What each remedy actually does.
Expungement is the word everyone uses, and it is not quite what California provides. A dismissal under Penal Code 1203.4 withdraws the plea or sets aside the verdict and dismisses the case, which releases you from most of the penalties and disabilities that followed from it. The entry remains on the record, showing the conviction and then its dismissal.
That is genuinely valuable for employment, because most private employers may not ask about a conviction that has been dismissed. It is not, however, the remedy that helps with firearm rights, immigration exposure or professional licensing. Those turn on whether the offence is a felony, which is a different question with a different remedy.
Reduction under Penal Code 17(b) is that remedy. Where an offence is a wobbler, reducing it from a felony to a misdemeanour changes the character of the conviction itself, and it can be combined with a dismissal. For most people who come in asking about expungement, the reduction is the part that solves the actual problem, and the dismissal is the part they had heard of.
Record relief I handle.
These are the forms of record relief I handle across California. Which one applies depends on the conviction, the sentence and what you need it to fix.
Dismissal and reduction
- Dismissal after probation (Penal Code 1203.4). The main expungement remedy, available after successful completion of probation.
- Dismissal without probation (Penal Code 1203.4a). The equivalent for misdemeanours and infractions where no probation was granted.
- Reduction of a felony to a misdemeanour (Penal Code 17(b)). Available on wobblers, and usually the remedy that actually solves the problem. Amended in 2024.
- Dismissal after county jail sentences (Penal Code 1203.41). Covers felony sentences served under realignment rather than in state prison.
- Dismissal for defendants sentenced to prison (Penal Code 1203.42). Narrower relief for older cases where prison was imposed.
Sealing and rehabilitation
- Sealing an arrest record (Penal Code 851.91). For arrests that did not result in conviction, which are otherwise still visible.
- Automatic arrest sealing (Penal Code 851.93). Applies to qualifying arrests without a petition, though not always reliably. Amended in 2024.
- Certificate of rehabilitation (Penal Code 4852.01). A court finding of rehabilitation, and a step toward a pardon for convictions that cannot be dismissed.
- Sealing juvenile records (Welfare and Institutions Code 781). The juvenile equivalent, which is not automatic in every case. Amended in 2024.
Automatic and category-specific relief
Some relief now happens without a petition, though not reliably and not for everything. It is worth checking what has already been done before paying for it again.
- Automatic conviction relief (Penal Code 1203.425). Provides relief for qualifying convictions without a petition. Coverage is incomplete and does not extend to everything. Amended in 2024.
- Proposition 47 reclassification (Penal Code 1170.18). Reclassifies qualifying felony theft and drug convictions as misdemeanours.
- Cannabis conviction relief (Health and Safety Code 11361.8). Dismissal or reduction of prior cannabis convictions following Proposition 64.
Related consequences
- Sex offender registration (Penal Code 290). A dismissal does not end a registration obligation. Termination runs through the tier system separately. Amended in 2024.
- Firearm prohibitions (Penal Code 29800). A dismissal alone does not restore firearm rights; reduction of a wobbler can. Amended in 2024.
- Strike consequences (Penal Code 1192.7(c)). A dismissed conviction can still count as a strike in a future case.
If you are not sure what is actually on your record, that is worth establishing before anything else. People frequently seek relief for convictions that have already been dismissed automatically, and equally frequently believe something was handled years ago when it was not.
What relief does and does not change.
Relief is worth having, and it is worth knowing precisely what it reaches.
- Private employment. The clearest benefit. Most private employers may not ask about a conviction that has been dismissed, and it should not be reported by background check services in the ordinary way.
- Professional licensing. Boards can still consider a dismissed conviction, but reduction to a misdemeanour changes the picture substantially for most of them.
- Firearm rights. Not restored by dismissal. Restored in some cases by reduction of a wobbler under Penal Code 17(b), which is why the two remedies are usually sought together.
- Immigration. A state dismissal does not generally remove the conviction for federal immigration purposes. Reduction can help. This needs specific advice rather than a general answer.
- Housing. Improves materially, though public housing rules operate separately and treat some convictions differently.
- Future cases. A dismissed conviction can still be counted as a prior or as a strike if there is a new case.
This is the part that matters most and gets explained least. If your problem is a licence, a firearm or immigration, the dismissal by itself is probably not the answer you need.
