Seal or Expunge Criminal Record in Pinellas County

If you were arrested, but your case did not result in a conviction or adjudication of guilt, you might be eligible to seal or expunge the criminal history record.

To be eligible, you must have no “convictions” or “adjudications of guilt” for this criminal record or any other criminal offense in Florida. If you were ever adjudicated guilty of any criminal offense in Florida, then you are NOT eligible to seal or expunge any criminal history record in Florida.

Other eligibility requirements apply. For example, if you entered a guilty or no contest plea, but the court withheld adjudication, you might be eligible to seal the record (if the offense is not on a list of offenses not eligible to be sealed).

Just contact our office to determine whether you are eligible. We can explain the entire process and help you get started today.

Attorney to Seal or Expunge in Pinellas County, FL

If you need to seal or expunge a record in Pinellas County, FL, contact an attorney at Sammis Law Firm. We help you seal or expunge the criminal history record quickly. We charge a flat fee of $1200 in attorney fees plus the necessary costs paid to third parties, including:

• the $75 application fee paid to FDLE;
• the $42 filing fee paid to the clerk’s office; and
• any applicable charges for copies, certification, and mailing.

Our clients want to seal or expunge the record as quickly as possible. In most cases, the entire process can be completed in less than five (5) months.

If you are eligible, we can send you the forms needed to retain the firm. We then prepare all of the paperwork for your notarized signature. We also provide you with the fingerprint card and directions on how to get your fingerprints taken.

After you sign and provide us with the fingerprint card, we can immediately submit the appropriate paperwork to the state attorney’s office, FDLE, clerk’s office, and court.

After the order is signed, we also contact any private third parties who have published information about your case online to ask them to remove the information.

Don’t face the court alone. Call 727-210-7004.

Checklist to Seal or Expunge Criminal Record in Pinellas County, FL

You are not required to hire an attorney to seal or expunge the criminal history record in Pinellas County, FL. Some people save money on attorney fees by representing themselves during the process.

If you want to do it yourself, we have provided some information below and links to sample forms.

STEP 1 – DOWNLOAD THE FDLE SEAL EXPUNGE PACKET

The first step is going to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) website to download the required packet.

The packet includes both the application and fingerprint card. You must be fingerprinted by authorized law enforcement personnel or a criminal justice agency. You must decide which criminal records are eligible and include any applicable case numbers on the petition.

STEP 2 – OBTAIN A CERTIFIED COPY OF THE FINAL DISPOSITION

The second step is obtaining a certified copy of the final disposition (and if applicable a certified copy of the termination of probation for each of the charges listed in the application).

STEP 3 – SEND SECTION B TO THE STATE (EXPUNCTION ONLY)

For an expunction, the State Attorney’s Office must complete Section B. Therefore, you must provide the application to the State Attorney’s Office. Be advised that the State Attorney’s Office sometimes takes a week or more to complete Section B and return the paperwork. The form is sent to the following address:

If you are sealing the record, the State Attorney’s Office does not need to complete Section B or any other portion of the form.

STEP 4 – OBTAIN THE CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY FROM FDLE

The fourth step is sending the completed application and the required documents with payment to the FDLE at the address provided on the application. The FDLE takes several months to issue the Certificate of Eligibility, which is the most time-consuming part of the process.

STEP 5 – PAY THE FILING FEE TO THE CLERK OF COURT IN PINELLAS

After you receive the Certificate of Eligibility, contact the Pinellas County Clerk’s Office to determine your filing fee by visiting their website or calling (727)464-7000. The clerk’s office also makes it easy to request the necessary forms by sending an email to clerksealexpunge@mypinellasclerk.org.

In the email, you should include your full name as listed on the record, your case number, and whether you are requesting to seal or expunge the record. After you have paid the filing fee, send the forms to the following address:

STEP 6 – PROVIDE THE PETITION TO THE STATE ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

You must also send a copy of the petition and proposed order to the State Attorney’s Office at the following address:

If the State Attorney’s Office in Pinellas County does not object to your petition, then the Judge will sign the order without requiring a hearing. Certified copies of the order are then provided to all necessary parties, including the clerk of court, the arresting agency, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

STEP 7 – IF THE STATE OBJECTS TO THE PETITION THEN SCHEDULE A HEARING

If the State Attorney’s Office in Pinellas County objects to the petition, the court will schedule a hearing on it. The notice of hearing must also be served on the State Attorney’s Office.

At the hearing, the Court will listen to arguments from each side and consider any admissible evidence. The court will either grant or deny the petition. If the court grants the petition, it will sign an order and provide a copy to you and any other necessary parties.

Additional Resources

Expunge and Seal Checklist from the Pinellas Clerk’s Office – The clerk of court in Pinellas County, FL, has created a checklist to seal or expunge a criminal history record. Find out how to obtain a certified copy of the final disposition or the termination of probation.

Expungements in Pinellas County, FL – Visit the website of the Office of the State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida to learn more about the process of sealing or expunging an eligible criminal record. The website provides information about each step, from obtaining the proper forms, submitting the application to the State Attorney’s Office, obtaining the “Certificate of Eligibility,” and filing the “Petition and Affidavit to Expunge or Seal.”

This article was last updated on Friday, October 25, 2024.