Crime & Traffic
Criminal Records
A criminal record can affect many areas of your life. These resources help you understand what you can do to move past this record.
Learn your rights (4 resources)
Explains how to ask the Governor to forgive you for a crime you committed and served your punishment for.
Guide
Convictions can be sealed (hidden), while other types of cases and arrests can be expunged (erased).
Guide
Explains how you can hide your past criminal records from the public and from employers.
Guide
Explains how to erase the record of an arrest that happened when a person was a minor.
Guide
Forms (7 resources)
A program to help you complete the forms to ask a court to expunge or seal your adult criminal record.
Easy Form
Use this form to gather all of the information about your criminal records and identify which items qualify for expungement and which qualify for sealing.
Form download
Use this form if you have a criminal conviction that prevents you from working in health care
Form link
Use the form to ask for executive clemency from the Illinois Governor.
Form link
Other resources for the public (53 resources)
Describes a person's eligibility for a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card, gun ownership and use based upon prior criminal convictions.
Text article
A list of the types of arrests and other criminal records that can be expunged, and which can be sealed.
Text article
Explains the common shortening of words on a RAP sheet so that you can understand your arrest record.
Text article
The first step in clearing your criminal record is finding out what is on it. Learn how to collect the documents you need to clear your record.
Text article
Lawyer resources (3 resources)
Manual on expungement and sealing including the Criminal Identification Act. 2021 edition
IICLE
A video with an overview on FBI records and how clients can view and fix errors in their records.
Video
Essential guide covering criminal defense cases in Illinois, including arrest, early representation, pretrial discovery and motions, defenses, plea and sentencing bargaining, and trial prep. 2021 Ed.
IICLE