Expungement of Criminal Records in Kansas

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criminal records


A criminal record can be a bar to certain types of employment, licensing, holding public office, and even the right to vote. Most states allow for a process called expungement that will remove certain arrests or criminal convictions from the offender’s record.


Depending upon the laws of the state in which you live and the nature of the crime, you may be able to get an arrest or conviction sealed or erased from your legal record. After the expungement process is complete, you will not need to disclose the conviction on a job or school application, and in most instances no record of the arrest or conviction will show up during a public records inspection or background check commonly done by potential employers, landlords, and educational institutions.


According to Kansas law, expungements may be granted to certain individuals, including:



  • Any person convicted of a traffic, cigarette or tobacco infraction, misdemeanor or a class D or E felony

  • Individuals who committed crimes on or after July 1, 1993, nondrug crimes ranked in severity levels 6 through 10

  • A person convicted of a felony ranked in severity level 4 of the drug grid 

In Kansas, an individual must wait three years from the time of their sentence completion to request an expungement.  Class A, B or C felonies require a five year waiting period.While certain felonies in Kansas are eligible for expungement, serious crimes such as rape and murder may not be expunged.  


A petition for expungement in Kansas must include the defendant's full name, sex, race, date of birth, reason for the arrest, and information about the arresting court. Before filing an expungement petition, an individual may seek the advice of a lawyer knowledgeable about Kansas expungement law.  


There is no docket fee for filing the petition. All petitions for expungement will be docketed in the original criminal action, and a court hearing will be held. Any person who may have relevant information about the petitioner may testify at the hearing. The court may inquire into the background of the petitioner and will have access to any reports or records relating to the petitioner that are on file with the secretary of corrections or the Kansas parole board. 


For more information on expungement in the state of Kansas, go to the USLegal website.