Expungement Attorneys in MD Offering Assistance With Clearing Criminal Records
A criminal record can follow you for a lifetime, but under certain situations, you may be able to clear your record. Maryland law allows violations that meet certain criteria to be removed from a criminal record through a process called expungement. Just figuring out whether you qualify for expungement and how long you have to wait to file a petition is challenging enough without even getting into the demands of the process itself. Professional help from experienced Maryland expungement lawyers like Maronick Law LLC can streamline the process of clearing your criminal record.
It costs nothing to explore your options and discuss the potential expungement of your criminal record with a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney during a free consultation with Maronick Law LLC. To get started, contact us today.
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When you have been in any form of legal trouble in Maryland, these incidents can appear on your criminal record long after the case has been resolved. You don’t even have to be formally convicted of a crime for arrest records and other citations to appear on your record.
These records are available to the public, including potential employers, schools, lenders, and landlords.
Through the expungement process, a person can petition the court to request the removal of police records and court records from public view.
How to Get Records Expunged
While state law permits individuals to undertake the expungement process on their own, it doesn’t necessarily make it easy to get your record cleared. Often, your chances of successfully getting your criminal record cleared improve when you entrust knowledgeable Maryland expungement lawyers like Maronick Law LLC with your case.
Depending on the circumstances of your prior incident, you need to first determine not only whether and when you are eligible for expungement but also which of the state’s multiple expungement petition forms correctly fits your situation. Filling out the appropriate form to petition the court for an expungement of your records requires you to provide specific information under penalty of perjury. Making even a small error on this form could result in the denial of your request for expungement.
The advantages of professional assistance from experienced expungement attorneys in MD include the confidence of knowing that your expungement forms are completely and accurately filled out and having skilled representation already on your side if the State’s Attorney objects to your petition and the court orders a hearing. When you retain Maronick Law LLC to assist you with expungement, we handle your case from start to finish and are prepared for any challenges that could arise.
Qualifying for Criminal Record Expungement in Maryland
Only certain offenses can be expunged in Maryland, and different minimum waiting periods apply to different types of offenses. Evolving legislation, such as the REDEEM Act of 2023 and the Expungement Reform Act of 2025, has expanded the types of offenses that can be expunged and the circumstances under which they qualify, as well as changed how minimum waiting periods apply.
Under current Maryland law, including the changes established by these reforms, the Maryland Judiciary allows for expungement under the following circumstances.
Expungements When You Have Not Been Found Guilty
Even if you have not been found guilty of a crime, the arrest record or citation can remain on your record. You can petition to have these records expunged in instances like the following:
- You were acquitted, or found not guilty at trial
- Your charges were formally dropped or dismissed
- Your case, originally filed in adult court, was transferred to juvenile court (a separate process is required for expunging juvenile records)
- Your charges were dropped by the prosecutor through a nolle prosequi or indefinitely postponed by being marked stet on the docket
- You were determined to be Not Criminally Responsible, or NCR, for a violation categorized as a nuisance crime, including loitering, vagrancy, trespass, panhandling, and urination in a public place
The waiting period and filing requirements depend on how your case was resolved. For acquittals, dismissals, and nolle prosequi dispositions, you can generally petition for expungement after three years, although earlier expungement may be available if you file a General Waiver and Release. Form CC-DC-CR-072C is used for qualifying petitions filed before the three-year period has passed.
Other dispositions, including stet and findings of Not Criminally Responsible, have different requirements. Certain qualifying cases are also automatically expunged after three years.
Under the Expungement Reform Act of 2025, charges that have remained on the stet docket for at least three years are also no longer displayed on Maryland Judiciary Case Search.
Expungements Based on a Probation Before Judgment
In some criminal matters, you may receive probation before judgment, or PBJ, rather than having a formal judgment of conviction entered against you. A PBJ is generally eligible for expungement once you have completed probation, provided you have not been convicted of another crime, other than a minor traffic violation, within three years after the PBJ was entered.
A petition based on a PBJ generally cannot be filed until you have been discharged from probation or three years have passed since the PBJ was granted, whichever is later. In some instances, you may be able to seek earlier expungement by showing good cause.
PBJs for alcohol-related DUI and DWI charges follow separate, stricter rules. Under a 2024 change in Maryland law, these PBJs may now be expunged, but generally only after 15 years have passed since discharge from probation and only if additional eligibility requirements are met. If you’re considering your options and how they may pertain to DUI expungement in Maryland, we can help.
