Quick Overview
- Unlike adult criminal records, juvenile court records in the United States are generally confidential by statute.
- Despite confidentiality protections, juvenile records do surface online in specific circumstances: For more information, visit the National Center for Juvenile Justice.
- Determine whether the record has been sealed, expunged, or should be confidential under your state's law.
Juvenile Records - The Confidentiality Expectation
Unlike adult criminal records, juvenile court records in the United States are generally confidential by statute. The juvenile justice system was designed to rehabilitate rather than punish, and confidentiality is considered essential to that mission - a young person shouldn't carry a permanent public record of adolescent mistakes into adulthood. For more information, visit the OJJDP.
In most states, juvenile court records are:
- Not accessible to the general public through court record searches
- Not included in standard criminal background checks
- Automatically sealed at age 18 or after case closure in many jurisdictions
- Subject to expungement eligibility that may be broader than for adult records
"When a juvenile record appears online, it's almost always the result of a system that indexed data without distinguishing age at the time of the offense, or a record that entered the public domain through a transfer to adult court or news coverage. In either case, the confidentiality expectation provides strong grounds for removal requests." Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.
Why Juvenile Records Sometimes Appear Online
Despite confidentiality protections, juvenile records do surface online in specific circumstances: For more information, visit the National Center for Juvenile Justice.
- Transfer to adult court: When a juvenile case is transferred (or "direct filed") to adult court - typically for serious offenses - it becomes a public adult court record with no confidentiality protection. These records are fully indexed in adult court databases.
- News coverage: Juvenile cases that attracted media attention - particularly serious or high-profile cases - may have news articles that remain indexed in Google. News organizations are not subject to juvenile confidentiality statutes in the same way courts are.
- Aggregators that don't distinguish: Some public records aggregators scrape data without filtering for juvenile records. If juvenile court data was included in a bulk data download, it may appear in their database without the confidentiality flag.
- Records from before automatic sealing: In states where automatic sealing happens at age 18, records from the period between the offense and the sealing may have been indexed by third-party sites before the seal took effect.
- Historical news archives: Older news articles about juvenile cases may be digitized and indexed without regard for subsequent confidentiality orders.
Which Records Are Automatically Sealed in Most States
State laws on automatic juvenile record sealing vary significantly, but many states provide automatic or easy-access sealing in common situations: Learn more about court record removal on our blog.
- Records for minor offenses (misdemeanor-level) are automatically sealed in many states when the juvenile turns 18 or after a period following case closure
- Records for cases that were dismissed, diverted, or resolved without adjudication are often eligible for immediate sealing
- First-time offense records with successful completion of probation or diversion programs are typically sealable
Automatic sealing closes the court record but does not automatically cause third-party websites and aggregators to remove data they already indexed. A court sealing order is powerful documentation for removal requests - but each platform must be contacted individually. Learn more about background check reports on our blog.
Steps If a Juvenile Record Is Showing Online
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1Confirm the record's legal status
Determine whether the record has been sealed, expunged, or should be confidential under your state's law. Contact the juvenile court clerk to confirm current status and obtain documentation.
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2Obtain sealing or expungement documentation
If the record is sealed or expunged, get certified copies of the order. If it should be confidential but hasn't been formally sealed, consult a juvenile law attorney about petitioning for sealing.
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3Identify every online source
Search the name (and any variation used in news coverage) to find every URL showing the juvenile record. Document each one with screenshots.
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4Submit removal requests with confidentiality documentation
Contact each platform hosting the record. Reference the confidential status under your state's juvenile court law, include sealing/expungement documentation, and request removal.
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5Use Google's removal tools
For pages showing confidential juvenile records, Google's Personal Information Removal Tool can be used - confidential minor records are among the categories Google considers for removal. Minors and former minors have additional privacy protections under Google's policies.
Parent Acting on Behalf of a Child
When a juvenile record appears online for a current minor, parents and legal guardians can and should take action. Most removal request processes accept submissions from parents or legal guardians on behalf of minors.
