Don’t Let Your Record Define You.

Your criminal record shouldn’t dictate your future. Whether it’s employment, housing, or professional licensing, even an old arrest or dismissed charge can create barriers. Expungement is meant to solve this — but most people don’t realize that simply getting an order from a judge doesn’t guarantee your record disappears from all databases.

In reality, many records persist. Our audits show that 25–30% of New Jersey government agencies fail to update their databases even after receiving an expungement order, meaning your record could still show up in systems like the NJ Municipal Court database that landlords or employers check. And it gets worse – dozens of private background check companies (TruthFinder, Checkr, Sterling, etc.) are never notified of your expungement. Unless someone contacts them, they can keep selling your old information. It’s no wonder so many people say: “I thought I was expunged, but my record is still out there.” In fact, a 2023 class-action lawsuit by the NJ Public Defender alleged that expungement delays led to illegally disclosed records, causing people to lose jobs and housing opportunities.

How NSLF Ensures Your Record Is Truly Gone

At National Security Law Firm (NSLF), led by Karen Howell, Esq., we take extra steps that most firms ignore to make sure an expunged record is truly wiped clean everywhere:

  • Government Database Verification: We follow up with government agencies – courts, police departments, county prosecutors, probation, the New Jersey State Police (NJSP), even the FBI – to confirm they’ve removed or sealed your record. If any agency hasn’t complied, we escalate until your expungement order is honored.

  • Private Background Check Cleanup: Using our proprietary system, we proactively notify major private background reporting companies to stop reporting your expunged records. (Many other firms don’t bother with this, or charge extra for it – we include it free.)

  • Lifetime Record Protection: If your record ever resurfaces years later (for example, in a database update or new background report), we will fight to remove it at no cost to you. You have our support for life.

  • Refund Guarantee: If your expungement petition is ultimately denied for reasons outside your control, we refund your legal fee in full. (⚠️ Note: If denial occurs because you failed to disclose parts of your criminal history to us, the guarantee doesn’t apply – so it’s critical to be upfront about your record.)

👉 Read more: Why expunged records still show up — and how we fix it.

By going beyond the courthouse, NSLF ensures your expungement isn’t just a piece of paper – it’s effective in the real world.

Expedited Expungements – Faster Relief in 2025

For years, one of the biggest frustrations in the New Jersey expungement process has been the delay between court approval and full record clearance—especially at the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) level. But in April 2025, a landmark legal settlement changed that. For the first time, individuals can formally request expedited NJSP processing, reducing months or even years of wait time if their case qualifies.

⚖️ New Rules: NJSP Must Act Within 120 Days

Under a binding April 2025 consent order:

  • NJSP must process expungement orders within 120 days of receipt.

  • They must make best efforts to complete them in 90 days.

  • In certain cases, they must follow a shortened timeline set by the court.

This is a dramatic shift from the old system, where record updates routinely dragged on for over a year—even after the court had signed off.

🧭 Important Distinction: Court Timelines vs. NJSP Timelines

Expedited processing only applies to the State Police portion of the expungement—not the court’s review and approval, which still varies by county. While we can sometimes motion to speed up court review, the 2025 reforms specifically target NJSP delays.

✅ Who Qualifies for Expedited Handling?

Courts are more likely to grant expedited requests when you’re facing:

  • A job offer or licensing delay

  • Background check issues blocking housing or education

  • A pending federal clearance or security screening

We’ll help you gather and present the documentation needed to show “exceptional circumstances.”

⚠️ What It Doesn’t Mean

Let’s set expectations:

  • The court must agree to include an expedited timeline in your order.

  • NJSP is obligated to comply—but no outcome is guaranteed.

  • This doesn’t affect the separate, earlier step of court approval.

Still, for those who qualify, this is the fastest legal path to full record clearance available in New Jersey.

👉 Learn more: How expedited expungement works under the 2025 NJSP settlement.

Who Is Eligible for Expungement in New Jersey?

