People are often surprised to learn that their juvenile conviction in Washington State was not automatically removed, destroyed, or deleted from their record when they turned 18.
Unfortunately, until the juvenile record is sealed, potential employers, colleges, and the public can easily access the juvenile court file that discloses the details of the case.
Can I Vacate or Expunge my Juvenile Record?
No, vacating and expunging are options that apply to adult court in Washington State. The good news is that sealing a juvenile record is a better outcome than a vacate or expunge, as the existence of the entire case will be removed from public record (including criminal background checks).
Am I Eligible to Seal my Record?
To have a juvenile record sealed in WA State, you must meet certain eligibility requirements and a judge must agree that the record should be sealed. If the conviction was not a Class A felony or sex offense, you may be eligible to have your record sealed if 2 years have passed and the following conditions are met:
- There have been no new criminal charges
- No restitution (money) is owed to the victim
- All court fees & fines have been paid
- There is not a diversion agreement in progress
For a Class A felony, the above conditions must be met and 5 years must have passed.
How do I Seal a Juvenile Sex Offense?
If the conviction was for a juvenile sex offense, 3 to 5 years must have passed, the above eligibility conditions must have been met, and there cannot be a requirement to register as a sex offender. If there is currently a requirement to register as a sex offender, your attorney must petition the Washington State court to remove the registration requirement before motioning to seal the record.
Sealing Court Process & Final Result
If the eligibility requirements are met, a motion may be filed with the WA State court to seal the file. If granted, the official juvenile court file, the social file, and other records relating to the case will be sealed.
This means that the case will be treated as if it never occurred and you do not have to disclose the conviction or arrest on job applications, college admission forms, etc. However, if there is a future conviction, the case may no longer be sealed.
Representation
At Beckwith Juvenile Law, we don’t just go through the procedures and hope that the judge agrees to seal your record. An important part of our job is to demonstrate to the judge that you are a productive member of society and that your risk of re-offending is low.
We seal juvenile criminal records in King County, Snohomish County, Pierce County, Kitsap County and Thurston County, including the city courts of Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett, Kent, and Olympia, Washington.
Call us today for a free consultation.