What states have a clean slate law?
Asked by: Baron Parisian | Last update: January 30, 2026Score: 4.2/5 (1 votes)
As of late 2025, 12+ states have passed Clean Slate laws for automatic record sealing or expungement, including Pennsylvania, Utah, New Jersey, Michigan, Connecticut, Delaware, Virginia, Oklahoma, Colorado, California, Minnesota, and New York, with advocates working on others like Illinois and Texas. These laws automate the process of clearing eligible criminal records after individuals remain crime-free for a set period, offering fresh starts for many.
Which states are clean slate states?
Other states that have passed clean slate laws include: California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Virginia.
What states limit background checks to 7 years?
States with seven-year reporting limits
- California.
- Connecticut.
- Kansas.
- Maryland.
- Massachusetts.
- Montana.
- New Hampshire.
- New Mexico.
What state is most lenient on felons?
The most friendly state for felons is Vermont, where no felons are disenfranchised and no voting restrictions. In the US, there are 5.17 million people disenfranchised due to a felony conviction. There are 2 million people in prisons around the US.
What states have automatic expungements?
Currently, 26 states and Puerto Rico have at least one statutory automatic record clearing provision. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia have enacted legislation that automates the automatic record clearing process, sometimes ...
Pritzker signs Clean Slate Act into law
Which felonies cannot be expunged?
Several types of offenses are automatically excluded from expungement eligibility in California:
- Serious Sex Crimes Involving Minors. ...
- Felonies That Resulted in Prison Time (Not Jail) ...
- Crimes Related to Public Corruption. ...
- Crimes Not Eligible Due to a Violation of Probation or Parole.
Is a clean slate a fresh start?
A fresh start; another chance after wiping out old offenses or debts. This idiom often appears as wipe the slate clean.
What states do not extradite felons?
South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana have not adopted the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act, but have adopted other extradition laws.
What's the worst felony to get?
The "worst" felony is typically a Capital Felony, often defined as premeditated murder, treason, or espionage, carrying penalties of life imprisonment or the death penalty, though federal systems classify the most severe as Class A felonies, which also include murder, terrorism, and large-scale drug trafficking, punishable by life in prison or the death penalty. Specifics vary by state, but generally, the most serious crimes (like first-degree murder, aggravated sexual assault, arson causing death) fall into the highest categories (Class A, First Degree, Capital).
Which state has the least strict background checks?
Montana has no law regulating consideration of criminal record in public or private employment, including the limits on application-stage inquiry by public employers that most other states have adopted.
What states are felony friendly?
These Are the States Most Likely to Hire Former Felons
- California.
- Colorado.
- Kansas.
- Maryland.
- Massachusetts.
- Montana.
- Nevada.
- New Hampshire.
Can a background check go back 20 years?
Under Cal. Civ. Code 1786.18(a)(7), California mandates that a conviction can't be reported when it's older than seven years. Arrests that didn't lead to convictions can't be reported regardless of how much time has elapsed.
What states don't care about felonies?
Ten of these states have mandated the removal of conviction history questions from job applications for private employers:
- California.
- Connecticut.
- Hawaii.
- Illinois.
- Massachusetts.
- Minnesota.
- New Jersey.
- Oregon.
What is the Clean Slate Act 2025?
The Clean Slate Act of 2025 refers to proposed federal legislation (H.R. 3114/S. 1580) to create automatic record sealing for certain nonviolent federal crimes and provide petition processes for others, alongside state-level laws like Minnesota's (effective Jan 1, 2025) and Illinois' (signed Jan 2026), all aiming to give people second chances by sealing eligible past convictions from public view, aiding employment and housing, while excluding violent offenses and serious crimes.
Where can I live if I have a felony?
Renting from Smaller, Private Landlords.
People with criminal backgrounds often have more luck renting from small landlords, who might only own a few properties and thus have a more personal relationship to their tenants.
What's the least bad felony?
The least serious felony is typically a Class E or Class I felony, depending on the state, often involving non-violent property crimes, certain drug possession, or lower-level financial fraud, but penalties still range from probation to several years in prison, with examples including grand larceny or criminally negligent homicide in NY, or dog larceny in NC, though which specific crime qualifies depends heavily on jurisdiction and the offender's record.
What is a felony e?
Some states classify crimes as Class E (or Level 5) felonies, which are typically less serious than felonies in Classes A, B, C, and D.
Can felons travel from state to state?
If you are facing felony charges, you are likely unable to travel outside the state. Courts may not rule in your favor to travel even if you live in another state.
Where can you go where you can't be extradited?
Top 10 Countries without Extradition to the US in 2026
- Asia: China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Nepal.
- Middle East: Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
- Europe: Belarus and Montenegro.
- Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and several other African countries with limited or inactive treaties.
What are the limitations of clean slate?
It's important to note there are limits to the Clean Slate law. You are generally limited to two automatic expungements from Class A misdemeanor drug possessions and three for Class B misdemeanors. Also, during the waiting period, you cannot be charged with any new criminal convictions during that time.
Does the Clean Slate Act happen automatically?
California recently enacted some new Clean Slate laws (AB 1076 and SB 731). These laws help clear certain arrest and conviction records automatically.
How to give yourself a clean slate?
7 ways to create a clean slate
- 1 End what needs to end. This sounds dramatic, yet it's something many of us don't like to do. ...
- 2 Give away what you don't need anymore. ...
- 3 Fix what's broken (or throw it out) ...
- 4 Catch up what needs to be caught up. ...
- 5 Release and let go. ...
- 6 Cleanse, clean and clear. ...
- 7 Update what's out of date.