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Erasure, clean slate, or absolute pardon in Connecticut

Can I clear my record in Connecticut?

Connecticut clears records through 'erasure.'

Some records clear automatically

How did your case end?

Pick the one that matches. We'll show the routes Connecticut law offers for it, with the wait and the cost.

Pick an answer above to see your routes, waits and costs.

At a glance

Under the Clean Slate law, most misdemeanor convictions are erased automatically 7 years after a person's most recent conviction, and many lower-level felonies and DUIs after 10 years, if the offense happened in 2000 or later and all sentences are finished; older convictions can be erased by a free court petition. Dismissals, not-guilty findings and nolles (after 13 months) are erased automatically. Convictions that Clean Slate doesn't cover, such as more serious felonies, family violence and sex offenses, can be erased only through an absolute pardon from the Board of Pardons and Paroles.1,2,3,4

Checked October 22, 2026 against 30 sources, starting with Connecticut law, then by a second reader.

What it's called
Erasure, clean slate, or absolute pardon1,2,3
Automatic clearing
Yes, for some records, since January 1, 20231,2,4
DUI or DWI
Sometimes1,13,14
Filing fee
No filing fee1,2,3
Fee waiver
Available1,2,3

Expungement

Clean Slate automatic erasure

The police, court and prosecutor records of the conviction are erased. The clerk and law enforcement may not disclose an erased record to anyone except the person it is about, and the person 'shall be deemed to have never been arrested' for the erased proceedings 'and may so swear under oath' (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(g)). The Governor's office explains that erasure flags records for nondisclosure rather than deleting them. Background-check companies that buy court data must delete erased records within 30 days of being told (§ 54-142e). Erasure does not end a duty to register on the state's sex offender or deadly weapon offender registries, a standing criminal protective order or unpaid fines, and those records stay available to police and prosecutors to enforce them (§ 54-142a(e)(7)-(9)). The Department of Motor Vehicles does not have to erase the conviction from a driving record (§ 54-142a(e)(6)).1,2,3

What it's for: Misdemeanors, class D and E felonies, unclassified felonies with a maximum of 5 years or less, motor vehicle violations with a maximum of 5 years or less, and DUI convictions, for offenses committed on or after January 1, 2000.

Who can use it

  • Misdemeanors and motor vehicle violations with a maximum possible sentence of 1 year or less (other than DUI): erased 7 years after the date of the person's most recent conviction (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(i)).
  • Class D and E felonies, unclassified felonies with a maximum possible sentence of 5 years or less, motor vehicle violations with a maximum of more than 1 year and up to 5 years, and DUI under § 14-227a: erased 10 years after the date of the most recent conviction (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(ii)).
  • The offense must have been committed on or after January 1, 2000 for automatic erasure; earlier offenses need a petition (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)).
  • The offense's class and maximum sentence are judged under the law in effect when it was committed (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(B)).
  • You must have finished any incarceration, parole (including special, medical or compassionate parole), transitional supervision and probation for this offense and for every other Connecticut conviction since January 1, 2000, and have no pending Connecticut criminal charge (§ 54-142a(e)(3)).
  • A cannabis possession conviction under § 21a-279(c) from before October 1, 2015 does not count as your most recent conviction when the waiting period is measured (§ 54-142a(e)(4)).
  • Misdemeanor convictions for offenses committed while under 18 between January 1, 2000 and July 1, 2012 (other than motor vehicle offenses) are erased without a waiting period (§ 54-142a(f)).

