How to seal a juvenile criminal record in California

California does not make a juvenile carry an arrest or adjudication into adulthood forever — sealing wipes it from most background checks, and for many kids the process now happens without ever filing anything. Here is exactly how to seal a juvenile record in California in 2026, step by step, including when the court does the work for you and when you have to ask.

Why this matters

A juvenile record that stays open follows a person into job applications, housing screenings, and professional licensing well past their teenage years. California changed the default in 2022 with Senate Bill 312, which requires juvenile courts to seal most eligible records automatically, without a petition. That is a real shift from the old system, where a person had to know the law existed, find the right form, and ask.

But automatic sealing does not cover everyone. Some serious offenses under Welfare and Institutions Code section 707(b) are excluded, and some counties are still catching up on notifying people whose records already qualify. If your record was not automatically sealed, you file a petition under WIC 781. Either way, in 2026 you have a real, workable path to get this closed.

What you'll need

• Your full name, date of birth, and any name used at the time of the case (including former names)
• The county where the juvenile case was filed, and the case number if you have it
• Approximate dates of arrest, petition, or adjudication
• Proof of any diversion completion, probation completion, or dismissal
• A copy of your criminal history (California DOJ Live Scan or a rap sheet request) to confirm what is on record
• Patience for court and DOJ processing times that vary by county caseload

If your situation also involves an adult charge or an arrest that never led to conviction, the process differs — sealing an arrest record that never led to a conviction runs on a separate statute entirely.

The steps

1. Check whether your record already qualifies for automatic sealing

Since January 1, 2022, California juvenile courts must review eligible cases and seal them without a petition once the jurisdiction of the court ends and no new offense occurs within the relevant period. Call the juvenile court clerk in the county where the case was filed and ask directly whether your record has been flagged for automatic sealing under SB 312.

Common mistake: assuming silence means it was sealed. Many counties have a backlog, and a record can sit unsealed for months even when it technically qualifies. Ask for written confirmation, not a verbal assurance.

2. Pull your full case history

You cannot petition for something you cannot describe accurately. Request your juvenile case file or a DOJ record printout so you have exact case numbers, charge codes, and disposition dates.

This step also reveals whether more than one county is involved — a common situation for anyone who moved during their teenage years, since each county's juvenile court handles its own records separately.

3. Confirm the offense is not on the WIC 707(b) exclusion list

Welfare and Institutions Code section 707(b) lists serious offenses — murder, certain sex offenses, and specific violent felonies — that generally cannot be sealed regardless of how much time has passed. Confirm your adjudication or sustained petition is not on that list before spending time on paperwork.

If it is on the list, sealing under WIC 781 is not available, but other relief such as a certificate of rehabilitation may still apply depending on what happened as an adult.

4. File the petition if sealing was not automatic

If the record did not qualify for automatic sealing, you petition the juvenile court under WIC 781, typically using the Judicial Council petition to seal juvenile records for the county where the case was heard. You generally file once you turn 18, or once five years have passed since the court's jurisdiction ended, whichever comes first, unless a new case has since been filed against you.

The petition asks the court to make a factual finding: that you have not been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude since the juvenile case closed, and that sealing serves the interests of justice.

5. Serve the required notice and wait for the court's review

Courts route your petition to the district attorney and probation department for a chance to object. Most counties resolve uncontested petitions on the papers, but some schedule a short hearing if the DA raises a question about eligibility or a later arrest.

Expected outcome: if nothing in your record disqualifies you, the court signs an order to seal, and the clerk sends copies to every agency that touched the case — police department, probation, DOJ, and the court itself.

6. Confirm the seal reached every agency, not just the court

A signed order does not automatically update every database overnight. Follow up with the California Department of Justice and the arresting agency to confirm the sealing order was processed on their end, not just filed with the court.

Common mistake: treating the signed court order as the finish line. The record is not functionally sealed for background check purposes until DOJ updates its own file, which can take longer than the court process itself.

Troubleshooting

The clerk says the case file no longer exists. Older juvenile records are sometimes destroyed on a retention schedule before a person turns 18. Request a DOJ printout instead — it often shows enough detail to confirm the case existed and was resolved, which supports a petition even without the original court file.

The DA objects to the petition. Objections usually center on a claimed new offense or a disputed disposition date. Bring certified records showing the case was dismissed, diverted successfully, or otherwise resolved in your favor to resolve the dispute at the hearing.

The offense sits close to the WIC 707(b) line. Some charges get pled down from a 707(b) offense to something that does qualify for sealing. Pull the actual disposition, not just the original charge, since the final adjudicated offense is what controls eligibility.

Multiple counties, multiple case numbers. Each county juvenile court seals its own record independently. You may need a separate petition, or a separate automatic-sealing confirmation, for each county where a case was filed.

A new arrest since the juvenile case closed. A new felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude after the juvenile case ends generally stops sealing eligibility under WIC 781. Confirm the exact dates before assuming disqualification — some minor infractions do not count against you.

Tools and resources

• California DOJ Live Scan record request, to see exactly what is on file before you petition
• The juvenile court clerk's office in the county where the case was filed
• Best lawyer for juvenile record sealing in California if the case involves a 707(b) question or a multi-county file
• How to find a criminal record expungement lawyer if you are weighing whether to handle this yourself or bring in counsel

What to do next

Juvenile sealing only covers the juvenile case. If you also picked up an adult conviction later, that record needs its own relief under Penal Code 1203.4 — see how to expunge a criminal record in California for that separate process. Handling both in the same year, 2026, means fewer surprises the next time a background check runs.

FAQ

One last thing

The part most people miss: even after a juvenile record in California is sealed, it is not the same as destroyed. State law allows destruction of juvenile records on a separate, later timeline in most cases, and until that happens, certain law enforcement and licensing contexts can still see the sealed file. If your goal is a background check that comes back completely clean in 2026, confirm both the sealing order and the destruction eligibility date, not just one or the other.

Related guides

• Best record sealing lawyer in California