Who Still May Be Able to See Your Sealed and/or Expunged Criminal Record in Florida

St. Petersburg Criminal Attorney and Former State Prosecutor Melinda Morris of the Morris Law Firm discusses Who Still May Be Able to See Your Sealed and/or Expunged Criminal Record in Florida.

Issue:

Sealing and/or Expunging your criminal record can improve your ability to pass a background check and give you the security to stop looking over your shoulder to make sure no one finds out about your past.

That said, there are still Florida government agencies that can see your Sealed and/or Expunged criminal record.  It is important to be aware of this fact as you consider Sealing and/or Expunging your criminal record.

Why This Matters To You:

While Sealing and/or Expunging your criminal record has many benefits, those eligible should be aware that several Florida government agencies can still view a Sealed criminal record and may have basic information that your criminal record was Expunged.

Florida Agencies That Can See Your Sealed and/or Expunged Criminal Record:

The subject of a criminal history record sealed under this section or under other provisions of law, including former s.893.14, former s.901.33, and former s.943.058, may lawfully deny or fail to acknowledge the arrests covered by the sealed record, except when the subject of the record:

1. Is a candidate for employment with a criminal justice agency;
2. Is a defendant in a criminal prosecution;
3. Concurrently or subsequently petitions for relief under s.943.0585 or s.943.059;
4. Is a candidate for admission to The Florida Bar;
5. Is seeking to be employed or licensed by or to contract with the Department of Children and Family Services, the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, or the Department of Juvenile Justice or to be employed or used by such contractor or licensee in a sensitive position having direct contact with children, the developmentally disabled, the aged, or the elderly as provided in s.110.1127(3), s.393.063, s.394.4572(1), s.397.451, s.402.302(3), s.402.313(3), s.409.175(2)(i), s.415.102(4), chapter 916, s. 985.644, chapter 400, or chapter 429;
6. Is seeking to be employed or licensed by the Department of Education, any district school board, any university laboratory school, any charter school, any private or parochial school, or any local governmental entity that licenses child care facilities; or
7. Is seeking authorization from a Florida seaport identified in s.311.09 F.S. for employment within or access to one or more of such seaports pursuant to s.311.12 F.S. or s.311.125 F.S.
8. Is attempting to purchase a firearm from a licensed importer, licensed manufacturer, or licensed dealer and is the subject to a criminal history background check under state or federal law.

When a record is Expunged the above agencies will only receive the subject's demographic information and a caveat statement stating that criminal history information has been Expunged, but will be unable to receive the details.

What To Do Next:

Contact the Morris Law Firm to start the process of clearing your criminal record. The Morris Law Firm has experience in Sealing or Expunging your criminal records so they don’t appear on criminal background checks.

• No office visit required.
• Flat fee for Sealing or Expunging your criminal record.
• Simple Process: Take the fingerprint card we send you and get fingerprinted at any local police station and; have two (2) documents we send you notarized. Send the fingerprint card and the two documents back to us and the Morris Law Firm will take care of the rest.
• Sealing or expunging your criminal record is a low cost investment in your future.

If you have a criminal record in St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, or Tampa, Hillsborough County FL, contact a St. Petersburg Sealing and Expunging Attorney to discuss Sealing and/or Expunging eligibility that may exist in your case. Call the Morris Law Firm at 727-388-4736 to discuss your case directly with an attorney.