For parental removal requests:
- Include documentation of your parental or guardian relationship (birth certificate, guardianship order)
- Reference your minor child's rights to privacy under your state's juvenile court confidentiality statute
- Google specifically provides enhanced removal options for information about minors - reference this in your Google removal request
- Act promptly - the longer the record is indexed, the more it propagates to other sites
Adult Seeking to Address a Juvenile Record
Adults who had juvenile records that are now appearing online - often because an aggregator indexed them before automatic sealing - have strong grounds for removal. The confidentiality protections that existed when you were a juvenile don't expire when you become an adult. An adult whose sealed juvenile record appears online can:
- Demand removal from any third-party database on the grounds that the record is legally sealed and confidential
- Use Google's removal tools to request de-indexing of pages showing sealed juvenile records
- Consult an attorney about legal action against platforms that do not act on a removal request for a legally sealed juvenile record
Platform-Specific Approach
The same platform-by-platform approach that applies to adult records applies here, with the additional legal basis of juvenile confidentiality statutes:
- Background check aggregators (Spokeo, BeenVerified, etc.): Use their opt-out processes, specifically referencing the record's juvenile and confidential status
- Legal databases (Justia, CourtListener): Submit privacy requests with juvenile confidentiality documentation - most will remove records that should be legally confidential
- News sites: An advanced category that often needs deeper analysis because of First Amendment protections, and some may consider correction or removal requests for articles about minors, particularly if the record has been sealed
- Google: Use the Personal Information Removal Tool, referencing both the confidential status and the minor (or former minor) privacy protections in Google's policies
Legal Relief Options
When platforms do not act on a request to remove a juvenile record that is legally confidential, legal options exist. An attorney specializing in privacy or juvenile law can advise on:
- Demand letters referencing specific state statutes protecting juvenile record confidentiality
- State consumer protection laws in states with specific juvenile record provisions
- Potential civil liability for platforms that knowingly display sealed records
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Frequently Asked Questions
In most states, juvenile court records are confidential by law - not public records. However, there are exceptions: cases transferred to adult court, certain serious offenses, and cases that received media coverage may result in public records. Additionally, third-party aggregators that scraped records before sealing, or that do not distinguish between juvenile and adult records, may display juvenile information despite the confidentiality expectation.
Yes - if a juvenile record is appearing online in violation of the record's confidential status, there are strong grounds for removal. Most third-party databases will remove records that should be confidential under state law when presented with documentation. Google's Personal Information Removal Tool can also be used to request de-indexing of pages showing confidential juvenile records. We help identify whether removal may be possible.
Yes. Parents and legal guardians can and should act on behalf of minors when juvenile records appear online. Most removal request processes accept requests from parents or legal guardians for minor children. Include documentation of your parental relationship and, where applicable, documentation of the record's confidential status under your state's juvenile court law.
Cases transferred (or "direct filed") to adult court lose their juvenile confidentiality protections and become public adult court records. These are treated the same as any adult criminal record for removal purposes. The same strategies apply: third-party database removal requests, Google de-indexing, and suppression. If the adult case was later dismissed or expunged, that documentation provides grounds for removal.
In many states, juvenile records are automatically sealed when a person turns 18 or after a certain period following case closure. However, automatic sealing does not automatically remove records from third-party databases that indexed them before sealing. Additionally, state rules vary significantly - some states require a petition for sealing even for juvenile records. An attorney familiar with your state's juvenile record laws can advise on your specific situation.
A reference to a juvenile offense in an adult court record is a separate issue from the original juvenile record. If the juvenile record is sealed, references to it in adult proceedings may also be subject to sealing depending on your state's law. An attorney can advise on whether the specific reference can be addressed. For online visibility, the same removal request and suppression strategies apply to pages showing the adult record with juvenile references.
Some colleges ask about juvenile adjudications, particularly for serious offenses or cases tried in adult court. Federal student aid (FAFSA) generally does not ask about juvenile records. However, if the juvenile record is sealed and cannot be legally disclosed, you may not be required to report it. Consult an attorney familiar with your state's juvenile confidentiality law before disclosing or omitting anything on applications.
In most cases, sealed juvenile records should not appear on standard background checks. However, many commercial background check companies use imprecise data-matching that may surface records incorrectly. If a juvenile record appears on a background check, you can dispute it under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which requires consumer reporting agencies to maintain accurate records. Provide documentation of the record's sealed or confidential status when filing your dispute.