Can I Get My Criminal Record Expunged in Missouri?
A criminal record creates real, lasting barriers. It shows up on background checks for jobs, apartments, and loans. It can prevent you from getting professional licenses and affect your ability to volunteer at your child’s school. But in Missouri, expungement may allow you to seal that record and move forward.
What Is Expungement?
Expungement is the legal process of sealing a criminal record from public view. Once expunged, the record is no longer accessible through standard background checks, and in most situations, you can legally answer “no” when asked if you have been convicted of a crime.
Missouri’s Expanded Eligibility (2025)
Missouri has dramatically expanded who qualifies for expungement in recent years. Key changes that took effect in January 2025 include shorter waiting periods (three years for felonies, one year for misdemeanors, down from seven and three, respectively), increased lifetime limits (up to three felonies and five misdemeanors, up from one felony and two misdemeanors), and the elimination of caps on infraction expungements.
Additionally, beginning August 28, 2025, Missouri is implementing an automatic expungement process. The state will proactively identify qualifying records and initiate sealing without requiring a petition. However, this process is rolling out gradually and may not reach every eligible record quickly.
Missouri Automatic Expungement (2025): What You Need to Know
For years, getting a criminal record expunged in Missouri required filing a petition, paying fees, and navigating the court system. Starting August 28, 2025, Missouri is changing the game: qualifying records will be automatically expunged without requiring the individual to file anything.
This is the most significant expansion of Missouri’s expungement laws in years, and it could affect hundreds of thousands of people across the state. Here is what you need to know.
What Changed
Under SB 347, signed into law in 2023 and taking effect in stages, Missouri’s Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA) will proactively identify criminal records that meet the eligibility requirements for expungement. These records will be transmitted to the State Central Repository for review. If no objection is filed within 30 days, the records are sent to the courts for sealing.
This means that many people who are eligible for expungement but never filed a petition — because they did not know they qualified, could not afford the filing fee, or did not know the process existed — will now have their records sealed automatically.
Who Qualifies for Automatic Expungement
• You have completed your entire sentence, including probation, parole, fines, and restitution
• The required waiting period has passed: 3 years for felonies, 1 year for misdemeanors
• You have had no new criminal convictions during the waiting period
• The offense is eligible for expungement (not on the excluded list)
• You have not exceeded the lifetime limits: 3 felonies and 5 misdemeanors
What Cannot Be Expunged?
Certain serious offenses remain permanently ineligible. These generally include Class A felonies, dangerous felonies as defined by Missouri statute, most sex offenses, felony domestic assault, kidnapping, and offenses that resulted in death. The 2025 updates also added additional exclusions for certain offenses involving sexual conduct with nursing facility residents, use of a child in sexual performance, and cross-burning.
• Class A felonies
• Dangerous felonies (as defined by Missouri statute)
• Most sex offenses and offenses requiring sex offender registration
• Domestic assault convictions
• Kidnapping
• Offenses that resulted in death
• Records where you exceed the lifetime limits (more than 3 felonies or 5 misdemeanors)
The Filing Process
You file a petition in the court where you were charged or convicted, listing all offenses you want expunged and all entities that may have records. The prosecutor and other parties have 30 days to object. If no one objects, the judge may approve the petition without a hearing. If there is an objection, a hearing will be scheduled within 60 days.
How an Attorney Helps
While it is technically possible to file an expungement petition on your own, errors in the petition can cause delays, denials, or the need to refile after a one-year waiting period. An attorney ensures that your petition is complete and accurate, identifies all qualifying offenses, handles any objections, and represents you at a hearing if needed.
Call (314) 708-1720 to find out if you qualify.