Why the right remedy is not obvious.
The wrong remedy solves nothing
People pay for dismissals when what they needed was a reduction, and pay for petitions covering convictions that had already been relieved automatically. The remedies do different jobs, and matching them to the actual problem is most of the work.
Automatic relief is real but incomplete
Penal Code 1203.425 provides relief for qualifying convictions without any petition, and Penal Code 851.93 does the same for some arrests. Coverage is partial, records are not always updated in practice, and background check databases lag behind. Checking what has actually happened is cheaper than assuming either way.
Reduction is discretionary, and it is argued
A court deciding a Penal Code 17(b) motion weighs the nature of the offence, performance on probation and what has happened since. It is not a form-filling exercise, and what is put in front of the court makes a difference to the outcome.
What experience with these petitions actually changes
It is knowing which relief is available for which conviction, which combinations are worth seeking together, how a given county handles these petitions, and when a certificate of rehabilitation is the only route left. I have been doing this since 1999.
Whether this is worth paying for depends on what is blocking you. If a conviction is not affecting your work, your licence or your housing, there may be no urgency at all, and some relief now happens automatically. If a job, a licence, a firearm or an immigration matter is being held up by it, the remedy is usually available and the difficulty is choosing the right one. Call me and I will tell you which applies to your record, and what it would cost.
How I handle record relief.
- Establishing what is actually on the record — including anything already relieved automatically, before any petition is prepared.
- Matching the remedy to the problem — dismissal, reduction, sealing or a certificate, and frequently more than one together.
- Preparing the petition — with the material a court weighing discretion actually wants to see, rather than the minimum the form requires.
- Appearing on the motion — where a reduction or a contested petition needs to be argued.
- Checking the result — confirming the disposition is reflected where it needs to be, since databases do not always update on their own.
- Personal attention — you work with us directly.
I have been licensed to practise in California since 1999, State Bar number 203402, and I handle record relief in nine Northern California counties from offices in Sacramento and Roseville. Petitions are filed in the court where the conviction happened, so tell me which county that was.
Where I handle these petitions.
Petitions are filed in the county where the conviction occurred, not where you live now. I handle these in all nine counties below.
Sacramento County Placer County Yolo County El Dorado County San Joaquin County Butte County Yuba County Solano County Sutter County
Where a city has enough demand for this charge to warrant its own page, I have written one:
Record relief questions I hear most.
Does expungement erase a conviction in California?
No. A dismissal under Penal Code 1203.4 withdraws the plea and dismisses the case, which releases you from most penalties and disabilities. The record still shows the conviction and then its dismissal. That distinction matters most for firearm rights, immigration and professional licensing, where a dismissal alone often is not enough.
What is the difference between a dismissal and a reduction?
A dismissal under Penal Code 1203.4 changes the status of the case. A reduction under Penal Code 17(b) changes the character of the conviction itself, from felony to misdemeanour, and is available on wobblers. For most people asking about expungement, the reduction is the part that solves the problem, and the two are usually sought together.
Will expungement restore my firearm rights?
Not by itself. A dismissal does not lift a firearm prohibition. Reduction of a wobbler felony to a misdemeanour can restore rights in some circumstances, which is why the reduction is the more important remedy where firearms matter. See weapons charges.
Do I still have to disclose a dismissed conviction to employers?
For most private employment, no. California generally prohibits employers from asking about a conviction that has been dismissed. There are exceptions, including certain public positions, licensed roles and jobs requiring particular clearances, where disclosure obligations continue.
I heard California clears records automatically now. Do I need to do anything?
Automatic relief under Penal Code 1203.425 covers qualifying convictions without a petition, and Penal Code 851.93 does the same for some arrests. Coverage is incomplete, it does not reach everything, and records are not always updated in practice. It is worth checking what has actually happened to your record before paying for anything.
Can a dismissed conviction still be used against me?
Yes, in some contexts. It can be counted as a prior or as a strike in a new case, it can still be considered by licensing boards, and it generally remains a conviction for federal immigration purposes. Relief is worth having, but it is not the same as the conviction never having happened.
What does record relief cost?
It depends on how many convictions are involved, which remedies apply, whether a reduction has to be argued, and which counties the cases are in. Call and I will tell you what your record needs and what it would cost before you commit to anything.
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