What doesn't qualify

  • Class A, B and C felonies, and unclassified felonies or motor vehicle violations that could carry more than 5 years, even if the actual sentence was shorter (§ 54-142a(e)(1); JD-CR-202).
  • Family violence crimes, for convictions on or after January 1, 2000 (§ 54-142a(e)(2)(A)).
  • Nonviolent sexual offenses and sexually violent offenses as defined in § 54-250 (§ 54-142a(e)(2)(B)).
  • Convictions under the specific sections listed in § 54-142a(e)(2)(C), which New Haven Legal Assistance describes as certain pistol sales, some assault and strangulation offenses, sexual assault in the third degree, enticing a minor, certain burglary, stalking, voyeurism, incest, certain obscenity and child pornography offenses, certain weapons offenses, certain abuse offenses and sex offender registration offenses.
  • A DUI conviction if you were convicted of another DUI within the 10 years after it (§ 54-142a(e)(2)(D)).
  • In a case with several counts, records generally aren't erased until every count qualifies, though electronic records released to the public about an eligible charge are erased (§ 54-142a(i)).

How long you have to wait

RecordWaiting period
Misdemeanor or motor vehicle violation (maximum 1 year or less), not DUI7 years from your most recent convictionAny new conviction restarts the clock, and all sentences must be complete (§ 54-142a(e)).
Class D or E felony, unclassified felony (maximum 5 years or less), or DUI10 years from your most recent convictionDUI moved to the 10-year track in 2023 (P.A. 23-169 and 23-204, effective July 1, 2023).

Happens automatically. No petition or fee for offenses committed on or after January 1, 2000. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) runs the automated process with the Judicial Branch (§ 54-142t). If you think a conviction should have been erased but wasn't, send DESPP a current State Police criminal history (dated on or after January 1, 2024) and the Hearing for Clean Slate Erasure form; DESPP decides, holding a contested hearing if relief can't be granted right away (§ 54-142t(g), as amended by P.A. 25-161, effective July 1, 2025).

How to apply

  1. Nothing to file. To check, search your name on the Judicial Branch's criminal case look-up; erased convictions no longer appear there, though New Haven Legal Assistance warns some older charges may not show up either way.
  2. If an eligible conviction is still on your record, get a current State Police criminal history dated on or after January 1, 2024 (online, or by mail with form DPS-0846-C) and send it with the Hearing for Clean Slate Erasure form (DESPP-0847-C) to DESPP.cshearing@ct.gov, or by mail to DESPP, Attn: Legal Affairs, 1111 Country Club Road, Middletown, CT 06457. DESPP says a request without the criminal history is incomplete and will be denied.
  3. DESPP audits the request and either confirms the erasure with no further action needed or schedules a Clean Slate erasure hearing (form DESPP-0847-C). If there is a hearing, DESPP gives you any records it will consider at least 15 days before it and a written decision within 15 days after it (§ 54-142t(g)).
Where to file
Automatic through DESPP and the Judicial Branch; requests for review go to DESPP Legal Affairs in Middletown.
Cost
Automatic erasure is free. If you need to ask DESPP for a review, you must include a State Police criminal history report, which costs $75 (form DPS-0846-C or the online request system; DESPP's rate notice effective October 1, 2026 keeps that fee). A $36 name search only says whether a record exists. Fingerprinting at a State Police location costs $15.
Court hearing
Sometimes
How long it takes
Records are erased on a rolling basis once the waiting period passes. For review requests, DESPP must share the records it will use at least 15 days before any hearing and decide in writing within 15 days after it (§ 54-142t(g)).

Official forms

Expungement

Clean Slate erasure by petition (offenses before 2000)

Same effect as automatic Clean Slate erasure: records are erased, may not be disclosed except to you, and you are deemed never to have been arrested for those proceedings and may say so under oath (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(g)). Registration duties, standing criminal protective orders and unpaid fines continue (§ 54-142a(e)(7)-(8)).1,10,11

What it's for: The same misdemeanors, lower-level felonies, motor vehicle violations and DUIs that Clean Slate covers, when the offense was committed before January 1, 2000.

Who can use it

  • The offense was committed before January 1, 2000 and is a misdemeanor, a class D or E felony, an unclassified felony with a maximum of 5 years or less, or a motor vehicle violation with a maximum of 5 years or less (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A); JD-CR-202).
  • No other conviction in the last 7 years (to erase a misdemeanor) or 10 years (to erase a felony or DUI) (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A); JD-CR-202).
  • You have finished any incarceration, parole, special parole, transitional supervision and probation for these crimes and for any other Connecticut conviction since January 1, 2000, and have no pending Connecticut charges (§ 54-142a(e)(3); JD-CR-202).

