Colorado Record Sealing: Petition and Automatic Relief Under Colorado Law

Non-conviction records are eligible for sealing under C.R.S. § 24-72-705 when a case is completely dismissed, when you are acquitted on all counts, when you complete a diversion agreement under § 18-1.3-101, or when you complete a deferred judgment and sentence resulting in dismissal of all charges.

For conviction sealing, petty offenses and drug petty offenses may be sealed after one year following the final disposition of all criminal proceedings against you; class 1 misdemeanor drug offenses may be sealed after three years; and most other misdemeanor drug offenses may be sealed after two years.

Certain eligible felony drug convictions under C.R.S. § 24-72-703 may be sealed after defined waiting periods, provided the offense is not excluded under the statute; eligibility generally depends on the specific drug offense and the level of the charge.

You must not have any pending criminal charges in any court at the time you petition, and you must not have been convicted of any new criminal offense during the waiting period after the conviction you seek to seal.

The automatic sealing program handles many non-conviction dispositions without any court filing required on your part, as the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is directed by law to seal those records upon receipt of the qualifying disposition information.

Expungement, which permanently destroys the record rather than sealing it, is available for juvenile adjudications and for certain misdemeanor drug convictions granted under former drug court provisions, but adult felony convictions generally qualify only for sealing, not full expungement.