Expungements of Convictions
Getting a conviction expunged can be a more challenging endeavor if you were found guilty at trial. However, convictions of certain criminal offenses may be expunged. The waiting periods for cases that involve a guilty disposition are generally longer, vary by the type of conviction, and begin once you have completed your sentence, including any parole, probation, or mandatory supervision.
For a misdemeanor conviction that is eligible for expungement, you generally have to wait five years before you can begin the process of clearing your record. Not all misdemeanors can be expunged in Maryland, but many common charges can. Convictions for second-degree assault and common law battery generally require a seven-year waiting period.
Some felony convictions may also be expunged, although only a limited number of felonies are eligible. Felony theft and first- or second-degree burglary convictions require a 10-year waiting period, while other eligible felonies generally require seven years. Certain domestically related convictions can be expunged after a 15-year waiting period.
The Expungement Reform Act of 2025 Expanded Access to Expungement
The Expungement Reform Act of 2025, which took effect on October 1, 2025, made several additional changes that may open the door to expungement for people who were previously turned away:
- Probation violations are no longer an automatic bar: A 2022 appellate decision prevented expungement when a probation violation resulted in the person's probation being closed unsatisfactorily. The 2025 law overrides that barrier. Courts may still consider how a person performed on probation, along with whether any court-ordered restitution was paid or the person has the ability to pay, when deciding a petition.
- More misdemeanors qualify: The law added several common misdemeanor convictions to the list of offenses eligible for expungement.
- Fewer records appear on Case Search: Since January 31, 2026, Maryland Judiciary Case Search no longer displays certain records, including cannabis possession charges pardoned by the Governor and charges that have been on the stet docket for at least three years.
If you were previously told your record could not be expunged, particularly because of a probation violation, it may be worth having your eligibility reviewed again under current law.
How Maronick Law LLC Can Help
At Maronick Law LLC, our team of seasoned Maryland expungement lawyers helps clients clear their records and take back control of their lives.
The Benefits of Criminal Record Expungement in Maryland
The impact of having a criminal record can follow you for years, affecting your personal relationships, your educational and professional future, and your ability to rent or buy a place to live. For some people, it’s a constant reminder of past mistakes, no matter how hard they have worked to make positive changes.
If your record is holding you back in any way, exploring your options for clearing it through the expungement process is worthwhile. Maronick Law LLC offers a free, confidential initial consultation, so you can speak to an attorney about your case at no cost and get your questions answered before you decide whether to proceed.
Expungement can have a significant impact on your life. Once an expungement has been granted, the court or police records expunged are removed completely from public view. Under state law, you don’t have to disclose arrests or charges that have been expunged when applying for any type of state license or permit or for a job or admission to an educational institution.
The Advantages of Professional Legal Help for Expungement
The rules concerning which offenses may be expunged and what waiting periods apply are complex. The expungement process itself requires you to not only sort out these rules to determine whether your offense qualifies for expungement but also undertake a legal process that includes filing a petition with the court and potentially making your case in a court hearing. The guidance of experienced expungement attorneys in MD can streamline the process and help you successfully clear your record. As longtime criminal defense attorneys, we thoroughly understand the nuances of different charges and case resolutions and have the skills to provide effective representation for expungement hearings.
Why Choose Maronick Law LLC
As a dedicated, success-oriented criminal defense firm, Maronick Law LLC is prepared to evaluate the specifics of your situation and recommend the next steps for seeking an expungement if you are eligible. Here’s why clients across the state turn to us for help clearing their records.
Extensive Experience
Our highly skilled team has more than 80 years of experience representing our clients’ best interests and successfully securing favorable outcomes for them, including expungement of prior criminal convictions.
Statewide Legal Services
We proudly serve all of Maryland, including Glen Burnie, Baltimore, Ocean City, Harford, and Towson. With offices across the state, Maronick Law LLC makes it easy and convenient to retain excellent legal representation anywhere in Maryland.
Free Initial Consultations
Given the complicated eligibility requirements, you might feel hesitant to hire an attorney to assist you with the expungement process in Maryland before you even determine whether your records can be expunged. Maronick Law LLC offers a free phone or in-office consultation during which we provide professional insights on your case and preliminary legal advice about moving forward with expungement. This allows you to make an informed decision about your next steps and whether to hire Maryland expungement lawyers to assist you with the process.
Contact the Maryland Expungement Lawyers at Maronick Law LLC Today for a Free Case Review
The expungement process can be challenging, but you don’t have to go through it alone. For help from knowledgeable expungement attorneys in MD contact Maronick Law LLC online or call us today.