What doesn't qualify

  • The same exclusions as automatic Clean Slate: sexual offenses, the sections listed in § 54-142a(e)(2)(C), a DUI followed by another DUI conviction within 10 years, and offenses that could carry more than 5 years. The family violence exclusion in § 54-142a(e)(2)(A) applies to convictions on or after January 1, 2000.

How long you have to wait

RecordWaiting period
Misdemeanor (pre-2000 offense)7 years from your most recent conviction
Class D or E felony, unclassified felony (maximum 5 years or less) or DUI (pre-2000 offense)10 years from your most recent conviction

How to apply

  1. Get a copy of your official criminal history from the State Police (form DPS-0846-C); the state's Clean Slate site says you must provide it with the petition.
  2. Fill out the Petition for Clean Slate Erasure, Convictions Before 1/1/2000 (JD-CR-202), one form per docket number, and swear to it before a notary, commissioner of the Superior Court or clerk.
  3. File it at the court location where you were sentenced. If that court has closed, the form and the state's site list where to file instead (for example, G.A. 13 at Enfield cases go to G.A. 14 at Hartford).
  4. The court either orders erasure without a hearing or schedules a hearing.
Where to file
The Superior Court location where you were sentenced (or its replacement location if that court closed).
Cost
'No fee shall be charged in any court with respect to any petition under this section' (§ 54-142a(k)). The State Police criminal history report has its own fee: $75 on form DPS-0846-C (unchanged in DESPP's rate notice effective October 1, 2026), plus $15 if fingerprinted at a State Police location.
Court hearing
Sometimes

Official forms

Expungement

Automatic erasure of dismissals, not-guilty findings and nolles

All police, court and prosecutor records of the charge are erased, and you are deemed never to have been arrested for it and may say so under oath (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(a), (c), (g)). For 2 years after erasure, a crime victim may be told that the case was dismissed, and a victim bringing a civil suit can ask the court for more (§ 54-142c(b)).1,13,14

What it's for: Charges that were dismissed (including after completing a diversion program such as Accelerated Rehabilitation), ended in a not-guilty finding, or were nolled (dropped) at least 13 months ago.

Who can use it

  • A not-guilty finding or dismissal: records are erased once the time to appeal runs out, or after an appeal upholds the result (§ 54-142a(a)).
  • A nolle (the prosecutor declined to go forward): records are erased once 13 months have passed since the nolle (§ 54-142a(c)(1)).
  • A charge continued at the prosecutor's request with no prosecution or other action for 13 months must be nolled if you file a motion, and is then erased the same way (§ 54-142a(c)(2)).
  • Charges dismissed after you complete Accelerated Rehabilitation are erased (§ 54-56e(f)), as are charges dismissed after the Pretrial Impaired Driving Intervention Program (§ 54-56r(k); § 54-142a(a)).
  • Older cases: for not-guilty findings and dismissals before October 1, 1969, and nolles before April 1, 1972, records are deemed erased by law, and you or your heirs may petition the court to have them erased (§ 54-142a(b), (c)(1)).

What doesn't qualify

  • Not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect (§ 54-142a(a)).
  • In a multi-count case, records referring to more than one count generally stay until all counts qualify for erasure, though electronic records released to the public about the erased charge are erased (§ 54-142a(i)).

How long you have to wait

RecordWaiting period
Dismissal or not guiltyOnce the appeal period ends§ 54-142a(a).
Nolle13 months after the nolleThe Board of Pardons and Paroles also won't accept a pardon application until a nolle has cleared.

Happens automatically. Erasure happens by law; no petition is needed for current cases. Older cases from before October 1, 1969 (not guilty or dismissed) or April 1, 1972 (nolled) are deemed erased, and you may petition the court if you want a formal order (§ 54-142a(b), (c)(1)).

