FAQ
Who is providing this service?
We are part of Open Austin, a civic initiative to address issues in Austin. We do not ask you to create an account or enter any personal data on this website. All of our services and information are free and open to the public. We are not a legal service, and if you have any legal questions on having your record expunged or obtaining an order for nondisclosure, we recommend that you contact a lawyer.
What is expunction?
Expunction refers to the process of sealing arrest and conviction records. If you are interested in finding out if you are eligible for expunction in Travis County Texas please use our Am I Eligible? questionnaire or our Forms & Process page for more information.
Who is eligible for expunction?
There are many factors that determine if your record is expungeable. This difficulty is why we created this site. By using this site you will be better able to determine if your case is expungeable. Please use our Am I Eligible? questionnaire to better determine if your case is expungeable or visit our Forms & Process page for more information.
Why is expunction important?
Having criminal charges on your record can prevent you from finding employment, public housing, and other government services. Expunging your criminal record can make accessing work, housing, and services easier. If you are interested in finding out if you are eligible for expunction, please visit our Am I Eligible? questionnaire or visit our Forms & Process page for more information.
What is an order of nondisclosure?
Your criminal record remains available to law enforcement and the courts, but it is not exposed publicly anymore. Please use our Am I Eligible? questionnaire to determine if you are eligible for an order of nondisclosure or visit our Forms & Process page for more information.
How does the "Am I Eligible?" questionnaire work?
We do not require you create an account or enter your name, email address, or password. None of the information that you entered will be stored. We are an open source project run through Open Austin. We are not a legal service and if you have any legal questions, we recommend contacting a lawyer. If you are interested in finding out if you are eligible for expunction please take our Am I Eligible? questionnaire.
What do I do if I don’t know all the facts about my criminal record?
If you do not know the exact charge, date, or outcome of your case, you can search your adult criminal record at the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Is there a fee for getting my criminal record expunged or for obtaining an order of nondisclosure?
Having your criminal record expunged costs $302. Obtaining an order of nondisclosure costs $330. We recognize that both of these fees are quite high. Please fill out the Affidavit of Indigency to ask the court not to charge you fees.
What if my criminal record is in a county besides Travis County Texas?
Our site can currently only direct you on how to expunge or obtain an order of nondisclosure for your criminal record in Travis County Texas. The expunction process differs from state to state and from county to county within some states, such as Texas. You’ll need to contact an attorney or legal aid service in the state or county where your criminal record is for more information.
Who do I contact if I have questions about this process?
We are not a legal service, and we recommend contacting a lawyer if you are in need of legal advice. A lawyer will be in the position to advise you as to what you should do and can aid in filing an order of nondisclosure.
If you have questions about the forms provided in our form section, please contact the Texas Office of Court Administration at (512) 463-1625.