Florida Statutes 943.0585 and 943.059 require that a person wishing to have his or her criminal history record sealed or expunged must first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. With this certificate, the person can petition the court for an order to seal or expunge his or her record. Effective July 1, 2006, these Florida Statutes sections are amended to establish a 12-month certificate expiration date. If the date issued on the certificate is more than 12 months old when the subject files a petition with the court, the certificate is invalid, and the applicant must re-apply to FDLE and qualify to obtain a new certificate. This will help ensure the subject is still eligible when the court receives the petition. A packet with forms that can be used in this process may be obtained from any criminal department.
Visit the Florida Department of Law and Enforcement website for information about Sealing and Expunging Criminal History records.
Local Administrative Order