Pennsylvania Clean Slate: how automatic record sealing works under Act 56, Act 83, and Clean Slate 3.0

Pennsylvania pioneered automatic record sealing in the United States. Act 56 of 2018, the original Clean Slate law, was the first state legislation requiring automatic sealing of qualifying criminal records without petition. The law passed with overwhelming bipartisan support (only two votes against in the entire General Assembly), reflecting the broad recognition that the procedural barriers to traditional expungement were preventing eligible people from accessing record relief. Since 2018, Pennsylvania has refined and expanded the framework through Clean Slate 2.0 in 2020 and Clean Slate 3.0 in 2024.

The framework operates on a fundamental distinction. Pennsylvania law has long provided traditional expungement (true record destruction) through court petition, but expungement eligibility in Pennsylvania has always been narrow. Most misdemeanor and felony convictions weren't expungeable under traditional law. Clean Slate added a second remedy on top: automatic sealing of qualifying records through database identification, requiring no petition or court appearance. Sealed records continue to exist in law enforcement databases but are removed from public background checks, employment screening, and housing application reviews.

For Pennsylvanians navigating record relief in 2026, the framework asks two questions in sequence. Is your record eligible for automatic sealing under Clean Slate? If not, does a petition-based remedy (sealing or expungement) still apply? Understanding the framework reveals that many eligible people already have relief in place without realizing it, and many others can access relief that wasn't available before the Clean Slate expansion.

The expungement versus sealing distinction

Pennsylvania law provides three different forms of record relief, and the differences matter for practical effect.

Expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. §9122 destroys the record entirely. After expungement, the record is removed from criminal history databases, court files are destroyed or returned, and the petitioner may legally deny that the arrest occurred for nearly all purposes.

Pennsylvania expungement is generally limited to:

Non-conviction records: dismissals, acquittals, and cases where charges weren't filed.

Completion of Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) or similar diversionary programs.

Summary offense convictions, after five years arrest-free.

Convictions where the person is age 70 or older and has been arrest-free for 10 years.

Convictions where the petitioner has received a gubernatorial pardon (Clean Slate 3.0 added automatic expungement of pardoned offenses).

Many juvenile cases.

Misdemeanor and felony convictions (with the narrow exceptions noted above) cannot be expunged under Pennsylvania law. The traditional expungement framework doesn't reach most convictions.

Sealing under 18 Pa.C.S. §9122.2 and §9122.3 makes the record invisible to most public background checks but preserves it for law enforcement and certain regulated entities. Sealed records can't be considered by most private employers, landlords, and licensing entities, but remain accessible to law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, school districts, and certain professional licensing boards.

Pennsylvania law allows sealing of substantially more record types than expungement allows. Sealing is the workhorse remedy of Pennsylvania record relief, particularly under Clean Slate.

Automatic sealing under the Clean Slate Acts is the mechanism that makes Pennsylvania's framework distinctive. Eligible records are sealed by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) and Pennsylvania State Police based on database analysis, without requiring any action by the eligible person. This automatic operation removes the procedural friction that has historically prevented eligible people from accessing record relief.

The three Clean Slate Acts

Pennsylvania's automatic sealing framework has expanded in three stages.

Clean Slate 1.0 (Act 56 of 2018) created the original automatic sealing structure. The law took effect for petitions on December 26, 2018, and automatic sealing implementation began June 28, 2019, with a June 27, 2020 deadline for the system to be fully operational. The original framework provided:

Automatic sealing of most non-violent misdemeanor convictions after 10 conviction-free years.

Automatic sealing of summary convictions after 10 years (later reduced).

Automatic sealing of non-conviction records (charges dismissed, acquitted, or never filed) 60 days after disposition.

Expanded petition-based sealing to many first-degree misdemeanors and certain second-degree assault offenses.

Clean Slate 2.0 (Act 83 of 2020) addressed an enforcement barrier in the original law. The 1.0 framework required the petitioner to have paid all court-ordered fines, costs, and restitution before sealing could occur. Many otherwise-eligible people were blocked from sealing because of outstanding court financial obligations they couldn't afford to pay. Clean Slate 2.0 allowed sealing despite unpaid fines and costs, removing the financial barrier and substantially expanding the population of people who actually received automatic relief.

