (a later judgment delays expungement of the earlier one). Cases with an unsatisfied money judgment are expunged only if both parties agree. Expungement does not erase the debt; public housing authorities may still obtain 3-year eviction history for federal assistance applicants. The Judicial Council is to create a form. K.S.A. 2026 Supp. 61-3809 (Sub. for HB 2357 (2026), sec. 1) |
| Kentucky | Not verified yet |
| Louisiana | Not verified yet |
| Maine | Partial: there is no sealing or expungement, but FED and small-claims court records become available to the public only at a courthouse, not online, in three cases: (1) the parties agree; (2) the case was dismissed or decided for the defendant; or (3) more than 3 years have passed since judgment. This applies automatically by statute. 4 M.R.S. § 9-C (PL 2021, c. 644, LD 913) |
| Maryland | Yes (shielding). Failure-to-pay-rent cases that do not end in a judgment for possession are shielded automatically by the District Court within 60 days after final resolution. If there was a judgment for possession, the tenant may ask the court to shield the records. The court may do so if the tenant redeemed (paid in full) and at least 12 months have passed, or for good cause. Shielded records may be opened only at the tenant's written request or by court order for good cause. Separately, § 8-502 allows petitions to shield COVID-era nonpayment cases filed Mar. 5, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2021. Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-503, 8-502 (SB 19 / HB 181 of 2024) |
| Massachusetts | Yes, by petition on a trial-court form signed under penalty of perjury. No-fault evictions: the court must seal at any time after the case ends and appeals are exhausted. Cases dismissed or won by the tenant: may be sealed at any time, without notice to the other parties. Nonpayment cases: must be sealed if the case ended at least 4 years earlier, there have been no nonpayment or lessor actions against the petitioner in those 4 years, and the petitioner certifies the nonpayment was due to economic hardship. Fault cases: must be sealed after 7 years with no new fault or lessor actions. Consumer reporting agencies may not report sealed records and must remove them within 30 days. Rental applications that ask about evictions must state that an applicant with a sealed record may answer 'no record'. G.L. c. 239, § 16 |
| Michigan | No. Michigan has no statute sealing or expunging eviction records. Two 2025 bills are pending: SB 374 (sealing, and automatic expungement 3 years after a final judgment for possession), placed on Senate third reading on Mar. 3, 2026; and HB 4984 (records nonpublic until a judgment for possession), in the House Regulatory Reform committee since Sept. 2025. Neither has been enacted as of this check. 2025 SB 374; 2025 HB 4984 (pending) |
| Minnesota | Yes (expungement). The court must expunge an eviction case without a motion if: the tenant won; the case was dismissed for any reason; the parties agreed; three years have passed since the eviction was ordered; or it is a qualifying foreclosure or contract-for-deed case. On the tenant's motion, the court must expunge if the case settled and the tenant met the settlement terms, or if the case was filed in violation of § 504B.285, subd. 1(b). The court may also expunge in its discretion when that is clearly in the interests of justice. A nonpayment complaint filed without the 14-day notice is dismissed and expunged. Minn. Stat. §§ 484.014, 504B.345, subd. 1(c), 504B.321, subd. 1(d) |
| Mississippi | Not verified yet |
| Missouri | No statute found. No section of RSMo Chapters 441, 534 or 535 provides for sealing, masking, or expunging eviction court records. RSMo Ch. 441, 534, 535 (section lists reviewed) |
| Montana | No statute found providing for sealing or masking eviction court records. Mont. Code Ann. Title 70, Ch. 24 (section list reviewed) |
| Nebraska | No statute. Bills to create a 'Residential Tenant Clean Slate Act' to seal certain eviction records have failed: LB92 (109th Legislature) was indefinitely postponed on Jan. 7, 2026. LB92 (109th Leg.) bill history; no sealing provision in Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1401 to 76-1449 |
| Nevada | Yes, automatic in some cases and by motion in others. Summary-eviction court files are sealed automatically when the case is dismissed; 10 judicial days after the court denies the eviction; or 31 days after the tenant files a contest affidavit if the landlord does not file a complaint within 30 days. Files from evictions granted during the COVID-19 emergency (Mar. 12, 2020 - May 20, 2022) were sealed automatically. The court may also seal a file on the parties' written stipulation, or on the tenant's motion if the eviction should be set aside under JCRCP 60 or sealing is in the interests of justice (considering circumstances beyond the tenant's control, other extenuating circumstances, and time elapsed). A sealed case is treated as never having occurred. Notices to surrender may not be made publicly available unless filed in an unsealed case. NRS 40.2545 |
| New Hampshire | No statute provides for sealing eviction court records. Related protection: no-fault terminations (such as non-renewal of a 12+ month lease, effective July 1, 2026) may not be considered evictions for rental applications or tenant screening reports. RSA ch. 540 and 540-A (no sealing provision); RSA 540:2, VIII |
| New Jersey | Only for COVID-era nonpayment cases. Court records of landlord-tenant actions for nonpayment or habitual late payment of rent arising during the COVID-19 public health emergency (Executive Order 103 of 2020, as extended) plus 60 days are confidential and not available to the public. Landlords may not consider those records in tenant screening, and screening companies may not knowingly provide them. No general statute for sealing other eviction records was found. N.J.S.A. 2A:42-144 to 2A:42-148 (P.L.2021, c.189) |
| New Mexico | No eviction-specific sealing statute. 2025 HB 253, which would have sealed eviction records when a case is filed and unsealed them only after a judgment for the owner, died. 2025 HB 253 (died) |
