This page was designed to help our clients better understand our Oregon Expungement of Juvenile Record service. You will find answers to the questions we are most frequently asked. If your question is related to eligibility requirements please take the free online test.
Simply click on a question to see its answer:
“Termination means: (A) For a person who is the subject of a record kept by a juvenile court or juvenile department, the final disposition of a case by informal means, by a decision not to place the person on probation or make the person a ward of the court after the person has been found to be within the court's jurisdiction, or by a discontinuance of probation or of the court's wardship. (B) For a person who is the subject of a record kept by a law enforcement or public investigative agency, a juvenile court or juvenile department or an agency of the State of Oregon, the final disposition of the person's most recent contact with a law enforcement agency.” ORS 419.260(1)(e). If you don’t know the date and would like us to research your criminal history to find what the termination date was, please contact our office.
We will be glad to work with you to get a copy of your record and review what can be done. We charge a researching fee and we apply that to the cost of any service that you hire us to perform.
Expungements of juvenile records can be filed together. Due to additional work that must be performed we have to charge for additional cases; however, if you sign up for multiple cases then we discount them.
The expungement petition is filed in the court of the county where you resided at the time of the most recent case. ORS 419A.262(1).
Cases are denied for the following reasons: (1) an inaccuracy in the court file, (2) an inaccuracy in the petition, (3) the court does not believe an expungement will be in the interest of society, (4) adult convictions, or (5) fines were not fully paid.
You can only expunge certain federal cases. Typically, you have to show that the conviction was wrongful or unconstitutional. Additionally, a person can apply for a pardon through the President. We do not handle federal cases.
No, we will go to court for you. If the court requests your presence and you are unable to attend, we will file a motion to excuse your appearance.
There will be a hearing if the district attorney files an objection. However, if no objection is filed then the judge can issue a decision without a hearing. ORS 419A.262(14).
Typically, most cases take about four to six months depending on the court.
Our estimate is based on how long the average juvenile expungement case takes in Oregon; however, each case is different. Factors affecting the length of the process include: the circumstances surrounding the case, whether the District Attorney is agreeing or objecting, and the amount of time that has passed since the incident. We work on your case as fast as we can and assist the court and District Attorney in anything they need to get your case heard.
The courts work on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, the sooner you sign up, the sooner your case is heard and decided. If helpful, we will gladly write a letter to your employer or potential employer to let them know we are in the process of having the case expunged.
If the case is denied, we evaluate the reason for the denial and determine the best way to proceed. If we do not believe that refiling would be successful or we recommend the person wait longer to refile.
You will receive a court order sealing the records. The court will send a copy of the expungement order to each agency and the agency is required to comply with the order within 21 days of receipt. After an agency seals the records they must inform the court that they have complied and sealed the records. After all the agencies have indicated that they have complied with the expungement order or no later than six weeks after the expungement, the court will provide you with a copy of the judgment, a list of the complying and noncomplying agencies, and a notice of rights. ORS 419A.262(18)-(19).
We are unable to offer a money-back guarantee on this service, because the process involves a substantial amount of preparation and sometimes several appearances in court by our attorneys. We cannot afford to offer this low of a price and a money-back guarantee.
After you complete your sentence for a juvenile offense, the court does not automatically seal the records in most cases and you have to petition the court to seal the records. However, once your record is sealed, your record will be treated as though the charge never existed.
Expungement is the removal and sealing of the case and all records and references to the case. ORS 419A.260(1)(b).
No. Once your juvenile offense has been sealed, your case is treated as though the case never happened. ORS 419A.262(22).
No. Once your juvenile offense has been sealed, Oregon law treats your case as though the case never happened, and you can too. You can legally deny your case’s existence as though the case never happened. ORS 419A.262(22).
No. Please take our free online eligibility test to determine if you are eligible to terminate the requirement to register.
If you have been convicted of minor offenses (including assault, dangerous driving, DUI, theft, shoplifting, unauthorized possession of firearms, possession of illegal substances, etc.) or indictable criminal offenses (including assault with a deadly weapon, manslaughter, etc.) you may be prohibited from entrance into Canada and further action will be required to find out whether you will be allowed entrance. The Canadian government has entered into an information sharing agreement with the United States, so the Canadian government will have whatever information the United States has on file. Therefore, the first thing you should do is clear your criminal record to the fullest extent possible before submitting to a background check. The benefit of an expungement is that it will show the Canadian government that the matter was resolved and is no longer considered a conviction. This will improve the odds of being granted entry into Canada and help avoid being stuck at the border for a lengthy interrogation.
The Border Patrol has discretion in granting or denying Sentri passes; therefore the only thing we can say for sure is that investing in clearing your record before applying for a pass would be advantageous. A modest investment in getting an expungement could be the difference between having your request accepted or denied. The expungement will show that you have resolved all matters with the court.
You never lose the right to vote unless you are currently in prison or on parole for a felony.
Criminal violations may have severe consequences for immigrants, even if the crime is expunged/vacated/sealed. Even minor offenses such as petty theft can make someone deportable or inadmissible, while more serious offenses such as burglary may not have the same consequences. Since each case is unique, a case-by-case analysis tailored to your specific facts is important. Contacting a qualified immigration attorney is imperative to find out if your criminal conviction will impact your immigration case. Our in-house immigration attorney is available to answer questions at 714-617-8395.
You can truthfully say you were not convicted to any question for employment. Since your case will be sealed, the information will not appear on the background check. ORS 419A.262.
If you want to join the US military, then the issue becomes a matter of federal law, not Oregon state law. All branches of the military will want to know about your juvenile offenses, even if they have been sealed. Whether or not you actually disclose the case is up to you. In most cases, even the federal government would not find out about juvenile offenses that have been long sealed and/or destroyed. However, there is still a risk of being discharged from the military if you don’t tell them and they later find out about the case.
For Oregon, once your juvenile records have been sealed, the case is treated as though your case never occurred, and you can deny the case. Furthermore, once your juvenile records are sealed, they might be physically destroyed after a few years. Thus, someone knowing about your case is highly unlikely. ORS 419A.262.
Nothing will appear because the record will be sealed. Once a record is sealed your case is treated as if the case never happened and you can answer as if your case never occurred. ORS 419A.262(22).
The court updates the court records within 48 hours and the agencies have up to 21 days to update their records. ORS 419A.262(18).