Seal or Expunge in Hillsborough County

Arrests or charges not resulting in a criminal conviction may qualify for a sealing or expunction.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) administers the application process that provides several ways to seal or expunge specific categories of criminal history records.

In Hillsborough County, FL, the courts have unique rules and procedures for sealing or expunging a criminal history record.

Many of these particular rules are found on pages 17  and 18 of the latest Administrative Order S-2020-014 for the procedures in the Circuit Criminal Division in Hillsborough County, FL.

Specifically, Section 33(A) of the administrative order addresses the rules and procedures for assigning a judge to decide the petition to seal or expunge a criminal record in Hillsborough County, FL.

For instance, all petitions to expunge or seal criminal records will be filed in the division in which the underlying criminal case was last pending when the petition is filed in accordance with any of the following sections:

• Section 943.0585 (court-ordered expunction of criminal history records);
• Section 943.059 (court-ordered sealing of criminal history records);
• Sections 943.0578 (lawful self-defense expunction); or
• Section 943.0583 (human trafficking victim expunction).

Attorney to Seal or Expunge in Hillsborough County, FL

You are not required to hire a private attorney to seal or expunge a criminal history record, although it might not be a good do-it-yourself project.

Especially if your case involved more than one charge, more than one arrest date, or more than one case number, you might be better off hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney to ensure all records are correctly sealed or expunged.

We can send you the paperwork to sign within one business day so the process is started without delay.

An attorney can help you throughout the process, including the following:

• preparing all of the necessary documentation;
• obtaining the required records;
• submitting the application;
• drafting the petition, affidavits, and proposed orders;
• serving the necessary parties;
• filing the required paperwork;
• answering any objections from the State Attorney’s Office, if any; and
• appearing for you in court, if required.

All you need to do is sign the documents before a notary and return the fingerprint card.

Let us put our experience to work for you.

Call 813-250-0500.

Petitions Must Include All Applicable Case Numbers

The prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County, FL, may file a response to the petition in accordance with Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.692, 3.693, or 3.694.

The clerk will present the petition and any filed response to the administrative judge for review and entry of an appropriate order.

In Hillsborough County, FL, the clerk will provide your attorney with a certified copy of the order to expunge or seal criminal history records.

If a felony criminal report affidavit is generated, but the charges are later reduced to a misdemeanor filed in the county court, that affidavit will also be sealed or expunged by the clerk and law enforcement agencies when the order sealing or expunging the misdemeanor case is filed, but only if the order includes both case numbers.

Report of Unpaid Fees, Charges, and Costs

Before the administrative judge signs an order granting expunction or sealing of a criminal history record or any part of a criminal history record, the clerk will report to the judge the amount of all court-related fees, charges, and costs unpaid in the case.

The e-portal instructions provided by the Clerk of Court for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit explain how those costs must be paid.

E-Portal Instructions for the Sealing or Expungement

of Criminal History Records

According to Administrative Order S-2020-014:

“All petitions to expunge or seal criminal records in accordance with sections 943.0578, 943.0583, 943.0585, or 943.059, Florida Statutes, will be filed in the division in which the underlying criminal case was last pending. Petitions must include all applicable case numbers.

The state may file a response to the petition in accordance with Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.692, 3.693, or 3.694.

The clerk will present the petition and any filed response to the administrative judge for review and entry of an appropriate order.”

The assigned letter division, as indicated in the case maintenance system (verified through https://hover.hillsclerk.com), must be included on all documents filed.

Clerk staff will submit all required documents to the respective Circuit or County court administrative judge for review. The documents should not be submitted through the Documents for Judicial Review portal.

The petitions to seal or expunge and the unsigned order filed with the Clerk will be submitted to the Court for review by the Clerk.

After the Court has ruled on the petition, if granted, two certified copies of the signed Order and FDLE certificate will be e-mailed via encrypted e-mail to the attorney and the agencies involved in the case.

Each of the applicable document titles listed below is available at the portal.

The correct document title must be selected to ensure the documents are received in the appropriate queue for processing, as well as the assessment of the required fees.

The packet, including all documents listed below, must also be filed on the primary case and every related case number.

All case numbers must be listed on the petition and order because only one petition and order is submitted to the Court for review.

The processing fees will be

The clerk will assess the collect the following processing fees at the time of filing:

• $49 for the primary case which includes one (1) certified copy of the two (2) page order and certified copy of certificate as required in F.S. 28.24(3);(5)(a);
• $42 for each related case number as required in F.S. 28.24(25);
• for the e-Portal:
  • Affidavit: Must be completed and signed before a notary;
  • Petition to Seal or Expunge: Must be completed and signed;
    • Arrest charges must include all charges at the time of arrest as listed in the criminal report affidavit & any subsequent arrests for the case(s);
  •  Proposed Order to Seal or Order to Expunge depending on your Certificate of Eligibility:
    • Must be completed except for the judge’s signature block;
    • Arrest charges must include all charges at the time of arrest as listed in the criminal report affidavit & any subsequent arrests for the case(s);
  •  Certificate of Eligibility.

When the attorney files a petition that involves related case numbers, the attorney must use the following document title for the related cases:

Petition to Seal or Expunge Related Cases

When filing an amended petition on any previously filed petition, the attorney must used the following document title:

Amended Petition to Expunge or Seal

Before the seal or expunge order is signed, all processing fees, outstanding fines, fees, or court costs must be paid.

Your attorney will contact the Expungement and Sealing Unit at 813-276-8100, Ext. 3800 or Seal_ExpungementTeam@hillsclerk.com to determine the amount due for any outstanding fines, fees, or court costs.

Acceptable forms of payment for any outstanding court costs, fines, and fees are cash, money order, cashier’s checks, or law firm checks (if issued by the law firm representing the defendant).

Personal checks will not be accepted for payment of these fees.

The payment for any outstanding court costs, fines, and fees is mailed to the following address:

The payment can also be delivered in person to the Clerk of the Circuit Court Customer Service Center located downtown at 800 East Twiggs St., Rm 101.

In Plant City, the documents can be delivered by hand to the Courthouse at 301 N. Michigan Street in Room 1071.

The Annual Hillsborough County Expungement Clinics

What is the Hillsborough County Expungement Clinic?

The expungement clinic in Hillsborough County, FL, is sponsored by the State Attorney’s Office for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, the Commission on the Status of Women (COSW), and the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (THHI).

The expungement clinic in Hillsborough County, FL, provides a one-stop-shop to have one criminal record sealed or expunged.

The services provided include assistance with preparing the application and review by the State Attorney’s Office and notary services at no charge.

For qualified participants, the THHI and COSW might sponsor the $75 processing fee required by the FDLE.

During the 2018 inaugural event, more than 145 participants successfully submitted their sealing or expunction application to FDLE at no cost.

In 2019, the Hillsborough County Expungement Clinic was held on September 17 from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at the Office of the State Attorney, 419 N. Pierce St., Tampa, FL, 33602.

Read more about the special rules to seal or expunge a record in Pasco County, FL.

This article was last updated on Friday, April 21, 2023.