How to apply

  1. Nothing to file for current cases.
  2. If a charge was continued at the prosecutor's request and nothing has happened for 13 months, file a motion asking the court to nolle it (§ 54-142a(c)(2)).
  3. For very old cases, file a petition with the court that handled the case. No court fee may be charged (§ 54-142a(k)).
Where to file
Automatic through the Superior Court clerk, which notifies law enforcement (§ 54-142a(g)).
Cost
No fee; no fee may be charged for any petition under § 54-142a (§ 54-142a(k)). Diversion programs themselves have fees: Accelerated Rehabilitation has a $35 application fee and a $100 participation fee (§ 54-56e), and the impaired driving program has a $100 application fee and a $150 evaluation fee (§ 54-56r).
If you can't pay
You can ask to file without paying. The court must waive Accelerated Rehabilitation fees for a person who files an affidavit of indigency and is found unable to pay, or who has a public defender (§ 54-56e(g)).
Court hearing
No

Pardon

Absolute pardon (erasure through the Board of Pardons and Paroles)

If granted, an absolute pardon results in erasure of your Connecticut adult criminal record (Board of Pardons and Paroles). Records of a conviction pardoned on or after October 1, 1974 'shall be erased' (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(d)(2)), with the same effect as other erasure: you are deemed never to have been arrested for those proceedings and may say so under oath (§ 54-142a(g)). Employers may not require you to disclose a pardoned, erased conviction (§ 31-51i(c)-(d)).1,15,16

What it's for: Any Connecticut conviction, including felonies, family violence and other offenses that Clean Slate does not erase. The Board looks at your entire criminal history.

Who can use it

  • Apply 3 years after the date of disposition of your most recent misdemeanor conviction, or 5 years after your most recent felony conviction (Board of Pardons and Paroles; § 54-130a(c), which also lets the Board accept earlier applications in extraordinary circumstances).
  • You can't be on probation, parole or any other supervision, or have pending charges or open cases in any state or federal court, or have a nolle from the last 13 months (Board of Pardons and Paroles).
  • The Board considers your whole criminal history; you can't ask to erase one offense and not another (Board of Pardons and Paroles).
  • People convicted of nonviolent offenses with no victim interest may get an expedited review without a hearing (Board of Pardons and Paroles).

What doesn't qualify

  • Out-of-state and federal convictions; the Board erases only Connecticut records.
  • The Board has discretion to deny; it weighs rehabilitation, the severity of the offense, victim input, the prosecutor's view, time since the last offense and whether erasure serves the public interest. It must give written reasons for a denial (§ 54-130a(h)). After a denial you generally wait 1 year to reapply.

How long you have to wait

RecordWaiting period
Most recent conviction is a misdemeanor3 years from the date of disposition§ 54-130a(c) also covers violations.
Most recent conviction is a felony5 years from the date of disposition
Reapplying after a denialGenerally 1 year from the denialThe Board may set a longer wait.

How to apply

  1. Get your State Police criminal history (dated within 1 year of applying); the Board says you request and pay for it through the State Police's online Connecticut Criminal History Request System (CCHRS), with a fingerprint card from your local police department, and DESPP also has a pardon version of the paper request form. List every conviction from any jurisdiction, including ones not on the State Police report such as some DUI and reckless driving convictions.
  2. Get a police incident report for each Connecticut conviction from the last 10 years, and reference questionnaires dated within 1 year.
  3. Apply online through the Board of Pardons and Paroles ePardon portal; you have 6 months to finish the application once you start. A lawyer isn't required.
  4. Staff check eligibility, run a background investigation and do a phone interview. Your application goes to an expedited review or a pre-screen review, and some applicants are scheduled for a full hearing, which you must attend virtually.
  5. If the pardon is granted, the Board notifies the court and the records are erased.
Where to file
Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles (online ePardon portal).
Cost
The Board 'does not currently charge a fee to apply for a pardon.' The State Police charge $75 for the criminal history report and $15 for fingerprinting at a State Police location.
If you can't pay
You can ask to file without paying. The $75 State Police fee can be waived for indigence by filing DESPP's Criminal History Record Fee Waiver Request and Affidavit with the request form; the $15 fingerprint fee can't be waived.
Court hearing
Sometimes
How long it takes
Varies with the number of applications; the Board, State Police, Probation and the Judicial Branch all review the record (Board of Pardons and Paroles).

