Missouri Expungement, Sealing & Court Record Removal

Missouri Expungement: What Changed in 2018

Missouri dramatically expanded its expungement law when RSMo § 610.140 took effect in January 2018. Before the change, only a narrow set of arrests and one misdemeanor conviction per person could be expunged. The 2018 law opened the door for most misdemeanor and many felony convictions - a major shift for hundreds of thousands of Missourians carrying old records. For more information, visit the Missouri Courts.

Under the expanded law, a successful expungement order "closes" the court case and the criminal history maintained by the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) from public view. Employers, landlords, and most licensing agencies cannot access a closed record. You can legally answer "no" when asked whether you have prior convictions on most applications. Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.

The catch: "closed" does not mean gone. CaseNet - Missouri's online case portal - may continue displaying your case. Data broker websites like Spokeo, BeenVerified, and Intelius scraped that data before your expungement and will keep publishing it indefinitely unless you specifically request removal. Getting the legal result is step one; scrubbing the online footprint is step two. Learn more about court record removal on our blog.

Who Is Eligible for Expungement Under RSMo § 610.140?

Missouri eligibility analysis is a two-step process: first, check whether the offense is on the ineligible list; second, confirm the waiting period has been satisfied. For more information, visit the Missouri General Assembly.

Step 1: Offense-Level Eligibility

The following offenses are permanently excluded from Missouri expungement, regardless of when they occurred or how much time has passed: Learn more about background check reports on our blog.

• Any Class A felony (e.g., murder, first-degree rape, first-degree robbery)
• Dangerous felonies as defined under RSMo § 556.061 (a specific statutory list)
• Any offense requiring registration on the sex offender registry
• Felony assault (domestic or non-domestic)
• Domestic assault in any degree
• Unlawful use of a weapon
• Any offense where the victim was under 17 years old
• DWI (driving while intoxicated) - see note below
• Felony DWI with prior convictions or resulting in injury or death

Notably, a single first-offense misdemeanor DWI (BAC under 0.15) may be expunged under separate provisions after a 10-year period with no new DWI convictions - a narrow exception worth discussing with an attorney.

Step 2: Waiting Period Requirements

If your offense is not on the ineligible list, you must satisfy the applicable waiting period measured from when you completed your entire sentence (including probation, parole, and any jail time):

• Most misdemeanors and class C & D violations: 3 years after completing the sentence
• Most eligible felonies (Class B, C, D, E): 7 years after completing the sentence
• No new convictions: You must have no new felony or misdemeanor convictions during the waiting period
• No pending charges: Any open charges reset your eligibility clock

The Missouri Expungement Process: Step by Step

Missouri expungement requires filing a petition in the circuit court where the conviction or arrest occurred. There is no standard statewide form - each circuit court has its own filing requirements. Below is the general process:

1. Obtain your complete Missouri criminal history

   Request a Missouri criminal history transcript from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) Criminal Records and Identification Division online or by mail. This shows exactly what agencies have on file - which matters because the expungement order must identify all relevant agencies holding records.

2. Pull the case records from CaseNet

   Access CaseNet at casenet.osca.state.mo.us to retrieve the case number, filing date, charge codes, and disposition details for each conviction you intend to expunge. You'll need this information to complete your petition accurately.

3. Draft and file the expungement petition

   File your petition in the circuit court where the conviction occurred. The petition must identify: the offense, the date of conviction, the sentence, and confirmation that all conditions of the sentence have been completed. Name all agencies that hold records related to the arrest or conviction (MSHP, arresting law enforcement agency, prosecuting attorney).

4. Pay filing fees and serve all named parties

   Filing fees vary by county but are typically in the $250–$350 range. All named parties - the state, the prosecuting attorney, and relevant law enforcement agencies - must be served with the petition. Each named party has 30 days to file an objection.

5. Attend the hearing (if scheduled)

   If no objection is filed and the court's review finds no issues, some courts will grant the petition without a hearing. However, if the prosecuting attorney objects or the judge requests a hearing, you (or your attorney) must appear and demonstrate eligibility. Courts may consider factors like the nature of the offense, your conduct since the conviction, and any evidence of rehabilitation.

