About Clean Slate Guide

Clean Slate Guide exists to help the 70 million Americans with a criminal record understand their options for expungement and record sealing — in plain English, for free.

Why We Built This

Most people with a criminal record don't know they may be eligible to have it expunged or sealed. The information that exists is buried in legalese, scattered across court websites, or locked behind attorney consultation fees. We think that's wrong.

A criminal record follows people for life — affecting employment, housing, education, and opportunity. For many people, expungement is a legitimate path to a fresh start. We want to make that path accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.

What We Cover

Clean Slate Guide provides plain-language explanations of expungement, record sealing, and automatic record-clearing laws in all 50 U.S. states. Our content is organized around the questions real people ask:

• Whether you qualify for expungement in your state
• How long the process takes and what it costs
• Whether your record will be cleared automatically under state law
• How to handle background checks, employment applications, and housing
• What to do if you can't afford an attorney

Our Editorial Standards

We are committed to accuracy. Every guide on Clean Slate Guide is reviewed against current state law and updated when laws change. Our content is reviewed by:

• Attorneys with experience in expungement and record-sealing law
• Legal aid organizations serving low-income clients
• Advocates and policy researchers focused on second-chance legislation

We follow clear principles:

• We will provide accurate, current information in plain language
• We will clearly distinguish between general information and legal advice (we provide the former)
• We will not sell your personal information
• We will keep our content current as laws change
• We will be transparent about how we're supported

Contact Us

Found incorrect or missing information? We want to hear about it. Visit our contact page to report issues or suggest improvements.

For legal questions about your specific situation, please consult an attorney.