New Jersey’s expungement laws have expanded in recent years, making record relief available to more people. Here’s a 2025 overview of expungement eligibility in NJ:

  • Adult Conviction Expungements: Most indictable offenses (felonies) and disorderly persons offenses (misdemeanors) can be expunged if you meet certain criteria. Generally, you can expunge one indictable conviction (felony) in your lifetime, plus up to 3 disorderly persons (misdemeanor) convictions – or up to 4 if all occurred before October 2018 – in that same petitionnationalsecuritylawfirm.comnationalsecuritylawfirm.com. All offenses you wish to clear are typically combined into one expungement application. If you have multiple convictions that were part of a single incident or “spree” of events that occurred in a short time frame, the court may treat them as one unit for expungement purposes. However, if you have two totally separate felony convictions from different incidents, you would not be eligible to expunge both under the regular process (but see Clean Slate below).

  • Waiting Period: You must wait at least 5 years from the date of your most recent conviction, payment of any fines, completion of probation/parole, or release from incarceration – whichever came last – before applying to expunge a convictionlsnj.org. (Court-imposed financial obligations like fines or restitution should be paid, or the court can convert unpaid amounts to a civil judgment so they don’t hold up your expungementnewjerseymonitor.com.) In some cases, New Jersey allows an early expungement after only 3 years if you have no new offenses and can show “compelling circumstances” that justify early clearance of your record. This is a harder standard to meet, but it’s an option for those who qualify.

  • Disqualifying Offenses: Certain serious crimes cannot be expunged in New Jersey. These include almost all violent crimes and serious offenses such as murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault/rape, robbery, arson, perjury, and official corruption. Additionally, major drug trafficking offenses (e.g. operating a drug distribution network) and convictions related to public office (if you committed the offense while holding public office) are not eligible.lsnj.org These exceptions ensure that expungement is available for those who’ve made mistakes on lesser offenses, not for the most serious crimes.

  • Prior and Subsequent Offenses: New Jersey no longer has an “absolute bar” that prevents expungement just because you had other past convictions. A 2019 reform removed the old rule that disqualified applicants with any prior felony from expunging a later one. Now, as long as you are expunging the only indictable conviction on your record (or multiple indictables from the same incident), it doesn’t matter if you had other convictions in the past that you aren’t expunging – those just can’t be expunged at the same time. However, note that you generally get to expunge your convictions only once. The law permits one expungement petition in a lifetime for convictionsnationalsecuritylawfirm.com (you can include multiple eligible convictions in that one petition). This means you should include all eligible matters you want cleared when you file. If you expunge a conviction and later get another conviction, you won’t be able to expunge the new offense except via the Clean Slate process or a pardon (see below).

  • Clean Slate Expungement (10-Year Rule): New Jersey introduced a “Clean Slate” expungement law effective June 2020 that allows people with multiple convictions to clear their entire record after a long crime-free period. If 10 years have passed since your most recent conviction (and completion of sentence and payments), you can petition for a Clean Slate expungement of all your convictions at oncelsnj.org. This is meant for individuals who may have more than the one indictable or up to 3 disorderly offenses allowed under the regular process. With Clean Slate, even if you have, for example, two felony convictions, you can expunge them both (plus any number of misdemeanors) as long as 10 years have passed and none of them are disqualified types of offenses. The same exceptions apply (serious violent crimes and certain drug/public office crimes cannot be cleared). Clean Slate expungement is mandatory if you qualify – the court must grant it once you meet the criteria.

    Important: Although the law calls for eventual automatic Clean Slate expungements, that automated system has not yet fully materialized as of 2025nj.govnj.gov. For now, eligible individuals still need to file a petition in court to get a Clean Slate expungement. (Legislation in 2024 expanded Clean Slate to include expunging municipal ordinance violations and allowed filing in your county of residence to simplify the process.) The good news is that a prior expungement does not disqualify you from seeking a Clean Slate expungementnj.gov. So even if you expunged a minor conviction before, you can still use Clean Slate later to clear additional old convictions, as long as 10 years have passed since your last offense.

