Connecticut Pre-2000 Conviction Erasure: How to File Form JD-CR-202

Connecticut's Clean Slate automated system only covers convictions from January 1, 2000 onward. If your conviction predates that cutoff, the automated system will never find it — the state's digitized databases simply don't contain those records. Getting a pre-2000 conviction erased requires filing a paper petition with the court yourself.

Why Pre-2000 Convictions Aren't Automated

The Clean Slate Act relies on automated database matching between DESPP and the Judicial Branch. Records entered before the state's digital systems were fully implemented (pre-2000) exist only in physical court files and legacy archives. There's no electronic record for the system to scan, so these convictions are invisible to the automated process.

The eligible offenses are the same as Clean Slate: misdemeanors (7-year waiting period), Class D and E felonies (10-year waiting period), and unclassified felonies with statutory maximums under 5 years. The difference is purely procedural — you have to file the petition rather than waiting for automation.

Filing Form JD-CR-202

Form JD-CR-202 is the Petition for Erasure that covers pre-2000 Clean Slate–eligible convictions. Here's the process:

Step 1: Obtain your official record. Before filing, order your SPBI criminal history (Form DPS-0846-C, currently listed at $75; rates are scheduled to change on October 1, 2026, so verify the amount before ordering) to confirm the exact docket numbers, charges, statutes, and disposition dates. You need this information for the petition, and the court clerk will verify it against their files.

Step 2: Complete a separate petition for each docket. This is the rule that trips up most people. You must file a separate Form JD-CR-202 for every individual docket number. A single petition covering multiple consolidated cases will be rejected by the court clerk. If you have three pre-2000 convictions under three different docket numbers, you file three petitions.

Step 3: File with the correct court. Each petition goes to the court where the original sentence was imposed. For most cases, that's the Geographic Area (G.A.) court listed on your original judgment.

Step 4: Wait for processing. The court clerk verifies the conviction details and confirms eligibility. The court will either order the conviction erased without a hearing or schedule a hearing to decide whether it should be erased. There are also no filing fees.

Closed Court Routing

Connecticut has decommissioned several court locations over the years. If the court where you were originally sentenced has closed, your petition must be filed at the court that absorbed its caseload:

• G.A. 6 (New Haven) and G.A. 8 (New Haven) → file at G.A. 23, New Haven
• G.A. 13 (Enfield) and G.A. 16 (West Hartford) → file at G.A. 14, Hartford
• G.A. 17 (Bristol) → file at G.A. 15, New Britain
• G.A. 20 (Norwalk) → file at G.A. 1, Stamford

If your original court isn't listed above, check the Connecticut Judicial Branch website (jud.ct.gov) for the current court locations directory. Court consolidations happen periodically, and these routing assignments can change.

Common Mistakes That Cause Rejections

Filing one petition for multiple dockets. Each docket number requires its own JD-CR-202. Consolidated filings are returned.

Filing at the wrong court. If your original court has closed and you file at a different active court that didn't inherit the jurisdiction, the petition gets rejected or redirected, adding weeks to the process.

Incomplete case information. The petition requires specific docket numbers, statutes violated, and disposition dates. Approximations or missing fields get kicked back to you for correction.

Filing before the waiting period. The same 7-year (misdemeanor) and 10-year (felony) waiting periods apply. The clock rules are identical to Clean Slate: it starts from the later of the judgment date or release, and all sentence terms must be complete.

The Connecticut Expungement & Record Sealing Guide includes the full closed-court routing table, a pre-filing checklist to catch rejection-causing errors before you submit, and a multi-docket sequencing plan for records with multiple pre-2000 convictions.

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