How to Remove Your Court Case from Public Record (2026 Guide)

What "Public Record" Actually Means - and Why It Matters

When people search for how to remove a court case from public record, they're usually asking about one of two very different things - and the answer depends entirely on which one they mean.

The first is the official court record: the actual filing within the court system, maintained by the clerk of court, accessible through PACER (federal courts) or state court portals. This record is created the moment a case is filed and is legally defined as a public document.

The second is the online presence of that case: the pages on Justia, CourtListener, Casetext, FindLaw, and dozens of other third-party websites that scraped and republished the court record. These sites are completely separate from the court system. They operate independently, with their own policies - and they don't receive any notification when courts change or seal a record.

If you Googled your name and found your case showing up in search results, what you're seeing is almost certainly the second type - a third-party database listing. And the path to removing it is different from the legal expungement process. That's exactly what this guide explains.

Two Different Systems - Two Different Solutions

Understanding exactly where your court case lives online is what lets you pursue the right solution for the right target.

The practical takeaway: if you Googled your name and found your case in the results, what you're seeing is almost certainly a third-party database listing - not the official court record itself. Addressing that problem means working directly with the database and Google, not petitioning the court.

The exception: when someone runs a formal background check through a service that queries official court systems - common in employment screening and professional licensing - they may be accessing the official court record directly. Expungement or sealing is required to address that pathway.

Can the Official Court Record Be Removed?

Yes - but it requires a legal process, not a removal request. The two primary legal remedies are expungement and sealing, and you may be surprised to find that your case qualifies. Each state has different eligibility rules, procedures, and limitations.

Expungement

Expungement is the more complete remedy. When a case is expunged, the court record is destroyed or treated as though it never existed. In most states, you can legally deny the existence of an expunged case on job applications and rental applications - which means the stigma that's been following you has a legal end point. Expungement is generally available for certain misdemeanors, first-time offenses, arrests without conviction, and dismissed cases - but eligibility varies significantly by state.

Sealing

Sealing closes your record from public view without destroying it. The record continues to exist and can be accessed by law enforcement and certain government agencies, but it doesn't appear in standard court searches or the background checks that most employers and landlords use. Sealing is available in more situations than expungement in many states - it's frequently available for cases that don't qualify for full expungement.

Vacatur and Dismissal

In some circumstances, a conviction can be vacated - set aside and dismissed - particularly when it resulted from ineffective counsel, newly discovered evidence, or other specific grounds. A vacated conviction may then become eligible for expungement depending on the jurisdiction.

Step-by-Step: Removing Your Record from Online Databases

This is the process for addressing what Google shows - the third-party database listings that come up when someone searches your name. This process is independent of whether you've pursued legal expungement. Having an expungement order significantly strengthens your requests, but there are paths available even without one.

1. Run a full audit first. Search your name on Google, Bing, and directly on Justia, CourtListener, Casetext, FindLaw, UniCourt, Trellis, DocketAlarm, PACERMonitor, and Plainsite. Document every URL showing your case. This is your target list.
2. Gather your documentation. Collect certified copies of any expungement order, sealing order, or dismissal paperwork. If you don't have these, obtain them from the court clerk. Even without legal relief, gather whatever documentation supports your case - case number, case outcome, dates.
3. Draft a removal request template. Write a clear, professional request that states: who you are, the specific URL(s) involved, the grounds for removal (expungement, sealing, dismissal, no conviction, privacy harm), and your documentation. Keep it factual and concise.
4. Submit to each platform using their preferred contact method. Platforms vary: some have opt-out forms (Plainsite, CourtListener), some use email (Leagle), and some require working through Thomson Reuters' privacy team (Justia, Casetext, FindLaw). Use the platform-specific method - general contact forms get buried.
5. Follow up after two weeks of silence. Many platforms receive high request volume. A polite follow-up email referencing your original submission often prompts action. For high-priority platforms, escalate to a legal contact if available.
6. Track responses and update your audit. Mark resolved URLs off your list. For any denials, move those platforms to your Google de-indexing queue.

Step-by-Step: Removing Your Record from Google Search Results

For every URL that a database refuses to remove, submit a Google de-indexing request. This removes the result from Google's search index - so even if the source page still exists somewhere, it won't appear when someone searches your name. For most people, this is the most impactful single action available, since over 92% of searches happen on Google.

1. Go to google.com/webmasters/tools/removals (Google's Personal Information Removal Tool)
2. Select "Start a new removal request" and choose the most relevant category for court records / personal information in public databases
3. Enter the exact URL you want removed - paste it precisely from your browser
4. Write a clear explanation: reference the specific personal information displayed, cite any expungement or sealing order, explain the harm (career impact, safety concern, etc.)
5. Upload your documentation as a PDF attachment
6. Submit and monitor the status dashboard
7. If denied, review Google's stated reason and consider resubmitting with a revised framing or additional documentation

Google evaluates each request individually. Requests citing expungement, sealing, or exposed personal information (home address, phone, financial details) have the strongest approval prospects. Arrests without conviction are also well-supported. The more specific and documented your request, the better the odds - vague requests without documented harm are unlikely to succeed.

Criminal Cases vs. Civil Cases - What's Different

Your options vary depending on whether your court case was criminal or civil. Both have paths forward - they just look different.

Criminal Cases

Criminal cases - arrests, charges, DUIs, misdemeanors, felonies - have the most removal pathways available. Expungement and sealing are available in most states for qualifying offenses, and arrests without conviction are particularly strong candidates for both legal relief and online removal. Google's removal tool explicitly covers arrest records in many contexts. Most legal databases recognize a legitimate privacy interest in criminal records tied to dismissed or expunged cases. If your case is criminal, you likely have more options than you realize.

Civil Cases

Civil cases - lawsuits, debt collections, evictions, divorces, bankruptcies - are harder to remove from official records because expungement typically applies only to criminal matters. But online removal is still possible: direct removal requests citing privacy grounds, Google de-indexing when personal information is exposed, and suppression for results that won't come down through other means. Sealed civil proceedings (cases with court-ordered confidentiality) provide the strongest documentation for online removal requests.

Civil case data from background check aggregators can often be removed through opt-out forms even when the legal database won't remove the record. Focus first on wherever your record is most visible and doing the most damage to your daily life - that's where to direct your earliest effort.

You Got the Expungement - Now the Online Cleanup

If you've already obtained an expungement or sealing order, you've done the hardest and most important part. What comes next is a separate job - one that most people don't know they need to do until they Google themselves after expungement and find everything still exactly where it was.

Here is what typically happens after expungement - and what to do about it immediately:

• The official court record is cleared. Standard employment and tenant background checks that query official courts will no longer show the record.
• PACER and state court portals may still show the case briefly while the sealed/expunged status propagates. This typically resolves within a few weeks as the court's own system updates.
• Legal databases (Justia, CourtListener, Casetext, etc.) will not update automatically. They indexed the record before expungement. They have no obligation to check for updates. The record will stay on their sites until you contact them individually with your expungement order.
• Background check sites will not update automatically. Submit opt-outs to Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, Intelius, and TruthFinder immediately after receiving your order.
• Google will not update automatically. Submit de-indexing requests for every URL still showing your case, citing the expungement order as your basis.

Start the online cleanup the same week your expungement order is issued. Every week you wait, more sites may scrape and re-publish your record - creating additional targets you'll need to address. The legal victory is yours. Now make the internet reflect it.