  • Marijuana and Hashish Offenses: In 2021, New Jersey enacted marijuana decriminalization and directed the courts to automatically expunge many minor marijuana cases. In fact, by September 2021 the NJ court system had expunged over 362,000 marijuana and hashish cases from people’s records under that lawwhyy.org. This included offenses like low-level possession and small-scale distribution that were made legal or downgraded. If you had a single charge for possession of small amounts of marijuana or hashish, chances are it was expunged automatically. (You can contact the courts or our office to confirm if a specific marijuana case was cleared.) Larger-scale marijuana convictions (for example, distribution of over 1 ounce but less than 5 pounds) were regraded to make them eligible for expungement as disorderly persons offenses after 3 years. Bottom line: New Jersey took special action to wipe out old marijuana records – a huge benefit if you only had a cannabis offense. If any marijuana conviction still appears on your background check, it may be eligible for immediate administrative expungement or petition-based expungement now.

  • Expungement of Dismissed Charges (Non-Convictions): If you were arrested but not convicted – for example, charges were dismissed, you were acquitted (found not guilty), or you completed a diversion program – those records do qualify for expungement, and New Jersey law actually provides for many of these to be cleared automatically at the time of disposition. Under reforms passed in 2019, the Superior Court is supposed to automatically expunge the records of a case that ends in dismissal or not-guilty, without you even having to apply (and municipal courts do the same for cases they handle)nj.gov. In the case of diversion programs (like Pre-Trial Intervention or Conditional Dismissal for first-time offenders), the law provides for automatic expungement 6 months after the program is successfully completed. There are a couple of caveats:

    • If your charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal where you pled guilty to other charges, those dismissed charges won’t be expunged until you become eligible to expunge the conviction you pled tonewjerseymonitor.com. (In other words, you can’t expunge parts of a criminal case while the other parts remain on your record.)

    • If you weren’t expunged automatically for some reason, you have the right to file a petition at any time to expunge a non-conviction record. There is no limit on how many times you can expunge arrest records that did not result in conviction – even if you have multiple dismissals over the years, they can all be cleared.

    • One exception: if you were found not guilty by reason of insanity or lack of mental capacity, those records are not eligible for expungement under NJ law.

  • Juvenile Records: New Jersey allows expungement of juvenile delinquency records in a similar manner to adult records. If you were adjudicated delinquent (the juvenile equivalent of a conviction), you can typically expunge your entire juvenile record 3 years after your final discharge from custody or supervision, as long as you’ve had no subsequent offenses (juvenile or adult) in those 3 years and the offense would be expungeable if it had been committed by an adultlsnj.orglsnj.org. Serious violent offenses by juveniles that would not be eligible for adult expungement (like murder, rape, etc.) cannot be expunged from juvenile records either. Also, you must never have had an adult conviction expunged or an adult diversion to use the 3-year juvenile expungement path. If you don’t meet the 3-year criteria, you can still petition to expunge juvenile adjudications under the same rules as adult convictions (5-year waiting period, etc.). Juvenile records, once expunged, have the same effect – the offense is deemed not to have occurred.

  • Special Cases – Drug Court (Recovery Court) Graduates: If you participated in New Jersey’s Drug Court (now often called Recovery Court) and completed the special probation and treatment program successfully, you have a unique expungement opportunity. Under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-14(m), upon graduation the Superior Court can expunge all records of arrests and convictions that occurred before or during your participation in the programnewjerseymonitor.comnewjerseymonitor.com. Essentially, the judge can wipe your slate clean as a reward for rehabilitation. This includes some offenses that might not normally be expungeable (except not the most serious crimes). If you graduated from Drug Court before this law was in place (before 2016), you can apply now to have the court review and expunge your past record. Note: If you do get an expungement via Drug Court and then later commit a new offense, the law provides that your expunged record can be restored and you cannot get any future expungements – so the opportunity comes once in a lifetime, and it’s conditioned on remaining crime-free.