6. Receive the expungement order and confirm transmission

   After the order is entered, the court transmits it to MSHP and other named agencies. Request a certified copy of the order for your records. Confirm with MSHP that your criminal history has been updated. CaseNet should reflect a "closed" or restricted status - verify this within 30–60 days.

7. Request removal from data broker and background check sites

   CaseNet updating does not remove the data from third-party sites. Submit opt-out requests to Spokeo, BeenVerified, Intelius, TruthFinder, Whitepages, Instant Checkmate, and other aggregators. Many accept certified copies of expungement orders as supporting documentation. This process can take weeks to months and requires follow-up.

8. De-index remaining content from Google

   Use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool to request de-indexing of pages containing your name alongside arrest or court record information. If the source page has already been removed (e.g., a data broker listing), use Google Search Console's URL inspection tool to request cache removal and accelerate de-indexing.

CaseNet: Missouri's Public Online Case Portal

CaseNet (casenet.osca.state.mo.us) is one of the most comprehensive public court record systems in the country. Every civil and criminal case filed in Missouri circuit courts is accessible to anyone with an internet connection - no login required, no fee, no purpose stated.

This creates a significant problem: even after a Missouri expungement is granted and MSHP updates its records, CaseNet may still display your case in search results for weeks or months. And because CaseNet data has been indexed by Google and scraped by dozens of data broker sites, closing the case at the source does not automatically clean up the downstream copies.

After your expungement order is transmitted to the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator, CaseNet should update the case status to reflect that it is closed. If it does not within 30 days, contact the Office of State Courts Administrator directly and provide a certified copy of your expungement order. Persistence is sometimes required.

Even after CaseNet is updated, cached versions of the old case data may remain visible in Google for weeks. The same Google de-indexing process used for data broker sites applies here - submit a removal request through Google's outdated content removal tool once CaseNet reflects the closure.

MSHP Criminal Records and the Background Check Pipeline

The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) operates the state's central criminal history repository through the Criminal Records and Identification Division. When employers, landlords, and licensing agencies run background checks, they often go directly to MSHP rather than - or in addition to - using third-party services.

Under RSMo § 610.140, a successful expungement triggers notification to MSHP to close your record from public access. MSHP will note the expungement in its system so that standard public background check requests return no record. However, law enforcement agencies, courts, and certain licensing authorities retain the ability to access closed records for specific purposes.

After your expungement is granted, it is worth submitting a written inquiry to MSHP to confirm your criminal history has been updated. Request a new criminal history transcript (which costs a small fee) and verify that the expunged record no longer appears on a standard public search. Keep this updated transcript for your files as proof of the closed record status.

What to Do If You're Not Eligible for Missouri Expungement

If your offense falls under the permanently ineligible list - a Class A felony, a dangerous felony, a sex offense, domestic assault, or unlawful use of a weapon - the expungement door is closed. But you are not out of options.

Data Broker Opt-Outs

Even without an expungement, you have a legal right under various state and federal privacy frameworks to request that data brokers remove your personal information. Sites like Spokeo, Intelius, Whitepages, BeenVerified, TruthFinder, and MyLife all maintain opt-out portals. The process is manual, repetitive, and time-consuming - but it can meaningfully reduce the number of places where your record appears online.

Google Personal Information Removal

Google's policy on removing personal information from search results has expanded significantly. You can request removal of pages that display your name alongside specific personal identifiers - home address, phone number, arrest records, mugshots - through the Personal Information Removal Tool at g.co/legalremovals. Approval is not guaranteed, but for certain categories of information (like booking photos), Google has shown strong compliance.

FCRA 7-Year Rule

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), most consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) - including background check companies used by employers and landlords - cannot report arrests that did not result in conviction if they occurred more than 7 years ago. They also cannot report most negative information older than 7 years. Note that this limitation does not apply to jobs with salary above $75,000 or to certain regulated industries. For non-conviction arrests older than 7 years, this FCRA rule provides meaningful protection even without expungement.

