Figure out whether your record can be sealed or expunged, and map the steps to do it — eligibility, waiting periods, forms, and where to get help. Use when asked can I get my record expunged, how do I seal my criminal record, clear my background, or am I eligible for expungement. Produces a plain-language read on likely eligibility (offense type, dispositions, waiting periods), the document and step sequence to petition, the costs and fee-waiver options, the realistic timeline, and where to get free or low-cost legal help — so a record that can be cleared actually gets cleared. Not legal advic
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Use expungement-navigator to provide a jurisdiction-specific, non-legal-advice eligibility overview and petition roadmap for [official case dispositions] in [state/county], including fees, timeline, limits, and local legal-help options.
Required inputs
[official case dispositions]
[state/county]
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SKILL.md
name: expungement-navigatordescription: "Figure out whether your record can be sealed or expunged, and map the steps to do it — eligibility, waiting periods, forms, and where to get help. Use when asked can I get my record expunged, how do I seal my criminal record, clear my background, or am I eligible for expungement. Produces a plain-language read on likely eligibility (offense type, dispositions, waiting periods), the document and step sequence to petition, the costs and fee-waiver options, the realistic timeline, and where to get free or low-cost legal help — so a record that can be cleared actually gets cleared. Not legal advice; expungement law is highly jurisdiction-specific and this points you to the right help."
Expungement Navigator
Many records can be sealed or expunged — but the rules are a maze of offense types, waiting periods, and forms that stop people before they start. This cuts through it: a plain read on whether you're likely eligible, the step-by-step to petition, the costs and fee waivers, and where to get free legal help — so a clearable record doesn't sit on you for life out of confusion.
What This Skill Produces
A likely-eligibility read — based on offense type, how the case ended (dismissed, convicted, deferred), and time since — what's probably eligible, what isn't, and what needs a lawyer's read
The step sequence — get your record (RAP sheet), confirm eligibility, obtain and complete the petition, file, serve, and (often) a hearing
Documents & costs — what you'll need, filing fees, and fee-waiver options if you can't pay
A realistic timeline — how long each stage typically takes, so you plan around it
Where to get help — legal aid, public defenders' expungement clinics, reentry orgs, and court self-help centers
What clearing it does and doesn't do — realistic expectations about what disappears from background checks
Required Inputs
Ask for these if not provided:
The record — offense type(s), how each case ended, roughly when
Where — the state/county where the case was (rules are local)
Your goal — sealing vs. expungement vs. a certificate of rehabilitation
Constraints — budget for fees, urgency (a pending job/housing application)
Framework: Eligibility → Petition → Help
Pull the actual record. You can't assess eligibility from memory — get the official RAP sheet / case dispositions first.
Screen for eligibility. Offense category, disposition, and waiting period are the three gates; flag anything borderline for a lawyer rather than guessing.
Map the petition path. The specific forms, filing court, service requirements, and whether a hearing is likely — as an ordered checklist.
Plan for cost. Filing fees plus fee-waiver eligibility, so cost isn't a silent blocker.
Route to real help. Expungement clinics, legal aid, and reentry orgs do this for free or cheap — always point there for the actual filing.
Output Format
Expungement path: [region]
Likely eligible: [what qualifies] · Likely not: [what doesn't] · Needs a lawyer's read: [borderline].
Steps: [pull record → confirm eligibility → petition → file/serve → hearing].
Documents & fees: [what you need] · [filing fee ~ / fee-waiver if you qualify].
Timeline: [stage-by-stage rough duration].
Get help: [legal-aid clinic · public defender expungement day · reentry org · court self-help].
What it does: [what leaves background checks — and the limits].
Not legal advice — expungement rules are highly jurisdiction-specific and change. Use a legal-aid clinic or attorney to confirm eligibility and file.
Quality Checks
Bases eligibility on offense type, disposition, and waiting period
Starts with pulling the official record
Gives an ordered petition checklist and the documents needed
Covers fees and fee-waiver options
Routes to free/low-cost legal help for the actual filing
Anti-Patterns
Guessing eligibility without the actual dispositions.
Presenting it as DIY-only when a clinic would do it free and correctly.
Ignoring fees/waivers that silently stop people.
Overpromising that everything vanishes from every check.
Generic steps not tied to the person's jurisdiction.
Example Trigger Phrases
"Can I get my record expunged?"
"How do I seal my criminal record so it stops showing up?"
"Am I eligible to clear my background?"
"What's the process to expunge a misdemeanor here?"