Washington: Adult Convictions (WA-C-1)

Records relating to a conviction for a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor can be vacated by the court three years after sentence completion, so long as the petitioner meets the specified criteria. Wash. Rev. Code § 9.96.060(1), (2).

Record Detail(s)

Misdemeanor

Previous Conviction Disqualifying

Potentially, see statute

Mandatory / Discretionary

Discretionary

Hearing

No statutory language

Clearance Process

Petition-based

Remedy

Vacate

Ineligible Category or Citation

See Wash. Rev. Code § 9.96.060(2) for offenses ineligible to be vacated.

Procedure General

The petition must be filed in the sentencing court. For the specific procedure, see Wash. Rev. Code § 9.96.060.

Fees

There is no fee.

Effect

The petitioner is released from all penalties and disabilities resulting from the offense. The petitioner can state that they have never been convicted of a crime for all purposes, including questions on employment or housing applications. State patrol and local law enforcement agencies can disseminate information on vacated convictions to other criminal justice agencies. Wash. Rev. Code § 9.96.060(5), (6). The court records may remain available to the public after vacation. Please consult a legal professional for more information.

Forms

More information on vacating criminal records can be found here.

Waiting Periods

The petition can be filed three years after sentence completion.

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