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In Fort Worth, a single arrest can shadow you for years. Employers run background checks, landlords screen applicants, and licensing boards review criminal history, so even a charge that was later dropped can cost you a job or an apartment. If you were arrested but never convicted, finished deferred adjudication, or won an acquittal, an expungement or an order of nondisclosure may let you close that chapter for good. As a Fort Worth expungement lawyer, we help people across Tarrant County use Texas expunction and nondisclosure law to seal or erase records from public view.
Our practice is built around record relief for clients who keep hitting the same walls: failed background checks, denied licenses, and lost job offers. We prepare expunction petitions, nondisclosure orders, and record-sealing requests in misdemeanor and felony matters throughout Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and the surrounding communities. Each file starts with a close look at your arrest records, court dispositions, waiting periods, and eligibility under Texas law. From there our attorneys coordinate with the Tarrant County courts, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the arresting agencies to pursue the relief you have earned.
When you are ready to look at clearing your record in Fort Worth, we offer a confidential consultation to check your eligibility, walk you through how expungement works, and map out a plan that fits your case. We appear for clients in the Tarrant County courts and take the time to explain the difference between expunction and nondisclosure, how long relief is likely to take, and exactly what the court will require to grant your petition.
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Texas gives eligible people two main paths to record relief: expunction also called expungement, and orders of nondisclosure. The two remedies do different things. An expungement in Fort Worth lets a qualifying person have the arrest record and related criminal records destroyed, while a nondisclosure order seals the record from public access without destroying it. Our expungement services begin with a careful review of your criminal history, your court records, and your eligibility under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A and Texas Government Code Chapter 411. Expunction can apply in several situations: charges that were dismissed, cases that ended in acquittal, arrests that never led to formal charges, pardons, identity theft arrests, and certain juvenile offenses. With expunction, the court can order the arrest and every related record destroyed. Nondisclosure is aimed at deferred adjudication cases where the defendant finished probation and was discharged without a final conviction. It hides the record from most public entities and private employers, though some government agencies and licensing boards keep access.
Our Fort Worth attorney team figures out which remedy fits your case, drafts the petition, and stands with you at any court hearing. We also work through the complications that trip people up, such as multiple arrests, pending charges, or older convictions that can affect eligibility. Getting the legal framework and the filing steps right is what separates a granted petition from a denied one, and our familiarity with how the Tarrant County courts handle these matters at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center on West Belknap Street helps make sure your petition is filed correctly and backed by the right documentation.
| Relief Type | Eligibility | Effect on Record | Public Access |
|---|---|---|---|
Expunction | Dismissal, acquittal, no charges filed, pardon, identity theft | Record destroyed | No public access; legally did not occur |
Nondisclosure | Deferred adjudication with successful completion | Record sealed | Hidden from most employers and public; some agencies retain access |
Whether you qualify for an expungement turns on how your case ended and how much time has passed since the arrest. The most common qualifying outcomes are charges the prosecutor or court dismissed, cases where a jury found you not guilty, arrests that never produced formal charges, and files tied to mistaken identity or identity theft. Our lawyer in Fort Worth reads through the arrest reports, court documents, and disposition records to confirm whether you meet the statutory test for expunction under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 55.01.
If your arrest was a Class C misdemeanor and the charge was dismissed, you may qualify for expunction right away or after a short waiting period. Class A and B misdemeanors can carry a waiting period, depending on why the case was dismissed. Felony cases come with their own waiting periods and eligibility rules. One point catches many people off guard: if you were convicted of any criminal offense within five years before the arrest, that can make you ineligible for expunction. Our attorneys run a full background check and criminal history review to surface any obstacle and to advise you on timing and strategy.
If you finished deferred adjudication probation for a misdemeanor or felony in Tarrant County, an order of nondisclosure may be within reach. Deferred adjudication is a form of community supervision where the judge holds off on entering a finding of guilt, and once you complete it, the case is dismissed. Even so, the arrest and court records stay public until a nondisclosure order seals them. Our criminal defense attorney team files the nondisclosure petition and represents clients at hearings before Tarrant County judges at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center.
Texas law sets the waiting period for nondisclosure by the offense. Some cases qualify for nondisclosure the moment you are discharged, while others carry a two-year, five-year, or longer wait. A number of offenses stay off limits, including family violence offenses, sexual offenses, and offenses that require registration. Our Fort Worth legal services cover a detailed eligibility assessment, preparation of the petition, and advocacy in court to show that sealing your record serves the interest of justice and will not put the public at risk.
In Texas, expunction law lives mainly in Chapter 55 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. That chapter lays out the grounds for expunction, the rules for filing and service, the petitioner rights, and the duties owed by law enforcement and government agencies. Under Article 55.01, you are entitled to expunction if the charges were dismissed or quashed, if you were acquitted, if you were convicted and later pardoned or found innocent, or if the arrest grew out of identity theft.
