Cost to Expunge Criminal Record

The Three Cost Categories

Expungement costs break into three buckets: court filing fees, attorney fees (if you hire one), and ancillary costs like fingerprinting or certified copies. The total ranges from $0 in states with automatic expungement to $5,000+ if you hire a private attorney for a complex case.

State Record-Review and Relief Costs

Filing fees vary widely. Here's a sampling of record-review fees and relief-petition costs:

• Illinois: $0 for an "Access and Review" personal check; expungement petition filing fees vary by county
• Florida: $0 for personal record review; sealing/expungement petition costs vary by court and proceeding
• New York: $17.50 for an in-state personal record review (effective February 2, 2026); petition-based sealing is a separate process
• California: $25 state personal record-review fee, plus a $10–$60 live-scan fee; any record-relief petition costs are separate
• Texas: A fingerprint-based record check includes a $15 state fee plus a location-dependent FAST rolling fee; expungement and nondisclosure petition costs vary by county
• Georgia: $20–$50 agency processing fee for record restriction of pre-2013 arrests; post-2013 non-convictions are restricted automatically at no cost
• North Carolina: $14 state processing fee for a personal "Right to Review" check; petition costs are separate
• Virginia: The Clean Slate framework entered implementation on July 1, 2026; eligible records may be sealed automatically as implementation proceeds, while petition-based sealing costs are separate

These amounts do not cover every possible cost. Fingerprinting, certified copies, court filing fees, and attorney fees may be separate, and a personal record-review fee is not the same as a relief-petition filing fee.

Attorney Fees

Hiring a lawyer for expungement typically costs:

• Simple cases (one misdemeanor, one jurisdiction): $500–$1,500
• Moderate cases (multiple charges, multiple jurisdictions, or a hearing required): $1,500–$3,000
• Complex cases (felony petitions, contested hearings, or cases requiring extensive documentation): $3,000–$5,000+

These are typical ranges — actual fees depend on your market, the attorney's experience, and case complexity.

When You Don't Need a Lawyer

Many expungement petitions are straightforward enough to handle yourself, particularly:

• Non-conviction records (dismissals, acquittals, nolle prosequi) — most states have simplified processes for these
• Automatic or phased Clean Slate states (Minnesota and Virginia have automated processes; New York and Illinois have phased implementation) — eligible records may not require a petition once the applicable automated process is operating; verify the current status for your record
• Single-charge cases in states with standardized petition forms

The main risks of self-filing are procedural errors: wrong court, missing documentation, incorrectly completed forms, or failing to notify all required parties (some states require you to serve the district attorney). These delays cost time, not money — but if you're on a deadline for a job or housing application, a mistake that adds months to the process has real consequences.

Free and Low-Cost Alternatives

Legal aid organizations handle expungement petitions at no cost for qualifying individuals. Eligibility is usually based on income and program-specific rules. Wait times can stretch for months, but the service includes full legal representation.

Law school clinics at many universities operate expungement clinics that handle cases under attorney supervision at no charge.

Expungement clinics and events — some counties and nonprofits hold periodic expungement days where volunteer attorneys help attendees file petitions on the spot. These events are typically advertised through courts, public defender offices, and reentry organizations.

Self-help court resources — many courts provide free petition forms, instructions, and self-help centers where staff can answer procedural questions (though they can't give legal advice).

The Hidden Cost: Not Knowing What's in Your Record

Before spending money on expungement, make sure you know exactly what you're pursuing. Pull your state repository report and FBI Identity History Summary to compare the federal and state records. You might discover that a charge was already dismissed and just needs a disposition update, or that an error is the real problem — which calls for a dispute, not an expungement petition.

The Get Your Own Criminal Record toolkit walks through the full record audit process so you can make an informed decision about which records to pursue for sealing or expungement.