| New York | Not verified yet |
| North Carolina | No statute. North Carolina has no general provision for sealing or expunging summary ejectment (eviction) records. N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 42 (no sealing provision for summary ejectment) |
| North Dakota | By motion only, not automatic. A person evicted for nonpayment or property damage who has resolved all rent and damage claims may ask the court to seal all records of the eviction 7 years after the eviction order was satisfied, if they have not been evicted from another property during those 7 years. A domestic violence victim evicted because of a DV incident may move to seal the records once the assailant is convicted of domestic violence or a protection or restraining order is issued against the assailant. N.D.C.C. § 47-32-05 |
| Ohio | No statute. Ohio Rev. Code chapter 1923 has no provision for sealing, masking, or expunging eviction court records. Ohio Rev. Code ch. 1923 (no sealing provision) |
| Oklahoma | No statute. Oklahoma's forcible entry and detainer statutes have no provision for sealing or expunging eviction records. 12 O.S. §§ 1148.1-1148.16 (no sealing provision) |
| Oregon | Yes. By motion (no filing fee): court must set aside the judgment and seal records if the tenant won or the case was dismissed; if a stipulated judgment was complied with; or if a restitution judgment's money award is satisfied and 5 years have passed (or the claims arose April 1, 2020 - March 1, 2022). Automatic: each court must annually set aside and seal FED judgments with no unpaid money award where the landlord won 5+ years ago or the defendant won/dismissal 12+ months ago. Once sealed, the judgment is deemed not entered. ORS 105.163; ORS 105.164 |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide sealing law yet. HB 1095 (limited access to eviction information, amending Title 42) passed the House 105-98 on June 23, 2025 and was reported as amended by Senate Judiciary on Oct. 19, 2026 and re-referred to Senate Appropriations on Oct. 20, 2026, which re-reported it as committed the same day (21-1). It still needs Senate final passage, House concurrence in the Senate amendments and the Governor's signature - not enacted as of Oct. 23, 2026. 2025-2026 HB 1095 (pending) |
| Rhode Island | Yes, by motion. Any party may move to seal an eviction case (nonpayment, noncompliance or holdover) at least 30 days after the appeal period ends. The court must seal if the case was dismissed on a motion to dismiss, was resolved by a stipulation whose terms were satisfied, any money judgment against the moving party was paid in full, or the case was dismissed for lack of prosecution after 5 years; the mover must have notified all parties, and only one sealing request is allowed per 5 years. Not automatic. R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-60 |
| South Carolina | Starting January 1, 2027: eviction filings and records with a defendant's personal information (including cases ending in an order of eviction or writ of ejectment, settled cases, and cases resolved by later payment) must be removed from the public index and publicly accessible files 7 years after final disposition or filing if no additional filing is recorded. Removal is automatic (by the responsible agency); no motion process. S.C. Code 30-2-60 (2026 Act No. 214, H.4270) |
| South Dakota | Not verified yet |
| Tennessee | No statute. Tennessee has no law sealing or expunging eviction (detainer) records. A 2026 bill to make dismissed unlawful detainer cases confidential (HB1940/SB2016) failed in House subcommittee on March 18, 2026 and was not enacted. 2026 HB1940 / SB2016 (not enacted) |
| Texas | Not verified yet |
| Utah | Yes. Automatic: without a petition, the court must expunge all records of an eviction filed on or after July 1, 2022 if the entire case was dismissed, no appeal is pending, and at least 3 years have passed since filing, or if the parties filed a stipulation to expunge. By petition: any party may petition to expunge a holdover or nonpayment eviction once any judgment is satisfied; the court must expunge if no written objection is filed within 60 days (an objection blocks expungement). Courts publish a list of expunged evictions; agencies and tenant screening companies must remove them within 30 days, and the eviction is treated as never having occurred. Utah Code 78B-6-850 to 78B-6-854 |
| Vermont | Not verified yet |
| Virginia | Yes (expungement). For unlawful detainer cases with no order of possession, the general district court must automatically expunge records, without petition or hearing, once 30 days pass after dismissal or 6 months pass after a voluntary nonsuit. A tenant who won a judgment is not automatically covered but may petition, and the court must expunge without a hearing. For cases filed before July 1, 2024, the tenant may petition on a Supreme Court form for expungement of dismissed (30 days) or nonsuited (6 months) cases with no order of possession. Va. Code § 8.01-130.01 |
| Washington | By court order only (no automatic sealing). A court may order an unlawful detainer action to be of 'limited dissemination' if the landlord's case was sufficiently without basis in fact or law, the tenancy was reinstated under RCW 59.18.410 or other law, or other good cause exists. The order must be in writing. Tenant screening companies may then not disclose the case or use it in any score or recommendation. RCW 59.18.367 |
| West Virginia | Not verified yet |
| Wisconsin | No sealing or expungement statute for eviction records. The law instead sets minimum public display periods on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (CCAP) site: the director of state courts may not remove a non-sealed eviction case for at least 10 years if a writ of restitution was granted, or at least 2 years if the case was dismissed with no money judgment docketed. Wis. Stat. 758.20(2) |
| Wyoming | Not verified yet |
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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.