Texas law attaches waiting periods to certain expunctions based on the offense level and how the case was resolved. A felony arrest that ended in dismissal usually carries a waiting period before you can file an expunction petition, while a dismissed misdemeanor may clear a shorter one. Because those timelines can decide whether you land a job or renew a license, talking with an expungement attorney in Fort Worth early gives you room to plan your next move.
When no charges were filed after your arrest, the statutory wait often runs 180 days for Class C misdemeanors, two years for Class A and B misdemeanors, and three years for felonies, before you can petition for expunction. Acquittals and dismissals that follow a trial or a prosecutor decision may carry different waiting periods, or none at all. Our attorneys track every one of these deadlines and file the petition the moment you become eligible, cutting down the time your arrest record stays visible to employers and licensing agencies.
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Texas expungement and nondisclosure laws sit mainly in Chapter 55 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure for expunctions and in Subchapter E-1 of Chapter 411 of the Texas Government Code for orders of nondisclosure. Together these statutes fix the eligibility criteria, the procedural steps, and the effect each remedy has on your record. Knowing these standards is what lets you file a valid petition and steer clear of the mistakes that lead to a denial or a long delay.
Article 55.01 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure spells out when a person is entitled to expunction, covering acquittals, dismissals, pardons, and certain juvenile offenses. Article 55.02 sets the petition process, the notice requirements, and the hearing procedures. Article 55.03 reaches expunctions for people who complete pretrial intervention programs or veterans treatment court programs.
Orders of nondisclosure run through Section 411.0725 and the related provisions, which set the waiting periods and eligibility rules by offense type and by whether the case involved deferred adjudication. Some misdemeanors, for instance, can qualify for immediate nondisclosure once you are discharged from deferred adjudication, while others carry a two-year or five-year wait. Felonies and certain violent or sexual offenses can be shut out of nondisclosure eligibility altogether.
Not every criminal record can be cleared. Texas law keeps certain offenses out of record relief entirely, including most sex offenses, family violence offenses, and offenses that involve injury to a child or an elderly person. Even a completed deferred adjudication or a dismissal usually will not seal or expunge those charges, because the statute puts public safety and victim protection first.
On top of that, if you were convicted of the offense or placed on regular community supervision rather than deferred adjudication, you generally cannot get an expungement or nondisclosure unless the conviction was later overturned or you received a pardon. A criminal defense attorney in Fort Worth can study the facts and any later legal developments in your case to see whether a remedy is still open to you.
A Texas expungement order reaches only the records held by Texas state and local agencies. It does not automatically pull information from federal databases kept by agencies such as the FBI, and it does not touch records held by other states. If your arrest or case created federal records, you may need a separate federal expungement proceeding, which runs on different legal standards and procedures.
The same holds for criminal records in other states, which answer to the expungement or sealing laws of those places. A Fort Worth expungement lawyer can work alongside attorneys in other states to deal with out-of-state records and can explain where a Texas expungement order stops when records exist across several jurisdictions.
| Legal Provision | Scope | Key Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A | Expunction eligibility conditions | Acquittal, dismissal, no charges filed, pardon, identity theft, or qualifying statutory circumstances |
| Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A | Expunction petition procedures | Detailed petition, identifying information, notice to agencies, and court hearing if an objection is filed |
| Texas Government Code Section 411.0725 | Nondisclosure for deferred adjudication | Successful completion of deferred adjudication, applicable waiting period, and eligible offense type |
| Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A | Expunction for qualifying diversion, specialty court, and dismissed cases | Completion of eligible program, dismissal of charges, or another qualifying expunction basis under Chapter 55A |
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Clients almost always ask two things first: what does this cost, and how long does it take. The cost usually breaks down into attorney fees, court filing fees, and the fees for certified copies of records and service of process. Attorney fees move with the complexity of the case, the number of charges, and whether a contested hearing is likely. We lay out that fee information plainly during your first consultation.
The timeline for an expungement or nondisclosure hinges on a few things: the court docket in Tarrant County, how quickly law enforcement agencies respond, and whether the prosecutor objects to the petition. Uncontested cases often run three to six months from filing to the final order. Contested matters, or cases that require a hearing, can take longer. Our team keeps you posted at every stage and pushes to move the process along wherever the court and the agencies allow.
Some clients qualify for immediate expunction or nondisclosure, while others have to wait for the statutory period to run. A nondisclosure petition for certain deferred adjudication misdemeanors, for example, can be filed the moment you are discharged, while others require a two-year wait. Our attorneys calculate the waiting period that applies to your offense and your discharge date, then file the petition as soon as you become eligible.
