Can I Expunge My Louisiana Record?

An old arrest or charge can follow you into every job application, apartment lease, and background check — even when the case went nowhere. Louisiana law lets many people clear their record. Answer a few questions for a plain-language read on where you may stand. It is not legal advice, and eligibility always deserves a lawyer’s confirmation.

Expungement in Louisiana does not destroy the record — it makes it confidential, out of reach of the background checks most employers and landlords run. The path depends entirely on how your case ended. Answer what you know.

The screener

Are you currently in prison serving a felony sentence?

Being on probation or parole does not count as “in prison” for this question — only physical custody on a felony sentence.

How did the case end?

Please read. This tool is a free educational aid, not legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It screens only the most common Louisiana scenarios (La. C.Cr.P. arts. 976–986) in simplified form. It cannot read your actual record, and real eligibility can turn on details it does not collect — the exact wording of the disposition, tolling of the State’s time limits, prior or later arrests, and the specific offense involved. Conviction expungements carry waiting periods and categorical exclusions this screener does not evaluate. Filing involves fees that vary by parish, service on the district attorney, and the DA’s opportunity to object. An expungement makes the record confidential; it does not destroy it. Do not make decisions based on this result — a record review is quick, and it is the only way to know for sure.

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