Record Sealing
Virginia Clean Slate Law · Effective July 1, 2026
Record Sealing Attorney In
Manassas & Prince William County
Virginia’s new sealing law gives people with qualifying convictions the first real path to hide their records from background checks. Find out if you qualify.
Highlights
Virginia’s Clean Slate Law takes effect July 1, 2026, giving people with qualifying convictions the first real opportunity in the Commonwealth’s history to seal their criminal records from
public view. Under the new law, some records seal automatically, while others require a petition to the Prince William Circuit Court. Sealing removes your record from most background checks but does not erase it entirely, since government agencies and courts retain limited access. If you have a misdemeanor or low-level felony conviction in Manassas or Prince William County, now is the time to find out whether you qualify.
What Virginia’s New Sealing Law Does
For decades, a criminal conviction in Virginia meant a permanent public record. Unlike other states, Virginia offered no path to seal convictions, only expungement, which applied exclusively to cases that ended without a conviction. That changes on July 1, 2026.
Under Va. Code § 19.2-392.5 and the statutes that follow it, Virginia now creates two ways to seal a criminal record: automatic sealing and petition sealing. When a record is sealed, it is removed from the Virginia Judiciary’s public online case information system and from most background checks conducted by employers, landlords, and licensing boards. Background check companies that collect Virginia criminal records are legally prohibited from sharing sealed offenses and must delete them from their databases.
What sealing does not do:
Sealed records remain accessible to law enforcement, courts, prosecutors, and certain employers such as hospitals and law enforcement agencies. Sealing does not restore civil rights or the right to possess a firearm. Those require separate processes through the Governor’s office. The federal government retains access to sealed Virginia records through the FBI’s CJIS division.
For most people in Manassas and Prince William County, however, sealing means one practical thing: the past conviction that has been following them into job applications, rental screenings, and professional license reviews will no longer appear.
Who Qualifies & The Waiting Periods Explained
Eligibility depends on three things: the type of offense, how much time has passed, and your conduct since the conviction.
7
Years clean record for misdemeanor convictions
10
Years clean record for eligible felony convictions
The waiting period starts from the date of conviction or release from incarceration, whichever is later. During the entire waiting period, you cannot have been convicted of any other offense required to be reported to Virginia’s Central Criminal Records Exchange, excluding traffic infractions.
The Virginia State Crime Commission has confirmed that roughly 90 percent of all misdemeanors and nearly two-thirds of all Class 5 and Class 6 felonies are eligible for sealing under the new framework.
For the petition process specifically, the court must also find that you have never been convicted of a Class 1 or Class 2 felony or any felony punishable by life imprisonment, that you have not been convicted of a Class 3 or Class 4 felony within the past 20 years, and that continued public access to the record causes or may cause a manifest injustice to you. Restitution, if ordered, must be paid in full before a petition can be granted. There is a lifetime limit of two granted petitions under the petition sealing statute.
Automatic Sealing Vs. Petition Sealing In Prince William County
Virginia’s new framework creates two distinct pathways, and understanding which one applies to your case determines how much work is ahead.
Automatic sealing is processed monthly by Virginia State Police and routed to the Prince William Circuit Court, with no filing needed on your part. The petition process requires you to file, provide warrant or indictment copies, and request that VSP send your criminal history to the court. The Commonwealth’s Attorney reviews and may concur without requiring a hearing.
One important caveat: automatic sealing only works if your conviction was reported to the Central Criminal Records Exchange. If you were not fingerprinted at arrest, or a clerical error occurred, your offense may not be in the system. In that situation, you can file under the automatic petition sealing process to achieve the same result.
Offenses That Cannot Be Sealed Under Virginia Law
Not every conviction qualifies, and it is important to know the limits before building expectations. Offenses permanently excluded from sealing under Va. Code § 19.2-392.12 include:
If your conviction falls into any of these categories, sealing is not available regardless of how much time has passed or how clean your record has been since. Other record relief options may still exist depending on your circumstances.
What A Sealed Record Means For Work & Travel In Prince William County
The most immediate benefit of sealing for most people in the Manassas area is employment. Virginia law prohibits state and local government entities, private employers, educational institutions, landlords, and insurance companies from asking about sealed offenses on any application. They must also include a notice on their applications stating that applicants are not required to disclose sealed offenses. Willful violations are punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.
For travel, domestic travel and most private-sector background checks are unaffected by a sealed record once it is processed. International travel and immigration consequences, however, depend on federal law. Because the federal government retains access to sealed Virginia records, sealing does not guarantee clearance for visa applications or immigration proceedings.
NOTE FOR FEDERAL CONTRACTORS AND GOVERNMENT WORKERS:
A significant portion of Prince William County’s workforce is employed in federal contracting or defense. Security clearance adjudicators have access to sealed records, and candidates are generally expected to disclose them. If this applies to you, discussing the specific implications with an attorney before petitioning is the right step.
One question that comes up often: will you know when your record has been sealed? No. Virginia does not send individual notifications for automatic sealing. To verify, you can check the Virginia Judiciary’s online case information system , request a copy of your criminal history record from Virginia State Police, or ask the clerk of the court where your case was concluded.
Sealing Vs. Expungement: Which One Applies To You
These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they cover completely different situations under Virginia law.
If your case was dismissed or you were acquitted, expungement is likely the right path. If you were convicted, sealing is the path the new law opens. If you had multiple charges with different outcomes, reviewing your complete case history with an attorney is the most reliable approach.
How Manassas Residents Can Take The First Step
The sealing process involves multiple moving parts. Mistakes in the petition, such as errors in identifying the charge, failing to include ancillary matters like a related probation violation, or filing in the wrong court, can result in delays or denial. Because the statute limits petition sealing to two granted petitions in a lifetime, careful preparation matters before you use one.
1. Confirm your offense and offense date
Verify that the charge falls under an eligible category and that the waiting period has been met from conviction or release, whichever is later.
2. Check your CCRE record with Virginia State Police
Confirm the conviction appears in the Central Criminal Records Exchange. If missing due to a clerical error, the automatic petition process applies.
3. Identify any ancillary matters to include
Related probation violations, failure to appear charges, or other ancillary matters tied to the conviction can, and often should, be included in the same petition.
4. File with the Prince William Circuit Court
Submit the petition along with warrant or indictment copies to the Circuit Court in the county where the charge was originally concluded. No filing fee is required under the new law.
5. Request your criminal history be sent to the court
Through VSP’s online portal, request that your Virginia and national criminal history record be forwarded directly to the circuit court. No fingerprinting required, only your name, date of birth, and SSN.
Schedule A Case Evaluation
If you have a conviction on your record and want to understand whether Virginia’s new sealing law gives you a real path forward, The Irving Law Firm is ready to help. We will review your record, walk you through your options under the Clean Slate Law, and tell you plainly what we can do and what to expect.
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