Can You Expunge a Criminal Record in Michigan?

Craig Fiederlein

A criminal record can make it harder to get a job, rent an apartment, or apply for a loan, even years after you’ve moved on. The good news is that Michigan’s Clean Slate laws have greatly expanded who can clear their record.

 

What Expungement Does

Expungement, also called setting aside a conviction, removes the conviction from your public record. Employers and landlords running standard background checks generally will not see it. Law enforcement and certain agencies can still access sealed records in limited situations.

 

Automatic Expungement

Under Michigan’s Clean Slate Act, some convictions are set aside automatically if you stay out of trouble for a set period:

  • Eligible misdemeanors: after 7 years
  • Eligible non-assaultive felonies: after 10 years

 

The waiting period generally starts from sentencing or release from incarceration, whichever is later. Not every offense qualifies for automatic expungement, so it’s important to confirm your eligibility.

 

Expungement by Application

If you don’t qualify for automatic expungement, or don’t want to wait, you may be able to apply to the court. Michigan now allows people to set aside multiple convictions, including:

  • An unlimited number of eligible misdemeanors
  • Up to three felony convictions, if no more than two are assaultive crimes

 

Waiting periods for applications typically range from three to seven years, depending on the type and number of convictions. Michigan also now allows a first-offense OWI to be set aside by application, which was not possible before 2022.

 

Offenses That Can’t Be Expunged

Some convictions remain ineligible, including offenses punishable by life imprisonment and certain serious sex offenses. A lawyer can review your record and tell you which convictions qualify.

 

Why Work with a Lawyer

The application process involves gathering records, filing paperwork, notifying the prosecutor, and often appearing at a hearing. An attorney can make sure your application is complete and present your case in the strongest possible light.

 

If you’re ready to put your past behind you, call CF Legal at 810-232-1112 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

About The Author

Craig R. Fiederlein | Attorney

Smiling man in a blue suit and tie outdoors, with a blurred background.

Craig R. Fiederlein has spent more than three decades practicing law in Genesee County — long enough to know the courts, the process, and the people who matter inside them. He co-founded what was then Christensen & Fiederlein PC, building a firm that became one of the region's most recognized names in probate and estate law. His former law partner is now a sitting judge in Genesee County. That kind of history isn't a footnote — it reflects the depth of standing Craig and this firm have earned over a long career in this community.


Craig's practice centers on probate administration, estate planning, elder law, real estate, and business law. Whether a family is navigating a contested estate, an aging parent needs a Medicaid-compliant plan, or a property owner needs sound legal counsel on a transaction, Craig brings the kind of experience that only comes from doing this work, in this county, for a very long time.