Clean Slate 3.0 (Act 36 of 2024) took effect February 12, 2024 and represented the most substantive expansion of the framework. Key changes:

Reduced the misdemeanor waiting period from 10 years to 7 years (for conviction-free record).

Reduced the summary offense waiting period to 5 years.

Expanded eligibility to certain second-degree and third-degree felony convictions, particularly drug offenses (possession with intent, delivery of small amounts) and certain property offenses, through petition-based sealing after 10 years.

Added automatic expungement of pardoned offenses (rather than just sealing).

Implemented additional procedural improvements to address technical issues that had emerged in Clean Slate 1.0 and 2.0 operations.

The combined effect of the three Clean Slate Acts is a record relief framework substantially broader and more accessible than the traditional expungement framework was. Pennsylvanians with qualifying records often receive relief without taking any action.

How automatic sealing actually works

The automatic sealing mechanism operates through coordination between the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) and the Pennsylvania State Police.

Each month, AOPC reviews state criminal records databases to identify cases that meet the statutory eligibility criteria: conviction type, time elapsed since disposition, no disqualifying subsequent criminal history, and any applicable financial obligations or other requirements. AOPC produces a list of qualifying cases and transmits the list to the Pennsylvania State Police.

The Pennsylvania State Police updates the state's central criminal history records system to reflect sealing for the identified cases. Sealed records continue to exist in the database but are marked for restricted access. When private employers, landlords, or other parties run background checks through the state system, sealed records don't appear in the results.

For the eligible individual, automatic sealing happens without notice. The person doesn't receive a letter notifying them that their record was sealed. They don't need to take any action to receive the relief. The record is simply sealed when the criteria are met and the database is updated.

This automatic operation creates a category of people who have relief but don't realize it. Anyone with a qualifying Pennsylvania conviction from 7 or more years ago (or 5 years for summary offenses) should check whether automatic sealing has been applied before assuming the conviction is still affecting their background check results. The Pennsylvania State Police provides criminal history reports that show current sealing status.

What's eligible for automatic sealing under current law

Automatic sealing under Clean Slate 3.0 (effective February 12, 2024) covers:

Non-conviction records: arrests that didn't lead to charges, charges that were dismissed, acquittals. Sealed 60 days after disposition.

Summary offense convictions: sealed after 5 conviction-free years following completion of sentence.

Misdemeanor convictions (M1, M2, M3): sealed after 7 conviction-free years following completion of sentence.

Specific misdemeanors that are commonly affected include DUI (Driving Under the Influence), simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, harassment, terroristic threats, possession of an instrument of a crime, prostitution, and many others.

What's NOT eligible for automatic sealing:

Convictions for serious felonies (first-degree felonies generally, violent offenses, sex offenses).

Convictions that occurred during the relevant waiting period (subsequent convictions disqualify automatic sealing).

Certain offenses categorically excluded under the Clean Slate Acts (specific sex offenses, certain crimes against children, certain violent offenses).

Petition-based sealing under Clean Slate

For records that don't qualify for automatic sealing, petition-based sealing under 18 Pa.C.S. §9122.1 remains available for many cases. Under Clean Slate 3.0, petition-based sealing is available for:

First-degree misdemeanor convictions: eligible to be sealed by petition after 7 years (reduced from 10 under Clean Slate 3.0).

Certain second-degree and third-degree felony convictions: eligible to be sealed by petition after 10 years. Clean Slate 3.0 expanded this category to include drug offenses with shorter sentences (possession with intent, delivery of small amounts), certain property offenses, and other non-violent felonies that meet the eligibility criteria.

The petition process: file a petition for sealing in the court of common pleas in the county where the conviction occurred. The petition identifies the case, the offense, the disposition, and demonstrates eligibility under the relevant statute. The district attorney's office is served and has the opportunity to oppose. A hearing is generally held, particularly for contested petitions. If granted, the order is sent to AOPC and Pennsylvania State Police for implementation.

Filing fees range from $0 (waiver available for indigent petitioners) to $200 depending on the county. Counties vary in their procedural requirements and the responsiveness of the local district attorney's office to sealing petitions.