Official forms

Expungement

Cannabis conviction erasure

Records are erased under § 54-142a. After automatic cannabis erasure, you may tell anyone other than a criminal justice agency that you were not arrested or convicted for the erased conviction (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142u(h)). The Department of Motor Vehicles does not have to erase driving records (§ 54-142u(g)).1,18,19

What it's for: Cannabis possession convictions (automatic for 2000-2015), and by petition other possession of 4 ounces or less, cannabis paraphernalia, and small-scale sale or growing.

Who can use it

  • Automatic: convictions for possession under § 21a-279(c) entered on or after January 1, 2000 and before October 1, 2015 (§ 54-142u). The Governor's office reported 43,754 such convictions erased in early 2023.
  • By petition: possession of 4 ounces or less of cannabis under § 21a-279, for convictions before January 1, 2000 or from October 1, 2015 through June 30, 2021 (§ 54-142v(a)(1)(A)).
  • By petition: use or possession of drug paraphernalia for cannabis under § 21a-267(a), for convictions before July 1, 2021 (§ 54-142v(a)(1)(B)).
  • By petition: manufacturing, selling, possessing with intent to sell, or giving cannabis under § 21a-277(b), for convictions before July 1, 2021, if the amount was 4 ounces or less or six plants or fewer grown inside your own home for personal use (§ 54-142v(a)(1)(C)).

What doesn't qualify

  • Larger amounts, and cannabis sale convictions above the 4-ounce or six-plant limit (§ 54-142v).
  • Records in a case with other counts stay until every count qualifies, except electronic records released to the public (§§ 54-142u(b), 54-142v(b)).

How long you have to wait

RecordWaiting period
Any eligible cannabis convictionNonePetitions have been accepted since 2022-2023 (the state's Clean Slate site gives both July 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023).

Some records clear automatically. Possession convictions under § 21a-279(c) from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2015 were erased automatically starting January 1, 2023. All other eligible cannabis convictions need a court petition.

How to apply

  1. Get a copy of your arrest report from the police department that arrested you, or prepare a sworn affidavit, showing the amount was 4 ounces or less (or six home-grown plants or fewer), or that paraphernalia was only for cannabis (§ 54-142v(a)(2)).
  2. Write a petition for erasure under § 54-142v (or § 54-142d); the state's Clean Slate site says there is no official form.
  3. File it with the Superior Court location where you were convicted (or the location that now holds the records).
  4. If the petition is in order, the court directs that the records be erased. The court may decide without a hearing or schedule one.
Where to file
The Superior Court location where you were convicted, or the one with custody of the records.
Cost
'No fee may be charged in any court with respect to any petition' under § 54-142v(a)(4).
Court hearing
Sometimes

Expungement

Erasure of a decriminalized offense

The court 'shall immediately direct' that all police, court and prosecutor records of the offense be erased (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142d).1

What it's for: A conviction for an offense that was decriminalized after the conviction.

Who can use it

  • You were convicted in a Connecticut court of an offense that was decriminalized after your conviction (§ 54-142d).

What doesn't qualify

  • Records referring to more than one count stay until all counts qualify, except electronic records released to the public (§ 54-142d).

How long you have to wait

RecordWaiting period
Decriminalized offenseNone

How to apply

  1. File a petition for an order of erasure with the Superior Court location where you were convicted, or the location that now has the records (§ 54-142d).
Where to file
The Superior Court location where you were convicted, or the one with custody of the records.
Cost
Section 54-142d doesn't state a fee; the no-fee rule in § 54-142a(k) covers petitions under § 54-142a.
How long it takes
The statute says the court shall 'immediately' direct erasure.

