Ohio Expungement, Sealing & Court Record Removal

Ohio SB 288 - The 2023 Law That Changed Everything About Expungement

Ohio's expungement framework under ORC 2953.31 through 2953.61 has existed in various forms for decades, but the law was dramatically restructured by Senate Bill 288, signed in January 2023 and effective April 4, 2023. The core change: SB 288 eliminated the prior conviction limit that had long prevented many Ohioans from qualifying for expungement, and added most felony offenses to the list of eligible convictions for the first time.

Before SB 288, Ohio limited expungement to individuals with no more than one or two prior convictions in some circumstances. SB 288 eliminated this ceiling entirely for most offenses. A person with five prior misdemeanor convictions is now as eligible as someone with one, as long as none of the convictions involve categorically excluded offenses. The law also expanded automatic sealing for low-level misdemeanors and created clearer pathways for dismissed charges. Learn more about expungement vs. record sealing on our blog.

How Ohio's Expungement Petition Process Works

Ohio's expungement process under ORC 2953.32 requires filing a petition in the court of conviction - which may be a municipal court, county court, or court of common pleas depending on the offense level. The process involves several distinct steps and typically takes several months from filing to a final order.

Step-by-Step Overview

• File the petition in the court of conviction along with the required filing fee (varies by county, typically $50-$200)
• The court forwards a copy of the petition to the prosecutor's office, which has the right to object within 30 days
• The court may order a background investigation through the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI&I)
• A hearing is scheduled - the petitioner must appear and demonstrate eligibility and rehabilitation
• If granted, the court orders the record sealed; law enforcement and the BCI&I are notified to restrict the record

What Happens After Expungement

When Ohio grants an expungement, the court seals the record and notifies the arresting law enforcement agency and the BCI&I to restrict their records. Under ORC 2953.32(C), a person whose record has been sealed may legally deny having been convicted, except in certain circumstances including when applying for law enforcement positions, certain professional licenses, or firearm purchases. The conviction may also be considered in future sentencing if you are convicted of a new crime. Learn more about court record removal on our blog.

Why Ohio Court Records Persist Online After Expungement

Ohio's expungement process seals the official court record - but the internet is a separate problem. Understanding each source is critical to building an effective removal strategy. For more information, visit the Ohio Supreme Court.

ohiojudicialsystem.com and County Clerk Portals

The Ohio Supreme Court's Ohio Judicial System case information website (ohiojudicialsystem.com) provides statewide case search functionality. When an expungement order is entered, the court should restrict the case from public view on this portal. However, county-level clerk websites - which many counties operate independently - may have separate systems that are slower to reflect the restriction. Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, and Summit counties all operate their own clerk portals, each of which must be updated separately.

BCI&I Criminal History Records

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation maintains the state's centralized criminal history repository. After an expungement, the court notifies BCI&I, which should restrict the record from standard background check responses. However, commercial background check services - including large national screening companies - may have previously obtained Ohio BCI&I data and stored it independently. These companies are not automatically updated when BCI&I seals a record and must be addressed separately. Learn more about background check reports on our blog.

Data Broker and Aggregator Sites

Ohio is a large state with substantial court data indexed by national data aggregators. Sites like Spokeo, BeenVerified, TruthFinder, Intelius, and dozens of others compile criminal profiles from public court data that they indexed before your expungement. These sites are not legally required to update their records when Ohio grants an expungement - they must be contacted individually with opt-out requests, often with documentation of the expungement order. Ohio's size means records are typically indexed by more aggregators than smaller states, requiring broader outreach.

News Archives

Major Ohio outlets including the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, and their local affiliates maintain online archives. Sealing the court record has no legal effect on news coverage - these articles remain available unless the publisher voluntarily removes or amends them. Google may de-index news articles referencing sealed records under certain conditions through its Personal Information Removal Tool, but this is not guaranteed and must be applied for URL by URL.

How to Remove Ohio Court Records from Google and Data Broker Sites

After obtaining an expungement order in Ohio, the following steps address the online dimension of your record. The legal process and the online removal process are entirely separate tracks. For more information, visit the Ohio Revised Code.

1. 1
   File your petition in the correct Ohio court
   File under ORC 2953.32 in the court of conviction - municipal, county, or common pleas court as appropriate. Confirm which court has jurisdiction over your specific case; filing in the wrong court is a common error. Include all required documentation and the filing fee. Be prepared for a BCI&I investigation and a hearing date, which is typically set 6 to 8 weeks after filing.
2. 2
   Verify the portal and BCI&I records are updated
   After receiving the signed expungement order, check ohiojudicialsystem.com and your county's independent clerk portal to confirm the case no longer appears. Also contact the BCI&I directly to request confirmation that your criminal history record has been restricted. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for both systems to process the update.
3. 3
   Audit all URLs showing your record in Google
   Search Google for your name, county, charge, and year in multiple combinations. Document every URL. Ohio's 88 counties and numerous municipal courts mean your record may appear in multiple court portal systems, some of which may not be covered by the single expungement order from the court of conviction.
4. 4
   Submit opt-out requests to data broker sites
   Submit removal requests to Spokeo, BeenVerified, Intelius, TruthFinder, PeopleFinder, Whitepages, MyLife, and all others showing your record. Each has a separate process. Ohio-specific data is often indexed by a larger number of aggregators than smaller states - expect a more extensive outreach process. Set reminders to recheck every 90 days.
5. 5
   Request removal from legal databases
   Check CourtListener and Justia for appellate decisions referencing your case. Submit removal requests with documentation of the expungement order. These platforms generally respect Ohio expungement orders for sealed records they hold, though cached versions of older pages may require additional follow-up through their respective support processes.
6. 6
   Use Google's Personal Information Removal Tool
   After source pages are removed or restricted, submit Google Personal Information Removal Tool requests for remaining URLs in Google search results. For pages already removed from the source site, use Google's Outdated Content Removal Tool to de-cache them. This step is most effective after the source page has been updated - submitting a Google removal request before the source is updated typically results in rejection.

Attorney vs. Reputation Management: Which Do You Need in Ohio?

These are distinct professional services addressing two separate problems. Understanding which you need - and in what order - can save significant time and money.

When a Ohio Criminal Defense Attorney Is Essential

• You need to file an expungement petition under ORC 2953.32 and want representation at the hearing
• The prosecutor has objected to your petition or you have multiple convictions across different courts
• Your eligibility under SB 288 is uncertain due to the offense level or whether physical harm was involved
• You are addressing federal charges, which operate entirely outside Ohio's expungement framework

When Reputation Management Is the Right Tool

• Your expungement order is in hand but your record still appears on Google, background check sites, and data broker profiles
• Your conviction is categorically excluded from expungement (DUI/OVI, domestic violence, sex offense) but you need to manage online visibility
• Multiple county portals are showing your record and you need coordinated outreach across systems
• News archives or legal databases are surfacing your record and not responding to individual removal requests