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Connecticut Clean Slate Law: Automatic Erasure (2026)

Connecticut Clean Slate law (Public Act 21-32, codified at Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)–(f) and § 54-142t; amended by P.A. 21-33, 22-26, 23-134, 23-169 and 23-204)

Last updated: (official sources checked)Operating

Quick Answer

Connecticut automatically erases many misdemeanor convictions 7 years after your most recent conviction, and Class D and E felonies, unclassified felonies with a maximum of 5 years or less, and DUIs 10 years after — when the offense was committed on or after January 1, 2000, the sentence is complete and no charge is pending. Family violence crimes, sex offenses and other listed crimes are excluded.

The automated system went live December 17, 2023, was paused after errors, and the state says erasures have resumed. Erased records may not be disclosed, and you may swear you were never arrested for the erased case. If you think a case should have been erased, request your record from the State Police and send the state's Clean Slate application.

Is it operating yet?

As of 2026-10-12: automatic erasure is operating, but the rollout was badly delayed. The state's automated system went live December 17, 2023, then was paused after false-positive errors; a state report said erasures were still paused as of June 6, 2025 (33,737 completed, 56,696 pending). The official Clean Slate site now says erasures have resumed (its undated notice cites about 50,000 people erased, with more than 100,000 expected). In 2026 DESPP is holding administrative hearings on denied Clean Slate requests, and CJIS reported in April 2026 that Clean Slate notifications are being delivered to municipal police departments. News reports (not official sources) put the total above 150,000 by March 2026 and say the backlog was cleared by July 2026; no official figure confirming this was found.

Sources: State of Connecticut Recovery Plan Performance Report 2025 (OPM/ARPA) (DESPP Clean Slate project, Performance Update); Clean Slate Connecticut – home page update (UPDATE banner); DESPP Clean Slate Hearings – special meeting notice, August 24, 2026 (Meeting notice); DESPP News and Events – administrative hearings (Administrative hearings); CJIS-CT Governance Committee meeting minutes, April 23, 2026 (Item 8, Clean Slate MVP Overview)

The law

Signed into law in 2021 as Public Act 21-32; the conviction-erasure provisions (new § 54-142a(e)) took effect January 1, 2023. DUI (§ 14-227a) convictions were added to the 10-year category by P.A. 23-169 / 23-204, effective July 1, 2023; P.A. 23-134 added motor vehicle violations. The automated-process statute (§ 54-142t) was later amended by P.A. 24-108 and P.A. 25-161 (application process, effective July 1, 2025). No 2026-session change to the eligibility rules was found.

Sources: Office of Governor Ned Lamont press release (Dec. 2023) (Press release body; More information about the Clean Slate Law); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a, history note (P.A. 21-32); § 54-142a, history note (P.A. 21-32 effective date); § 54-142a, history note (P.A. 23-169 / 23-204); § 54-142a, history note (P.A. 23-204); +1 more); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142t (2026 Supplement), cga.ct.gov (§ 54-142t history note)

What automatic erasure does

Erasure: police, court and prosecutor records of the conviction may not be disclosed, and the person is deemed never to have been arrested for the erased proceedings and may so swear under oath. The state says erasure flags records for nondisclosure rather than deleting or destroying them, and the law does not require paper records to be destroyed. Background-check companies that buy court records must delete erased records within 30 days of receiving erasure information.

Sources: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a heading; § 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(i); § 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(ii); § 54-142a, history note (P.A. 21-32)); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142t (2026 Supplement), cga.ct.gov (§ 54-142t(a))

Records covered and waiting periods

Misdemeanors (classified or unclassified) and motor vehicle violations with a maximum of 1 year or less (except DUI)

Waiting period
7 years from the date of the most recent judgment of conviction
Conditions
Automatic if the offense was committed on or after January 1, 2000 (petition if earlier); all incarceration, parole and probation completed for this offense and any conviction since January 1, 2000; no pending Connecticut criminal charge.

Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(i); § 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(i)(II) and (ii)(II); § 54-142a(e)(3)(A); § 54-142a(e)(3)(B); +1 more)

Class D and E felonies, unclassified felonies with a maximum of 5 years or less, and motor vehicle violations with a maximum over 1 year up to 5 years

Waiting period
10 years from the date of the most recent judgment of conviction
Conditions
Same offense-date, sentence-completion and no-pending-charge conditions; offense class is judged under the law in effect when the offense was committed.

Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(ii); § 54-142a(e)(1)(B); § 54-142a(e)(3)(A); § 54-142a(e)(3)(C))

Operating under the influence (DUI, § 14-227a)

Waiting period
10 years from the date of the most recent judgment of conviction
Conditions
Not eligible if followed by another § 14-227a conviction within 10 years; driving record held by DMV is not required to be erased.

Sources: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(ii); § 54-142a(e)(2)(D); § 54-142a(e)(6)); Clean Slate Connecticut (official state site) – Clean Slate eligibility (Eligible offenses)

Misdemeanor convictions for offenses committed under age 18 between January 1, 2000 and July 1, 2012

Waiting period
See conditions
Conditions
Erased by operation of law under § 54-142a(f)(1); offenses before January 1, 2000 require a petition; motor vehicle offenses are not covered.

Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(f)(1); § 54-142a(f)(2))

Cannabis/drug possession under former § 21a-279(c), convictions from January 1, 2000 through September 30, 2015 (separate cannabis-erasure law)

Waiting period
See conditions
Conditions
Erased automatically under § 54-142u (effective January 1, 2023); such a conviction also does not count as a 'most recent' conviction for Clean Slate waiting periods.

Sources: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142u (automatic cannabis erasure), cga.ct.gov (§ 54-142u(a); § 54-142u history; § 54-142a(e)(4)); Office of Governor Ned Lamont press release (Dec. 2023) (Eligibility for automated erasure of low-level cannabis possession offenses)

Not cleared automatically

How to check whether your record was cleared

Who can still see a cleared record

If automatic relief does not cover your record

For eligible convictions for offenses committed before January 1, 2000, file a sworn petition on form JD-CR-202 (one form per docket) in the court where you were sentenced; there is no court fee, and the court either grants it without a hearing or schedules a hearing. Convictions that Clean Slate does not cover can be erased only through an absolute pardon from the Board of Pardons and Paroles (generally 3 years after the last misdemeanor or 5 years after the last felony, no pending charges; discretionary; no application fee).

Sources: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(i)(II) and (ii)(II); § 54-142a(k)); Connecticut Judicial Branch form JD-CR-202, Petition for Clean Slate Erasure (Rev. 11-23) (Instructions, item 1; Instructions, item 2; Instructions, item 4); Clean Slate Connecticut – Petition for Clean Slate erasure (2. File the completed petition; 3. The court will review your petition); Clean Slate Connecticut – How to access your criminal record (How to seek an absolute pardon for ineligible convictions); CT Board of Pardons and Paroles – Pardon FAQs (What types of pardons are available?; Am I eligible for an Absolute Pardon?; How does the Board decide who does or does not get a pardon?; Why do I have to pay a fee to the State Police?)

Connecticutexpungement and sealing guide — every route by record type →

Official links

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to apply to get an eligible Connecticut conviction erased under Clean Slate?
Not if the offense was committed on or after January 1, 2000 — eligible records are erased by operation of law, with no application or petition. For eligible offenses committed before January 1, 2000, you must file form JD-CR-202 in the court where you were sentenced; there is no court fee.

Sources: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(i); § 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(i)(II) and (ii)(II); § 54-142a(k)); Office of Governor Ned Lamont press release (Dec. 2023) (Press release body); Connecticut Judicial Branch form JD-CR-202, Petition for Clean Slate Erasure (Rev. 11-23) (Instructions, item 1)

My conviction should have been erased but still appears on my record. What can I do?
Get a current Connecticut criminal history from the State Police Bureau of Identification, then send DESPP a Clean Slate hearing/application form (DESPP-0847-C) explaining why the offense should be erased. DESPP either approves the erasure without further action or schedules a contested hearing and issues a written decision.

Sources: Clean Slate Connecticut – Clean Slate eligibility (Hearing request instructions); DESPP form DESPP-0847-C, Hearing for Clean Slate Erasure, Convictions after 1/1/2000 (Process); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142t (2026 Supplement), cga.ct.gov (§ 54-142t(g) (as amended by P.A. 25-161))

Does erasure destroy my records?
Not necessarily. The state explains that erasure flags records for nondisclosure rather than deleting or destroying them, and the law does not require paper records to be destroyed. Legally, you are deemed never to have been arrested for the erased proceedings and may swear to that under oath.

Sources: Office of Governor Ned Lamont press release (Dec. 2023), Clean Slate implementation (Press release body); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142t (2026 Supplement), cga.ct.gov (§ 54-142t(c)); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(g)(2))

When does the 7- or 10-year waiting period start?
It runs from the date the court entered your most recent judgment of conviction, so a newer conviction restarts the clock for older ones. A § 21a-279(c) possession conviction from before October 1, 2015 does not count as your most recent conviction for this purpose.

Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(i); § 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(ii); § 54-142a(e)(4))

Can a DUI be erased in Connecticut?
Yes, generally 10 years after your most recent conviction, unless you were convicted of another DUI within the 10 years after it. Erasure does not require the DMV to erase your driving record.

Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(ii); § 54-142a(e)(2)(D); § 54-142a(e)(6))

Does erasure end sex-offender registration, a standing criminal protective order, or unpaid fines?
No. Clean Slate erasure does not end an obligation to register, to obey a standing criminal protective order, or to pay any unremitted fine, and law enforcement can still use the records to enforce those obligations.

Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a (Erasure of criminal records), cga.ct.gov current statutes (§ 54-142a(e)(7); § 54-142a(e)(8); § 54-142a(e)(9))

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This is informational only, not legal advice. Whether a particular record qualifies depends on the exact offense, sentence, dates and later cases. Confirm with the court, the state records agency or a legal aid office before relying on a record being cleared.

Sources