Certificate of relief

Certificate of Employability (provisional pardon or certificate of rehabilitation)

A certificate relieves some or all legal barriers to jobs and state licenses that come from a conviction. It does not erase the record or excuse you from disclosing the conviction where required (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-130a(f)). No employer may deny you a job, fire you or discriminate against you solely because of a conviction covered by a provisional pardon or certificate of rehabilitation (§ 31-51i(e)-(f)). State agencies deciding on a job or license must consider the certificate, which creates a presumption that you are rehabilitated, and must give written reasons if they still deny you (§ 46a-80(c)). It does not apply to public office (§ 54-130e(b)) or to law enforcement jobs (§ 54-130e(a)(5)).16,20,21

What it's for: Convictions from any jurisdiction, for Connecticut residents, as relief for employment and licensing.

Who can use it

  • A Connecticut resident convicted of a crime in Connecticut or another jurisdiction (§ 54-130e(a)(4)).
  • From the Court Support Services Division (CSSD): you have been under CSSD supervision, such as probation, for 6 months (Judicial Branch) (§ 54-108f).
  • From the Board of Pardons and Paroles: the law lets the Board issue a certificate at any time after sentencing (§ 54-130e(c)), but the Board's eligibility page says you can apply only after 90 days of parole or special parole supervision, or, if you have finished your sentence, after at least 90 days in the community with no new arrests. People on probation with more than 90 days left apply through their probation officer.
  • The board or CSSD must find that the certificate may promote rehabilitation through employment and is consistent with public safety, victim safety and protection of property (§ 54-130e(d)).

What doesn't qualify

  • It does not erase or hide your record; for erasure you need Clean Slate or an absolute pardon (§ 54-130a(f); Judicial Branch).
  • The Board won't take an application from someone who is currently incarcerated or who had a case nolled in the last 13 months (Board of Pardons and Paroles).
  • A certificate issued while you are still incarcerated or supervised is temporary and can be revoked for a violation; it becomes permanent when you finish (§ 54-130e(g)). It can be revoked after a new conviction (§ 54-130e(k)).

How long you have to wait

RecordWaiting period
CSSD certificateAfter 6 months under CSSD supervisionJudicial Branch.
Board of Pardons and Paroles certificateAfter 90 days of parole supervision, or 90 days in the community after finishing your sentenceBoard of Pardons and Paroles eligibility page; the statute allows issuance any time after sentencing (§ 54-130e(c)).

How to apply

  1. If you are on probation or other CSSD supervision, get the Application for Certificate of Employability (JD-AP-187) online or from your probation officer, and mail it to the Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division, Attn: Certificate Review Unit, 455 Winding Brook, Glastonbury, CT 06033 (certified mail recommended; no in-person filing).
  2. Otherwise, apply to the Board of Pardons and Paroles through its online pardon portal.
Where to file
Court Support Services Division (people under its supervision) or the Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Cost
The Board of Pardons and Paroles says it does not charge an application fee; the CSSD page lists no fee.

Official forms

Automatic clearing

Connecticut's Clean Slate law (Public Act 21-32, effective January 1, 2023) automatically erases eligible convictions for offenses committed on or after January 1, 2000: misdemeanors 7 years after a person's most recent conviction, and class D and E felonies, unclassified felonies with a maximum of 5 years or less, and DUIs 10 years after the most recent conviction, once all incarceration, parole and probation are finished and no Connecticut charge is pending. Family violence crimes, sexual offenses and a list of specific offenses are excluded. Lawmakers amended it in 2022 and 2023, adding motor vehicle violations and moving DUI to the 10-year track effective July 1, 2023. Automatic cannabis possession erasures began January 1, 2023. The Governor's office announced in December 2023 that the automated system was live for about 178,499 convictions held by more than 80,000 people, and the state's Clean Slate site says erasures resumed after delays caused by aging data systems and data quality problems, with about 50,000 people's records partly or fully erased and more than 100,000 expected (the update is undated, and no official page we found says the rollout is complete). Since January 1, 2024, people whose records weren't erased can ask DESPP for a review (§ 54-142t(g), amended by P.A. 25-161 effective July 1, 2025). Offenses from before 2000 need a court petition. The Office of Legislative Research's June 2026 summary of new criminal justice laws lists no 2026 act changing erasure, Clean Slate or pardons.1,2,4,24,25

