Expungement Lawyer · Philadelphia County, PA
Expungement Lawyer in Philadelphia County.
A Pennsylvania criminal record follows you to every job, lease, and license application. We file and prosecute expungement and Clean Slate sealing petitions in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia.
Free & confidential · Usually a same-day callback
- 25+ years experience
- National College for DUI Defense
- Five-star reviewed
- BBB A+ Rated
Local Expungement Practice
Clear your record in Philadelphia County.
Philadelphia is Pennsylvania's largest jurisdiction and runs a unified Court of Common Pleas with a Criminal Trial Division, Municipal Court, and a dedicated expungement program — the petition process here is high-volume and procedurally specialized, and Clean Slate sealing has cleared millions of Philadelphia records.
Every Philadelphia County expungement petition runs through the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. We pull your certified criminal-history record from the Pennsylvania State Police, identify every eligible docket, draft the petition under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122, file with the Philadelphia County Clerk of Courts, and serve the District Attorney for objections.
We also handle Clean Slate sealing under Act 56 of 2018 and Act 36 of 2023, P.L. 334, No. 36 (HB 689), signed December 14, 2023 — including limited-access petitions for convictions that fall outside the automatic-sealing rules. After the order is signed we follow through with PSP, PennDOT, the AOPC, and the arresting agency to confirm the record is actually destroyed or sealed.
Court & jurisdiction
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia, PA. Expungement and Clean Slate petitions are filed with the Philadelphia County Clerk of Courts and decided by a Common Pleas judge — usually on the papers if the District Attorney does not object.
Philadelphia's Court of Common Pleas takes the longest in the state to process expungement petitions — typically 120 to 180 days, sometimes longer for complex multi-docket filings.
Working with us from Philadelphia County
The entire petition can be handled remotely — we collect your record, draft the filing, coordinate with the Philadelphia courthouse, and follow up with PSP and PennDOT after the order is entered. You do not need to travel to Camp Hill.
3425 Simpson Ferry Rd, Suite 100, Camp Hill, PA 17011
What we can clear from a Philadelphia County record.
Non-convictions
Arrests that ended in dismissal, withdrawal, nolle prosequi, or acquittal — fully expungeable under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.
ARD completion
Charges resolved through Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition are eligible once ARD is successfully completed.
Summary offenses
Summary convictions can be expunged after five years arrest-free under § 9122(b)(3).
Juvenile records
Most juvenile adjudications are expungeable once the person turns 18 and meets the statutory waiting period.
Clean Slate sealing
Summary convictions may seal automatically after 5 years, eligible misdemeanors after 7 years, and qualifying drug felonies after 10 years under Act 36 of 2023.
Pardon-based expungement
Convictions cleared by gubernatorial pardon are expunged automatically under § 9122(a.1) — no petition required since June 11, 2024.
Not every record is eligible — most misdemeanor and felony convictions stay on the record unless cleared by pardon or sealed under Clean Slate. See our criminal defense overview and the DUI expungement guide for the most common scenarios we see.
Related reading for Philadelphia County residents
Expungement & Clean Slate guides.
How to expunge a DUI record
The Pennsylvania expungement process for a DUI, step by step.
DUI ARD expungement
Clearing a first-tier DUI off your record after completing ARD.
ARD & Act 58 of 2025
How Pennsylvania's new law lets a prior ARD count as a prior DUI offense.
ARD program in PA
Eligibility, intake, and what to expect after ARD admission.
Pennsylvania criminal defense
Misdemeanor and felony defense across Central PA.
Free expungement consultation
Tell us the docket and we'll tell you what is eligible.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Common questions about expungement and Clean Slate sealing in Philadelphia County, PA — eligibility, cost, timing, and what happens after the order is signed.
Pennsylvania allows expungement of arrests that did not result in conviction, ARD dispositions after successful completion, summary offenses after five years arrest-free, and certain juvenile records. Convictions that are not expungeable may qualify for sealing under the Clean Slate Law, including the changes made by Act 36 of 2023, P.L. 334, No. 36 (HB 689), signed December 14, 2023.
From filing the petition to entry of the order, most county expungements take 3 to 6 months. The court signs the order, then PSP, PennDOT, the arresting agency, and the AOPC must each destroy or seal their copies — that propagation typically takes another 30 to 90 days.
Expungement destroys the record so it does not appear on background checks. Clean Slate sealing limits public access while keeping the record available for the entities and purposes identified in 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 9121(b.1), 9121(b.2), and 9122.5. State licensing boards may not consider a sealed conviction under § 9124(b)(2). Summary convictions may seal automatically after 5 years, eligible misdemeanors after 7 years, and qualifying drug felonies after 10 years; petition sealing also reaches specified M1, F3, and ungraded convictions.
A DUI charge resolved through ARD, dismissal, withdrawal, or acquittal may qualify for expungement. A DUI conviction generally cannot be expunged, but an otherwise eligible ungraded misdemeanor or M2 DUI may qualify for automatic Clean Slate sealing after seven years under § 9122.2, subject to § 9122.3 exclusions and payment of court-ordered restitution. M1 eligibility under petition-based § 9122.1 requires case-specific review. Act 58 created a separate § 3802(h) DUI-following-diversion offense; it did not make ARD a § 3806 prior offense.
Usually no. Most Pennsylvania expungement petitions are decided on the papers if the District Attorney does not object. If the DA objects, a brief hearing is scheduled — we appear for you in the county where the case originated.
Filing fees vary by county (typically $130–$200), and the certified-record fees and PSP processing add roughly another $50–$100. Our flat attorney fee covers petition drafting, filing, DA negotiations, and follow-through with PSP, PennDOT, and the AOPC to confirm the record was actually cleared.
Nearby PA expungement counties
Other Pennsylvania counties we file expungements in.
Most of our clients have records in more than one Pennsylvania county. If yours include arrests outside Philadelphia County, start with the nearest county page below — we file in all 67.
Expungement Lawyer — Delaware County, PA
Delaware County petitions filed at the Court of Common Pleas in Media.
Expungement Lawyer — Montgomery County, PA
Montgomery County petitions filed at the Court of Common Pleas in Norristown.
Expungement Lawyer — Chester County, PA
Chester County petitions filed at the Court of Common Pleas in West Chester.
Expungement Lawyer — Bucks County, PA
Bucks County petitions filed at the Court of Common Pleas in Doylestown.
Expungement Lawyer — Berks County, PA
Berks County petitions filed at the Court of Common Pleas in Reading.
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