How to Expunge a Criminal Record in Utah (Complete Guide)
Short answer: Utah now has two paths to expungement. Some lower-level cases are expunged automatically by the court — no application needed. Everything else requires you to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility from the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI), then file a petition with the court. Either way, expunging a record means the court orders it sealed — the public can no longer view or copy it.
Who this guide is for
Anyone with a Utah arrest, charge, or conviction who wants to know whether — and how — it can be cleared from public records.
The two tracks, explained
1. Automatic (Clean Slate) expungement. As of the most recent changes to Utah's Clean Slate law, courts identify and process eligible cases on their own, without the person filing anything. This track generally covers most class B and C misdemeanors, infractions, and class A misdemeanor drug-possession offenses — but not felonies, DUIs, sex offenses, domestic-violence-related offenses, or violent offenses. Waiting periods for this track are longer than the petition track (roughly five to seven years depending on the specific charge) precisely because you don't have to do anything to get it.
2. Petition-based expungement. For everything not covered by the automatic track — including most felonies and more serious misdemeanors — you have to actively apply. This is the traditional four-step process:
- Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility from BCI. See Utah Certificate of Eligibility: How to Apply.
- Receive the certificate (if eligible) — it's valid for 180 days.
- File a petition for expungement with the court, using the certificate.
- The court reviews the petition and, if granted, issues an expungement order.
The entire process — either track — can take several months from start to finish, so this isn't something to start the week before you need clean records for a job or housing application.
Eligibility and waiting periods
Exact waiting periods depend on the specific charge, how the case was resolved, and which track applies — and, based on the sources checked for this article, the reported figures for the automatic track and the petition track don't fully agree with each other in secondary sources. Rather than risk giving you a wrong number, the most reliable way to find your actual eligibility date is to:
- Check whether your case already qualifies for automatic Clean Slate expungement through BCI's Clean Slate page, or
- Apply for a BCI Certificate of Eligibility, which will tell you definitively whether — and when — you're eligible.
See Utah Expungement Eligibility for more detail on what generally determines eligibility.
Cost
Expect two separate sets of fees: BCI's certificate fees and the court's petition filing fee. See Utah Expungement Cost: Full Fee Breakdown for the current amounts.
Getting help
Utah Courts' Self-Help Center can answer process questions for free: email selfhelp@utcourts.gov, text 801-742-1898, or call 888-683-0009. Clean Slate Utah (cleanslateutah.org) is also a dedicated resource specifically for the Clean Slate automatic-expungement process.
Frequently asked questions
Does expungement delete my record completely? No — it seals it from public view. Certain government and law enforcement agencies may still be able to access sealed records in specific circumstances.
Will an expunged record still show up on a background check? Generally no for standard employment/housing background checks, since those check public records — but this can vary. If this matters for a specific situation (e.g., certain licensing or government jobs), that's worth confirming directly.
Do I need a lawyer to expunge a record in Utah? Not necessarily — the process is designed to be navigable without one, especially for the automatic track. For more complex cases (multiple charges, unclear eligibility, or a denied petition), a consultation is worth considering.