DUI and DWI records in Connecticut

Yes, in many cases. A DUI conviction under § 14-227a is erased automatically under Clean Slate 10 years after the person's most recent conviction, if the offense happened on or after January 1, 2000, all sentences are complete and no charge is pending (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(ii)); pre-2000 DUIs can be erased by petition. A DUI is not erased if the person was convicted of another DUI within the 10 years after it (§ 54-142a(e)(2)(D)). These rules took effect July 1, 2023 (P.A. 23-169 and 23-204); the Governor's office said about 28,752 DUI convictions were expected to be erased by the end of March 2024. Erasure does not require the Department of Motor Vehicles to erase the conviction from a driving record, and DMV still reports it through the Commercial Driver's License Information System where applicable (§ 54-142a(e)(6)). For a pending DUI charge, the Pretrial Impaired Driving Intervention Program (§ 54-56r) can lead to dismissal and erasure, but DMV keeps a record of participation on the driving record for 10 years. The program isn't open to people who used it or the older alcohol education program in the last 10 years, have a prior DUI conviction, held a commercial license, or caused serious physical injury (unless good cause is shown). Accelerated Rehabilitation is not available for DUI (§ 54-56e(c)). An absolute pardon can also erase a DUI.1,4,13,14

Arrests and dismissed charges

Dismissals and not-guilty findings are erased automatically once the appeal period ends, and nolles are erased automatically 13 months after the nolle (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(a), (c)). A charge continued at the prosecutor's request with no action for 13 months must be nolled on the person's motion and then erased. Charges dismissed after diversion programs such as Accelerated Rehabilitation (§ 54-56e) or the Pretrial Impaired Driving Intervention Program (§ 54-56r) are erased. Not-guilty-by-reason-of-mental-disease findings are not erased. In a multi-count case where another count ended in a conviction, records mentioning several counts may not be erased until every count qualifies (§ 54-142a(i)). Employers may not ask about or require disclosure of erased records, and Connecticut law treats continuances more than 13 months old as erased information for anti-discrimination purposes (§§ 31-51i, 46a-80a).1,13,23

Marijuana records

Cannabis possession convictions under § 21a-279(c) from January 1, 2000 through September 30, 2015 were erased automatically beginning January 1, 2023 (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142u). Other cannabis convictions can be erased by a free court petition: possession of 4 ounces or less before 2000 or from October 1, 2015 through June 30, 2021; cannabis paraphernalia before July 1, 2021; and sale, manufacture or possession with intent to sell of 4 ounces or less, or six home-grown plants or fewer for personal use, before July 1, 2021 (§ 54-142v). The petition needs the arrest record or a sworn affidavit about the amount; the state says there is no official form. Pre-October 2015 possession convictions don't count as a 'most recent conviction' for Clean Slate waiting periods (§ 54-142a(e)(4)). Other decriminalized offenses can be erased by petition under § 54-142d.1,19

What employers can see afterward

Connecticut's fair-chance law covers private employers with at least one employee: an employer may not ask about arrests, charges or convictions on an initial job application unless a state or federal law requires it or the job requires a fidelity or security bond (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-51i(b); employer as defined in § 46a-80a), and may not ask about conviction information until the applicant has been found otherwise qualified, except for jobs a statute specifically disqualifies (§ 46a-80(b)). No employer may require anyone to disclose erased records, and application forms that ask about criminal history must say that applicants don't have to disclose erased records and may swear they were never arrested for them (§ 31-51i(c)-(d)). Employers may not deny a job, fire or discriminate solely because of an erased record or a conviction covered by a provisional pardon or certificate of rehabilitation (§ 31-51i(e)-(f)). Since January 1, 2023, discrimination based on erased records is a discriminatory practice in employment, housing, licensing, public accommodations and credit, enforced by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (§§ 46a-80a to 46a-80m). State agencies and state licensing bodies may deny a job or license based on a conviction only after weighing its relationship to the job, rehabilitation and time passed, and must explain the rejection in writing (§ 46a-80(c)-(d)). Complaints go to the Labor Commissioner or the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, or to Superior Court (§ 31-51i(j)).1,22,23

