KnowMo Laws shieldKnowMo LawsShow-Me State Laws
Records & Expungement
RSMo 610.123effective 28 Aug 2005

Procedure to expunge, supreme court to promulgate rules

In plain English

Someone who wants to get an arrest record erased files a petition (a formal written request) in the circuit court in the county where they were arrested. The petition must include personal details, information about the arrest, and fingerprints. The petition must list every agency or court that might have the records. A hearing is set at least 30 days after filing. If the court agrees the person qualifies, it orders the records erased and kept confidential. The state supreme court makes the rules for how these cases are handled, keeping the process simple, similar to small claims court.

Word-for-word law

610.123. Procedure to , supreme court to — similar to small . — 1. Any person who wishes to have a of section 610.122 may file a for in the civil of the in the county of the arrest as provided in 4 of this section. The shall include the following or shall be dismissed if the information is not given:

(1) The 's:

(a) Full name;

(b) Sex;

(c) Race;

(d) Date of birth;

(e) Driver's number;

(f) Social number; and

(g) Address at the time of the arrest;

(2) The charged against the petitioner;

(3) The date the petitioner was arrested;

(4) The name of the county where the petitioner was arrested and if the arrest occurred in a , the name of the municipality;

(5) The name of the agency that arrested the petitioner;

(6) The case number and court of the offense;

(7) Petitioner's fingerprints on a standard fingerprint card at the time of a petition to expunge a record that will be forwarded to the for the sole purpose of positively identifying the petitioner.

2. The petition shall name as s all law agencies, courts, prosecuting attorneys, central state depositories of criminal records or others who the petitioner has reason to believe may possess the records subject to expungement. The court's shall not affect any person or not named as a defendant in the .

3. The court shall set a on the matter no sooner than thirty days from the filing of the petition and shall give reasonable notice of the hearing to each official or agency or other entity named in the petition.

4. If the court finds that the petitioner is entitled to expungement of any record that is the subject of the petition, it shall enter an order directing expungement. Upon granting of the order of expungement, the records and files maintained in any or court in an of the circuit court under this section shall be confidential and only available to the parties or by order of the court for . A copy of the order shall be provided to each agency identified in the petition pursuant to subsection 2 of this section.

5. The supreme court shall promulgate rules establishing procedures for the handling of cases filed pursuant to the of this section and section 610.122. Such procedures shall be similar to the procedures established in chapter 482 for the handling of small claims.

Tap any gold-underlined word to see what it means.

Red section numbers link to that law.

Source & history notes

(L. 1993 H.B. 170 § 2 merged with H.B. 562 § 12, A.L. 1995 H.B. 135, A.L. 2003 S.B. 184, A.L. 2005 S.B. 422)

View official source

Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.

RSMo 610.123: Procedure to expunge, supreme court to promulgate rules | KnowMo Laws