When traditional expungement still applies

Despite the expansion of Clean Slate sealing, traditional expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. §9122 remains the appropriate remedy for several specific situations:

Non-conviction records where the petitioner wants true record destruction (rather than just sealing). Non-convictions are sealed automatically 60 days after disposition under Clean Slate, but the petitioner can also pursue traditional expungement for actual record destruction.

ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition) completions where the petitioner wants expungement rather than the automatic sealing that ARD completion triggers.

Summary convictions after 5 years arrest-free for petitioners who want actual record destruction.

Convictions where the petitioner is 70 or older with 10 years arrest-free, for situations where expungement provides stronger relief than sealing.

Pardoned offenses, which under Clean Slate 3.0 are now automatically expunged (no petition required).

Juvenile records under 18 Pa.C.S. §9123, which have their own framework.

Common misconceptions

Several patterns recur in Pennsylvania Clean Slate questions:

The misconception that automatic sealing applies to all convictions after the waiting period. Not all convictions are eligible for sealing. Serious felonies, certain enumerated offenses, and convictions where subsequent criminal history occurred remain ineligible regardless of time elapsed.

The misconception that sealing is the same as expungement. Sealed records continue to exist; they're just hidden from public background checks. Law enforcement, certain regulated employers, and licensing boards may still see sealed records. For petitioners pursuing law enforcement, healthcare, education, or financial services careers, sealing may provide less protection than expected.

The misconception that fines must be paid before sealing. Clean Slate 2.0 removed the fines-paid requirement for automatic sealing. Outstanding fines and costs don't prevent sealing, though they continue to be enforceable independently.

The misconception that automatic sealing means immediate background check changes. Background check companies often don't update their databases on the same timeline as the Pennsylvania State Police. A sealed record may continue to appear on private background checks for weeks or months after the state system reflects sealing. Disputing the report with the background check company under the Fair Credit Reporting Act provisions may be necessary.

How Pennsylvania compares to other states

Pennsylvania's Clean Slate framework is among the most expansive in the country, but several other states have followed Pennsylvania's lead with similar automatic sealing systems. We cover this broader landscape in our overview of state expungement frameworks.

Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut, Utah, and New York have all adopted automatic sealing frameworks broadly similar to Pennsylvania's Clean Slate. New York's framework, the Clean Slate Act of 2024 effective November 16, 2024, is among the newest implementations.

California's Penal Code §1203.4 dismissal combined with AB 1076 and PC §1203.425 automatic sealing creates a parallel framework that operates differently in technical mechanics but produces similar practical effect: automatic relief for eligible records without requiring petition.

Texas takes a different approach. Texas's Chapter 55A expunction provides actual record destruction (stronger relief than sealing) but applies to narrower categories of cases. Convictions in Texas are generally not expungeable, and the non-disclosure remedy under Chapter 411 is the available alternative.

What to do if you have a Pennsylvania record

Check whether automatic sealing has already been applied. Request a current copy of your Pennsylvania State Police criminal history report. Review how each case is reflected. If your record shows cases that should qualify under the waiting periods (7 years for misdemeanors, 5 years for summary offenses) but aren't marked as sealed, either the case is in a category that requires petition or there's a technical issue worth investigating.

For records that should have been automatically sealed but weren't, contact AOPC or Pennsylvania State Police to inquire. Sometimes the issue is a technical disqualifier that can be addressed administratively.

For petition-based sealing, prepare the petition with appropriate documentation. The Pennsylvania State Law Library and county court websites provide guidance, and many counties accept self-represented petitioners for routine cases. Attorney representation is generally worth the cost for petitions involving contested eligibility, multiple cases, or felony-level sealing under Clean Slate 3.0 expansion.

For pardoned offenses, the Clean Slate 3.0 automatic expungement provision should apply. Confirm the expungement has been implemented by reviewing your criminal history record.

For background check companies still reporting sealed records, file disputes under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. §1681 et seq.) requesting correction of the records to reflect current sealing status. Most background check companies have established dispute procedures.

The Pennsylvania Clean Slate framework is genuinely transformative for people with eligible records. Many Pennsylvanians have automatic sealing in place without knowing it; others can access petition-based sealing under Clean Slate 3.0 expansion that wasn't available before. For those whose records still affect employment, housing, or licensing opportunities, the framework provides multiple paths to relief. The work is in understanding which path applies and confirming that any automatic relief has been properly implemented.