Free help in Connecticut

Before you file

  • You can ask a background screening company for the information it has on you, and the CFPB keeps a list of consumer reporting companies, including employment screening companies, with their contact details.26,27,28
  • The FCRA's seven-year limit does not apply to criminal convictions, so under federal law a conviction can show up on a background report no matter how old it is.29,30

This page explains Connecticut's rules in general terms from the law and official court sources. It isn't legal advice, and laws change. A legal aid office or the court's self-help center can tell you whether your own record qualifies.

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Second Chance Index, "Can I clear my record in Connecticut?" https://secondchanceindex.com/record-clearing/connecticut, checked October 22, 2026.

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Sources

Each source was opened and checked on October 22, 2026.

  1. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 54-142a(e), 54-142t
  2. Chapter 961a, 2026 Supplement (§ 54-142t as amended by P.A. 25-161)Connecticut General Assembly
  3. Clean Slate eligibilityState of Connecticut (Clean Slate program)
  4. Governor Lamont Announces Thousands of Old, Low-Level Convictions Set To Be Automatically Erased (December 18, 2023)Office of Governor Ned Lamont
  5. Connecticut's Clean Slate and Cannabis Erasure Laws (flyer, August 11, 2025)New Haven Legal Assistance Association, via CTLawHelp.org
  6. Criminal History Request (Pardon), DESPP-0846-C-2 (rev. 07/08/21)Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
  7. State of Connecticut Criminal History Record Request Form, DPS-0846-C (rev. 12/01/17)Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
  8. State Police Bureau of Identification: Rate Change Effective October 1, 2026Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
  9. Hearing for Clean Slate Erasure, Convictions After 1/1/2000 (DESPP-0847-C, new 01/01/2024)Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
  10. Petition for Clean Slate erasureState of Connecticut (Clean Slate program)
  11. JD-CR-202, Petition for Clean Slate Erasure, Convictions Before 1/1/2000 (Rev. 11-23)Connecticut Judicial Branch
  12. How to access your criminal recordState of Connecticut (Clean Slate program)
  13. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-56e, Accelerated pretrial rehabilitationConnecticut General Assembly
  14. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-56r, Pretrial impaired driving intervention program (2026 Supplement)Connecticut General Assembly
  15. Pardon eligibilityConnecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles
  16. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 54-130a, 54-142a(d)
  17. Pardon FAQsConnecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles
  18. Cannabis eligibilityState of Connecticut (Clean Slate program)
  19. Petition for Cannabis erasureState of Connecticut (Clean Slate program)
  20. Certificates of EmployabilityConnecticut Judicial Branch, Court Support Services Division
  21. CoE EligibilityConnecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles
  22. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-51iConnecticut General Assembly
  23. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-80Connecticut General Assembly
  24. Clean Slate ConnecticutState of Connecticut (Clean Slate program)
  25. 2026 Acts Affecting Criminal Justice and Public Safety (2026-R-0078, June 22, 2026)Connecticut Office of Legislative Research
  26. List of consumer reporting companiesConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
  27. What Employment Background Screening Companies Need to Know About the Fair Credit Reporting ActFederal Trade Commission
  28. Employer Background Checks and Your RightsFederal Trade Commission
  29. 15 U.S. Code § 1681c - Requirements relating to information contained in consumer reportsLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (U.S. Code text)
  30. Advisory Opinion to Nadell (12-10-98)Federal Trade Commission (staff advisory opinion)