  • Special Cases – Victims of Human Trafficking: New Jersey law is sympathetic to individuals convicted of crimes that directly resulted from being a victim of human trafficking. A 2013 law (expanded in 2022) allows trafficking victims to vacate (invalidate) and expunge their convictions for a wide range of offenses, even serious crimes, if those crimes were committed as a result of being trafficked. Initially this applied mainly to prostitution-related offenses, but now it can apply to any offense (other than the most violent crimes) that the court finds was a result of the person’s victimization or under the direction of a trafficker. There’s no waiting period – you can apply as soon as you are out of the situation and ready to clear your record. The process involves petitioning the court with evidence of your trafficking situation. If granted, the conviction is vacated and then expunged, as if it never happened. The law even limits objections by prosecutors and allows a supportive statement from the victim. This is a complex area, but it’s a powerful form of relief for those who qualify.

  • Pardons: If you receive an official pardon from the Governor for a past conviction, that can make you eligible to expunge offenses that would otherwise be ineligible. New Jersey courts have held that a pardon removes the statutory bars to expungementnewjerseymonitor.com. For example, if you had two felony convictions, you normally couldn’t expunge both – but if one is pardoned, you might expunge the other one since you’re no longer “convicted” of it in the eyes of the law. Even offenses that are on the no-expungement list (like some violent crimes) could potentially be expunged after a pardon, because the person is essentially forgiven for the crime. Pardons are rare, but it’s good to know that they open the door to expungement in New Jersey.

Eligibility can be confusing, especially if you have multiple entries on your record. We encourage you to contact us for a free consultation about your specific situation – we will evaluate your record and let you know if and when you qualify for an expungement in NJ. (New Jersey also provides an “Eligibility Flowchart” on our Resource Hub and the courts’ website to help understand these rules.)

Life After Expungement: Do I Need to Disclose My Record?

One of the biggest benefits of expungement is that, under New Jersey law, once your record is expunged, you can legally answer NO when asked by employers or others if you have a criminal record. In general, an expunged arrest or conviction is deemed not to have occurred and is no longer public informationwhyy.org. Background checks conducted by employers or landlords should not show expunged cases. This means after your expungement is finalized and processed, you typically do not need to disclose those offenses on job applications, rental applications, or school applications. It truly gives you a clean slate in most respects.

However, there are limited exceptions – specific situations where you do need to disclose expunged records, or where authorities can still see them by law. Failing to disclose in these special cases could have legal consequences, so it’s important to know them:

  • Applications for Law Enforcement, Judiciary, or Corrections Positions: If you apply for a job as a police or peace officer, a sheriff’s deputy, a prosecutor, a judge, a corrections officer, or any position in law enforcement, the courts, or corrections, you must disclose your expunged record. These agencies are exempt from the non-disclosure rule – in fact, they will be able to see expunged records during your background check, and you are legally obligated to inform them of the expunged offense if askednj.gov. Expungement will not bar these agencies from considering the record in hiring (though they may still hire you at their discretion).

  • New Jersey Firearm Purchaser Applications: Generally, once your record is expunged, you do not have to disclose expunged matters on an application for a firearm purchaser ID or permit in NJ. The expunged conviction should not count against you. One exception: If you were previously denied a firearm permit because of a conviction that is now expunged, the NJ firearm application asks if you’ve ever been denied and why. In that scenario, you should disclose that you were denied in the past due to the conviction, which has since been expunged. In other words, you don’t have to volunteer an expunged conviction, but you shouldn’t lie about a past permit denial – explain it honestly, noting the record was expunged.

  • Immigration Proceedings: Expungement is a matter of state law and does not erase a conviction for federal immigration purposes. Federal agencies (like USCIS or ICE) will very likely still see the expunged offense in their databases. If you are applying for visas, green cards, citizenship, or any immigration benefit, you should disclose the offense even if expunged. U.S. immigration law often requires you to list all arrests and convictions, and an expungement does not hide it from the federal government. In fact, for some immigration decisions, an expunged conviction might still count against you (for example, certain drug convictions even if expunged can be a deportable offense). Always consult with an immigration attorney about the impact of an expunged record on your status. Our firm focuses on expungements, and while we can provide documentation of your expungement, you should get specialized immigration legal advice for your case.

