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Arrests Before July 1, 2013
- If your arrest occurred before July 1, 2013, you have to submit your request to the arresting agency first, who will then submit it to the prosecuting attorney’s office.
- Fill out Section 1 on the Request to Restrict Arrest Record form.
- Submit the form to the arresting agency. Ask them to complete Section 2 and submit the form to the prosecuting attorney’s office.
- The prosecuting attorney’s office will complete Section 3 and either approve or deny your request within 90 days. Once a decision is made, the prosecuting attorney’s office will notify the applicant and the arresting agency.
- Please keep a copy of the completed application for your records.
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Arrests On or After July 1, 2013
- If your arrest occurred on or after July 1, 2013, reach out directly to the prosecuting attorney’s office of the county where your arrest took place. Your application does not have to be processed first by the arresting agency.
- The prosecuting attorney’s office will either approve or deny your request within 90 days. Once a decision is made, the prosecuting attorney’s office will notify the applicant and the arresting agency.
- Please keep a copy of the completed application for your records.
File Request to Expunge a Criminal Record
You can restrict public access to your criminal records.
Certain criminal history records can be hidden or sealed from the public. People with a records restriction are able to apply for jobs, housing, or licenses without their record appearing on a background check. Your criminal record will not be permanently deleted or destroyed and will still be available to judicial officials and criminal justice agencies.
Arrests that qualify for restriction include, but are not limited to, cases that are closed without conviction and certain misdemeanors.
The process to restrict your records depends on the date of your arrest and which agency or prosecuting attorney processed your case. If your arrest occurred before July 1, 2013, the arresting agency needs to process your request. If your arrest occurred on or after July 1, 2013, contact the prosecuting attorney’s office directly. The prosecuting attorney may be an Attorney General, a district attorney, or the solicitor-general.
Approved requests for records restrictions must be submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) in order for the arrest to be removed from your public record.
You may wish to consult a lawyer before submitting a records restriction request. You can find a lawyer through the State Bar of Georgia.