Expunctions & Non-Disclosures

Clearing Your Record for a Fresh Start

A past arrest can feel like a life sentence, even without a conviction. It casts a long shadow, creating barriers to jobs, housing, and loans years after the fact. But in Texas, you may have a powerful legal remedy to reclaim your future. The law provides two primary paths to clean your slate: a total Expunction or a powerful Order of Non Disclosure.

Understanding which path you qualify for is the first step toward leaving the past behind.

The Reward: Which Path is Right for You?

Expunction (Total Record Erasure)

This is the gold standard of clearing your record. An expunction doesn’t just seal your record—it orders all government agencies to seek out and destroy every document related to your arrest.

• The Ultimate Reward: After a successful expunction, you can legally deny the arrest and the charge ever happened on any application for employment, housing, or licensing. It is, in the eyes of the law, as if it never occurred.
• Who Qualifies? You may be eligible for an expunction if:
  • You were arrested but never formally charged.
  • Your criminal charge was dismissed by the prosecutor.
  • You were found “Not Guilty” (acquitted) by a judge or jury.
  • You successfully completed a Pre-Trial Intervention Program

Order of Non-Disclosure (Sealing Your Record from Public View)

This is a powerful tool for those who received and successfully completed deferred adjudication probation. While an expunction destroys the record, a non-disclosure seals it from the public, effectively making it invisible to employers, landlords, and anyone else conducting a background check.

• The Second-Chance Reward: You no longer have to live in fear of a background check derailing your career or housing search. For all public purposes, your record will appear clear.
• Who Qualifies? This is primarily for individuals who successfully completed deferred adjudication. However, waiting periods apply and have become more complex.

Depending on the offense, you may have to wait up to five years after your probation ends to petition the court.

Why You Must Act Now

The opportunity to clear your record is not guaranteed to last forever. The laws are notoriously complex, and a single mistake can have permanent consequences.

• The Clock is Ticking: Texas law imposes strict waiting periods and statutes of limitations. If you miss the deadline to file, you could lose your one chance to clear your name forever.
• A Legal Minefield: A simple error on the petition, a missed filing deadline, or a failure to properly notify all required state agencies can result in the judge denying your request. In many cases, you do not get a second chance to fix it.
• New Laws, New Complexity: The laws surrounding eligibility and waiting periods change. What you were told a year ago may no longer be accurate today.

Your Future is Too Important to Risk. Take Action. CALL PAUL

Don’t let a past mistake dictate your future. The difference between a life of opportunity and a life of roadblocks could be a single legal filing. We specialize in navigating the complex web of Texas expunction and non-disclosure laws to give our clients the fresh start they deserve.

Contact our office immediately for a confidential eligibility analysis. Let’s find out if we can erase or seal your record and clear the path to your future.