What Convictions Qualify for Connecticut Clean Slate Erasure?

Connecticut's Clean Slate Act doesn't erase everything. The automated system covers a specific range of offenses, and the line between what qualifies and what doesn't isn't always obvious. Eligibility depends on the offense classification at the time the crime was committed — not what the law says today, and not what sentence you actually served.

Offenses That Qualify for Automatic Erasure

Under C.G.S. § 54-142a(e), the Clean Slate automated system erases post-2000 convictions that fall into these categories:

Misdemeanors (7-year waiting period):

• All classified misdemeanors (Class A, B, C, and unclassified)
• Traffic-related misdemeanors
• Minor drug possession charges not otherwise excluded

Felonies (10-year waiting period):

• Class D felonies (statutory maximum: 1–5 years imprisonment)
• Class E felonies (statutory maximum: 1–3 years imprisonment)
• Unclassified felonies where the maximum statutory prison term is under 5 years

The key detail: eligibility is based on the statutory maximum prison term of the offense under the law in effect when the crime was committed, not the sentence actually imposed. A Class D felony conviction where you served no prison time still carries the same 10-year waiting period as one where you served the full term.

Offenses Excluded from Clean Slate

These categories are permanently excluded from automatic erasure, regardless of how much time has passed:

• Nonviolent or sexually violent sexual offenses as defined by C.G.S. § 54-250
• Family violence crimes as defined by C.G.S. § 46b-38a
• Certain firearm-related offenses involving illegal possession, sale, or use
• Class A felonies (e.g., murder, arson murder — maximum: life imprisonment)
• Class B felonies (e.g., manslaughter, sexual assault in the first degree — maximum: 20 years)
• Class C felonies (e.g., robbery in the second degree, burglary in the second degree — maximum: 10 years)
• Repeat OUI convictions — an OUI conviction followed by another OUI conviction within 10 years
• Unclassified felonies with statutory maximums of 5 years or more

If your conviction falls into an excluded category, automatic erasure isn't available — but other pathways exist. An absolute pardon through the Board of Pardons and Paroles can erase any Connecticut conviction, including Class A, B, and C felonies. The pardon process is discretionary and requires an application through the ePardons portal, but it isn't limited by offense classification.

The Reclassification Trap

Connecticut has reclassified some offenses over the years, changing crimes from one felony class to another or from a felony to a misdemeanor. For Clean Slate purposes, what matters is the classification at the time you committed the offense — not the current classification.

This means a charge that's now a misdemeanor might still be treated as a non-eligible felony if it was classified that way when the offense occurred. If you're uncertain about how your specific charge was classified at the relevant date, the statutory index in C.G.S. Title 53a covers Connecticut's penal code classifications, and historical versions are available through the Connecticut General Assembly's legislative history database.

OUI and Motor Vehicle Offenses

Connecticut OUI (operating under the influence) convictions are eligible for Clean Slate erasure after a 10-year waiting period, provided they meet the standard requirements (post-2000, sentence complete, crime-free). An OUI conviction followed by another OUI conviction within 10 years is excluded. This longer waiting period applies regardless of whether the OUI is classified as a misdemeanor.

Other motor vehicle violations follow the standard rules: if the maximum statutory prison term is under 5 years, the offense is eligible. If it's 5 years or more, it's excluded from automation and requires the pardon pathway.

How to Confirm Your Eligibility

The safest approach is to order your official criminal history from the State Police Bureau of Identification (SPBI) using Form DPS-0846-C. Your rap sheet lists the specific charge, statute, and disposition — the three data points you need to determine whether each conviction qualifies.

For a complete eligibility walkthrough including the waiting-period calculators and exclusion checklists, the Connecticut Expungement & Record Sealing Guide maps every conviction type to its corresponding relief pathway.

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