  • Federal Security Clearances: Similar to immigration, if you apply for a job that requires a federal security clearance (for example, many military, defense contractor, or government agency positions), the federal background investigators will have access to expunged records. You will be expected to disclose expunged incidents on clearance questionnaires (e.g., the SF-86 form asks about whether you have ever been arrested or convicted, without excluding expunged records). Lying or omitting information in a clearance investigation is a federal crime, so you must answer honestly. The expungement is still very helpful – you can explain that the offense was expunged by the state court due to rehabilitation – but you cannot pretend it never happened in this context.

  • Trusted Traveler Programs (Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, etc.): Programs run by the federal government like Global Entry, SENTRI, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck will also see expunged criminal records when conducting background checks. When you apply for these programs, it’s safest to disclose the expunged offense on the application if asked about prior convictions. An expunged record doesn’t automatically disqualify you, but failing to mention it when they can see it would likely lead to a denial for dishonesty.

  • Military Enlistment: The U.S. Armed Forces recruiting process will have visibility into expunged records as well. If you seek to join the military, you should disclose any expunged offenses to your recruiter or on enlistment forms. The military, like other federal entities, considers an expungement as a positive factor but not a erasure for their background check purposes. Be honest – recruiters can often work with you on obtaining waivers for certain offenses, especially if they were expunged, but a false statement can itself be disqualifying.

Outside of these specific areas, an expunged record should not come back to haunt you, and you can confidently answer “No record” to questions from employers, landlords, schools, and most licensing boards. In fact, if a non-law enforcement employer somehow learns of an expunged record, New Jersey law forbids them from asking or discriminating based on it. Expungement exists so that a one-time mistake or old misstep doesn’t keep you from living your life. Our clients often describe a huge sense of relief once they can say, “I have a clean record.”

(If you have any concerns about who you must tell or how to answer a specific application question after your expungement, our attorneys are happy to guide you. We want you to enjoy the full benefit of your fresh start.)

Flat, Transparent Pricing

We believe in clear, predictable fees for expungement services – so you know upfront exactly what your cost will be. Our flat-rate pricing for New Jersey expungements is as follows:

  • $1,500 for your primary offense (this covers the case with the most serious charge or the one that determines the process).

  • +$200 for each additional offense you need to expunge (for example, additional misdemeanors or other eligible charges) in the same petition.

  • + $1,800 (additional) for early pathway expungements (e.g. applying in 3–4 years instead of 5 via special circumstances) or cases involving drug distribution convictions. These are more complex and require extra work, but we cap the added fee at $1,800.

  • + $2,500 (additional) for expedited filings that request NJSP priority processing. This covers the intensive preparation and coordination needed to utilize the new 2025 expedited process. It’s optional – only for clients who need the fastest possible result.

These are flat fees – not hourly. No surprises. Your consultation is free, and if you hire us, you pay the fixed fee and we handle everything needed to get your record expunged (including the follow-up steps other firms overlook). Court filing fees in New Jersey were eliminated by recent law, so you don’t even have to worry about paying the court – just the flat legal fee and minor costs like certified mailings.

👉 View our full pricing guide for more details and examples.

Flexible Payment Options

We understand that coming up with the full fee upfront can be a challenge. That’s why NSLF offers flexible payment plans through Affirm financing, so you can get started on your expungement immediately and pay over time. Here’s how it works:

  • Choose a plan to pay over 3, 6, 12, or even 24 months – whichever suits your budget.

  • Start your case with little to no money down. The application for financing is quick.

  • Checking your eligibility for financing does NOT affect your credit score (soft check only). It’s hassle-free.

