Expunging Juvenile Records
in Utah
The
expungement process for juvenile records is significantly different
that the
adult expungement process. The following page provides an
outline of the procedures required to obtain an expungement of Utah
juvenile court records.
We work with clients to help clear their juvenile or adult criminal
records through the expungement,
402 reduction, and pardon processes.
Contact us today to see how we can help you.
Expungement
of Juvenile Court Records - Petition and Procedure
Initial Eligibility
- A person who has been formally judged in Utah’s Juvenile
Court may petition the court for expungement of their juvenile court
record and any related records in the custody of a state agency, if:
1. The person has reached 18 years of
age; and
2. The Juvenile Court Jurisdiction and/or
custody and parole supervision of the Division of Juvenile Justice
Services was unconditionally terminated at least one year
ago.
The court may waive the above requirements if the court finds, and
states on the record, the reason why the waiver is appropriate.
Generally, any juvenile adjudication of delinquency can be eligible for
expungement. However, the legislature has determined that the court may
not expunge a juvenile court record if the record
contains a judgement for
1. Aggravated murder; or
2. Murder
Petition -
To begin the Juvenile expungement process, you must file a
petition with the court where the case was filed and heard. Included
with the petition must be an original criminal history report
obtained from the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI).
When deciding whether to grant a petition for expungement, the court
takes into consideration whether the rehabilitation of the petitioner
has been attained satisfactorily by looking at the petitioner’s
response to programs and treatment and the petitioner’s behavior
following adjudication, along with the nature and seriousness of the
conduct. At the hearing the county attorney or district
attorney, a victim, and any other person who may have relevant
information about the petitioner may testify.
The court may order all of the petitioner’s records be sealed if the
court finds that:
1. The petitioner has not, since the
terminations of the court’s jurisdiction or unconditional release from
the Division of Juvenile Justice Services, been convicted of a:
a. Felony, or
b. Misdemeanor involving moral turpitude
2. No proceeding involving a
felony or misdemeanor is pending or being instituted against the
petitioner; and
3. A judgement for restitution entered by
the court on the conviction for which the expungement is sought has
been satisfied.
Effect of Juvenile Expungement
Once the juvenile expungement order is signed by the judge,
the proceedings in the petitioner’s case shall be considered never to
have occurred and the petitioner may properly reply accordingly upon
any inquiry in the matter. Inspection of the records may
thereafter only be permitted by the court upon petition by the person
who is the subject of the records, and only to the person named in the
petition.
Finding a Utah Criminal Attorney

We
are pleased to offer services to clients throughout Utah. If you have a
juvenile or adult record that you would like to have expunged,
contact us today to see how our
criminal defense team can help you.
RELATED CRIMINAL DEFENSE QUESTIONS
What is the
effect of an adult expungement on my Utah criminal record?
How
do I find out if I am eligible for expungement of my adult record?
Is a Utah expungement of an adult record considered a complete
expungement?