Content Suppression Strategy

For records that cannot be expunged or removed, a strategic content suppression campaign can push negative results off the first page of Google. By publishing and optimizing positive content - professional profiles, LinkedIn, industry publications, press releases - you can replace damaging first-page results with content you control. This is not a legal remedy, but it is an effective reputation management tool with no waiting period.

Frequently Asked Questions

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• What offenses are eligible for expungement in Missouri under §610.140?

  Missouri's expanded expungement statute, RSMo §610.140 (revised 2018), allows expungement of most misdemeanor and many felony convictions. Misdemeanors are eligible after a three-year waiting period; felonies after seven years. Excluded offenses include Class A felonies, offenses requiring sex offender registration, felonies where death was an element, domestic assault, DWI, assault in the first degree, and certain other serious offenses.

• How long does Missouri expungement take under RSMo §610.140?

  After filing the petition, a hearing date is set - typically 30 to 90 days out depending on the court's docket. All prosecutors and law enforcement agencies named in the petition are notified and have the right to object. From filing to final order typically takes three to eight months. After the order is signed, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and court records are updated, which can take an additional 30 to 60 days.

• How much does Missouri expungement cost?

  The filing fee for a Missouri expungement petition under §610.140 is currently $250. Additional costs may include certified copies, service of process on prosecutors and law enforcement agencies, and attorney fees. Missouri Legal Services provides free or reduced-cost assistance for income-eligible applicants.

• Does Missouri expungement remove my record from CaseNet?

  After a successful Missouri expungement order under §610.140, the case should be removed from the publicly accessible CaseNet court portal. However, processing delays mean the record may remain visible for several weeks after the order. Data brokers and commercial background check companies that indexed CaseNet before the expungement are not automatically updated - each must be separately contacted with opt-out requests.

• Can employers see an expunged Missouri record?

  After Missouri expungement, you may legally state that you were not convicted of the expunged offense in most employment contexts. Most private employers and landlords cannot access the expunged record through standard background checks. Exceptions include criminal justice agencies, certain licensing boards, and prosecutors. Commercial background check companies with their own databases may still show the record until they are individually notified.

• What Missouri offenses are not eligible for expungement?

  Missouri law excludes from expungement: Class A felonies; offenses requiring sex offender registration; felonies involving death as an element; domestic assault; assault in the first degree; kidnapping; child abuse; elder abuse; DWI/DUI convictions; dangerous felony offenses; and any offense against a law enforcement officer.

• Does Missouri expungement remove my record from Google?

  No. Missouri expungement removes the record from state criminal justice systems and should cause its removal from CaseNet - but it does not update Google, data broker sites, or legal aggregators. After expungement, use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool for specific URLs and submit opt-out requests to data brokers. See our guide: How Court Records Appear on Background Checks.

• Can I expunge a DWI conviction in Missouri?

  DWI convictions are specifically excluded from Missouri's expungement statute under RSMo §610.140. Missouri does have a separate limited DWI expungement provision under RSMo §577.054, which allows sealing a first-offense DWI after ten years if the person has no subsequent alcohol- or drug-related traffic offenses. This provision provides more limited relief than full expungement - the record is sealed rather than permanently removed.

More Resources on Court Record Removal

• Expungement vs. Record Sealing - What's the Difference? - How the two forms of legal relief differ in scope and effect on background checks.
• Can Court Records Be Removed? - A frank breakdown of what can and cannot be removed from public record systems.
• How Court Records Appear on Background Checks - Why some records show up even after legal relief.
• How to Remove Court Records from Spokeo - Step-by-step guide for one of the most common data broker sources.

Official Missouri Court Record Resources

• Missouri Courts (courts.mo.gov) - Official portal for case search via CaseNet and expungement petition information.
• Missouri General Assembly (moga.mo.gov) - Full text of RSMo §610.140 (expungement statute) and related provisions.
• U.S. Federal Courts (uscourts.gov) - Federal court records are not affected by Missouri state expungement orders.
• FTC: What to Know About Background Checks - Consumer guidance on background check companies and your rights under the FCRA.

Frequently Asked Questions — Missouri Court Records

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