  • For example, a standard $1,500 expungement could be as low as ~$65 per month with a 24-month plan. Many clients find that affordable when compared to the increased job and income opportunities a clean record brings.

👉 See our financing options and calculate sample monthly payments. Don’t let the cost stop you from securing your future – we’ve made it so you can move forward now and pay gradually.

Our Refund Guarantee

We stand behind our work. NSLF is one of the only law firms in New Jersey to offer a Refund Guarantee for expungements. Here’s our promise:

  • If your expungement is denied by the court for reasons outside your control, we will refund 100% of your legal fee. This means we share the risk with you – if despite our best efforts the law simply doesn’t allow the expungement (e.g. a surprise issue arises that was truly unforeseeable), you don’t lose the money you paid us.

  • ⚠️ This guarantee applies to our fee only – court outcomes can never be 100% guaranteed, but we can guarantee you won’t pay us if the expungement can’t be done due to an issue beyond your control.

  • Important: If a denial occurs because you withheld information about your criminal history or there was a conviction you failed to tell us about that makes you ineligible, then the guarantee would not apply. (So be honest and thorough when we discuss your record – we will find a way to help if there’s a path forward, but we need the whole picture.)

In short, we make expungement as risk-free as possible for you. We only take cases we believe in, and if we take yours, we intend to win it. Your peace of mind is our priority.

Why Clients Choose NSLF

Choosing the right attorney can make all the difference in finally clearing your record. Here’s why NSLF is the #1 expungement firm in New Jersey and the trusted choice of thousands of clients:

  • Unmatched Experience: We handle more expungements in NJ than any other law firm – which means we know the process inside-out, stay up-to-date on every change, and have seen just about every scenario.

  • Complete Cleanup: We don’t stop at the court order. We fix government and private database errors that others ignore. Our job isn’t done until your record is gone from everywhere that matters.

  • Lifetime Support: Your expungement with us comes with lifetime record cleanup. If any issue arises with your expunged record in the future, you can call us and we will address it free of charge. It’s like expungement insurance included.

  • Flat-Fee Pricing & Financing: We offer flat, transparent pricing (no hidden costs) and affordable payment plans. Quality expungement representation is accessible with us, not just a luxury.

  • Refund Guarantee: We’re so confident in our ability to clear your record that we back our work with a refund guarantee. That speaks to the level of certainty and commitment we have to success.

  • Personalized Attention: Every single case is handled personally by Karen Howell, Esq., our founding attorney. You aren’t passed off to a junior staffer. Karen is a recognized expungement law expert who will treat your case with the attention it deserves.

👉 Visit our Expungement Resource Hub for additional guides, FAQs, and eligibility charts to learn more about the process. We want you to feel informed and comfortable every step of the way.

We’re trusted with more expungements in New Jersey than any other law firm. Our reputation is built on results and client satisfaction.

Take Control of Your Future

Every day that your record lingers is another day you might be missing out on opportunities – the job you don’t get, the apartment you can’t rent, or the peace of mind you’re denied. Don’t let the past hold you back any longer. You deserve a fresh start.

Starting the expungement process is simple and stress-free with NSLF. We handle the heavy lifting – you get the peace of mind. Book a free consultation with our team to discuss your situation and options. It costs nothing to find out what we can do for you.

👉 Book your free consultation today.

✔ Quick: It takes just minutes to get started.
✔ Easy: We’ll guide you through each step.
✔ Risk-Free: No obligation consult, and with our refund guarantee, you’re protected.

Your future is too important to leave to chance or delay. Take control of it today – we’re ready to help you every step of the way toward a clean slate.

What Clients Say

We are proud to be one of the highest-rated expungement law firms in New Jersey, with hundreds of five-star reviews from clients we’ve helped. Our clients consistently praise our efficiency, knowledge, and the life-changing outcomes we deliver.

👉 Read our verified 5-star Google Reviews to see real stories from people we’ve helped reclaim their futures.

⚡ At NSLF, we don’t just file expungements. We erase your record everywhere it matters — for life.