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Pennsylvania Limited Access and Expungement: Waits, DUI Rule, Exclusions
Pennsylvania in short
Pennsylvania on a DUI conviction: limited (an ARD dismissal can be expunged; the ARD completion order is kept 12 years). (legis.state.pa.us) Pennsylvania offers limited access (sealing) by petition; clean slate limited access (automatic); expungement (summary offenses, non-convictions, ARD). (legis.state.pa.us) Pennsylvania's misdemeanor wait: 7 years free of conviction (petition and automatic). (legis.state.pa.us) Pennsylvania's felony wait: 10 years free of conviction (qualifying felonies only, not F1 or F2). (legis.state.pa.us) Pennsylvania passed a Clean Slate law in 2018 (Clean Slate Initiative list). (cleanslateinitiative.org)
Checked October 14, 2026
Learn Pennsylvania's waits below, then check your conviction, your dates and any later conviction in the free eligibility check, already set to Pennsylvania.
Check your eligibilityPennsylvania rules at a glance
| Rule | Pennsylvania | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Relief available | Limited access (sealing) by petition; clean slate limited access (automatic); expungement (summary offenses, non-convictions, ARD) | legis.state.pa.us |
| Clean Slate law | Yes (2018) (secondary source) | cleanslateinitiative.org |
| Misdemeanor wait (years) | 7 free of conviction (petition and automatic) | legis.state.pa.us |
| Felony wait (years) | 10 free of conviction (qualifying felonies only, not F1 or F2) | legis.state.pa.us |
| DUI conviction | Limited (an ARD dismissal can be expunged; the ARD completion order is kept 12 years) | legis.state.pa.us |
| Statute | 18 Pa.C.S. 9122, 9122.1, 9122.2, 9122.3 | legis.state.pa.us |
| Offenses excluded | Person, family, firearms and registrable sex offenses punishable by more than 2 years; corruption of minors; murder and first-degree felonies; listed offenses (indecent exposure, animal cruelty and others); records with recent serious convictions | legis.state.pa.us |
Checked October 14, 2026. Next review due April 14, 2027. Not recorded for Pennsylvania: filing fee.
Pennsylvania in detail
Pennsylvania's relief for a conviction: limited access (sealing) by petition; clean slate limited access (automatic); expungement (summary offenses, non-convictions, ARD), under 18 Pa.C.S. 9122, 9122.1, 9122.2, 9122.3. (legis.state.pa.us) Pennsylvania's misdemeanor wait: 7 years free of conviction (petition and automatic). (legis.state.pa.us) Pennsylvania's felony wait: 10 years free of conviction (qualifying felonies only, not F1 or F2). (legis.state.pa.us) Pennsylvania on a DUI conviction: limited (an ARD dismissal can be expunged; the ARD completion order is kept 12 years). (legis.state.pa.us) Pennsylvania's statute excludes person, family, firearms and registrable sex offenses punishable by more than 2 years; corruption of minors; murder and first-degree felonies; listed offenses (indecent exposure, animal cruelty and others); records with recent serious convictions. (legis.state.pa.us)
Waits in Pennsylvania, in order
- Misdemeanor wait. 7 years free of conviction (petition and automatic). (legis.state.pa.us)
- Felony wait. 10 years free of conviction (qualifying felonies only, not F1 or F2). (legis.state.pa.us)
- Automatic or by petition. Pennsylvania: some records clear without a petition (2018 law). (cleanslateinitiative.org)
Official sources for Pennsylvania
Questions about Pennsylvania
Can Pennsylvania expunge or seal a conviction?
Pennsylvania offers limited access (sealing) by petition; clean slate limited access (automatic); expungement (summary offenses, non-convictions, ARD) (18 Pa.C.S. 9122, 9122.1, 9122.2, 9122.3). (legis.state.pa.us)
Can a DUI be cleared in Pennsylvania?
Limited (an ARD dismissal can be expunged; the ARD completion order is kept 12 years). (legis.state.pa.us)
What is Pennsylvania's misdemeanor wait?
7 years free of conviction (petition and automatic). (legis.state.pa.us)
What is Pennsylvania's felony wait?
10 years free of conviction (qualifying felonies only, not F1 or F2). (legis.state.pa.us)
Which offenses does Pennsylvania exclude?
Person, family, firearms and registrable sex offenses punishable by more than 2 years; corruption of minors; murder and first-degree felonies; listed offenses (indecent exposure, animal cruelty and others); records with recent serious convictions. (legis.state.pa.us)
How this page is built
Each rule is one cell of the 51-row expungement dataset behind the national chart, with its source. Unrecorded cells and cells from a 2021 summary chart are left out. Waits are in years. General information, not legal advice.