Call us 24/7
(303) 222-0330
Posted on
Colorado domestic violence-related criminal convictions can never be sealed or expunged from the defendant’s record. The conviction remains on the record forever, no matter whether the case was a felony or misdemeanor, or whether the defendant was adjudged guilty through a trial or a plea agreement. But if the criminal charge gets dismissed, defendants can petition to get their arrest records sealed right away.
Record sealing makes a person’s criminal record invisible, and it should no longer appear on background checks. However, prosecutors and police still have access to these records.
Expunging is a physical destruction of criminal records. The only convictions that may be expunged under Colorado law are juvenile offenses and underage drinking and driving (UDD) convictions. (Scroll down to question 4 about how to expunge juvenile domestic violence convictions.)
No, not under Colorado Revised Statutes 24-72 C.R.S. Even when criminal proceedings get dismissed, the arrest records from the criminal case remain on the person’s record. Just having been arrested can look bad to potential employers and landlords, even if there are no conviction records. Therefore, anyone who has arrest records is encouraged to petition for a record seal right away.
If the domestic violence offense gets dismissed, defendants can go through the following steps to petition for a Colorado criminal record seal:
Currently, the filing fee to seal arrest records in Colorado is $224.
People adjudged delinquent of a domestic violence-related offense in Colorado may be eligible for an expungement unless:
The waiting period to get a juvi domestic violence case expunged depends on how the case resolved:
| Final disposition of a juvenile domestic violence case in Colorado | Waiting period to get an expungement |
| No wait. |
| One year after the case ends. |
| Three years after the case ends. |
| Five years after the case ends. |
In addition to domestic violence-related convictions, convictions for the following crimes may not be sealed in Colorado:
Call our law firm for legal advice. Our criminal defense attorneys offer free consultations.
Our law office is based in Denver, but we have attorney-client relationships throughout the state, including Colorado Springs. Our criminal defense lawyers will fight to seal your records.
Michael Becker has over a quarter-century's worth of experience as an attorney and more than 100 trials under his belt. He is a sought-after legal commentator and is licensed to practice law in Colorado, Nevada, California, and Florida.
Colorado domestic violence-related criminal convictions can never be sealed or expunged from the defendant’s record. The conviction remains on the record forever, no matter whether the case was a felony or misdemeanor, or whether the defendant was adjudged guilty through a trial or a plea agreement. But if the criminal charge gets dismissed, defendants can ...
Colorado domestic violence-related criminal convictions can never be sealed or expunged from the defendant’s record. The conviction remains on the record forever, no matter whether the case was a felony or misdemeanor, or whether the defendant was adjudged guilty through a trial or a plea agreement. But if the criminal charge gets dismissed, defendants can ...