Procedures For Sealing of Juvenile Records

Section 781 of the Welfare and Institutions Code permits a person who has had a juvenile police, probation, or Juvenile Court record to petition the Juvenile Court to have their record sealed. This includes records of arrest, relating to the person’s case, in the custody of the Juvenile Court and Probation Officer, and any other agencies, including law enforcement agencies, entities, and public officials as the petitioner alleges in his or her petition, to have custody of the records. Before the petition and report by the probation officer is completed, certain requirements must be met. These requirements include the following:

1. The person desiring the record to be sealed has attained the age of 18 and probation has been terminated.
2. Since the closure of the last incident or termination of probation, the person has not been convicted of a felony or any misdemeanor involving moral turpitude.
3. There is no pending civil litigation directly relating to or arising from the criminal act that caused the record to be created (this includes payment of any fines which were ordered by the Juvenile Court).

In addition to the above requirements, the Fresno County Probation Department has established guidelines which are considered in making its recommendation to the Juvenile Court for or against the sealing of the juvenile record. The following guidelines and documents will be considered when the probation officer conducts an investigation into the matter.

1. Personal Data form (attached).
2. Verification of present or most recent employment (a letter addressed to: “To Whom it May Concern” on company letterhead); or most recent pay stub
3. Documents of education (e.g. copy of diploma, GED, High School Proficiency exam, or school transcripts), or vocational training records
4. Verification of military service, if any (DD214 or Military I.D.)
5. There is no application fee.

There are two methods to contact the probation department:   Print the attached application and mail it to 3333 American Avenue, Ste. B. Fresno, California 93725, Attn:  Record Sealing or; go to the Juvenile Probation Office at 3333 E. American Avenue, Fresno, CA. to pick up and complete an application. In both instances, , an appointment will be scheduled for you to appear at the Probation Office for an interview and to sign the application and petition for sealing juvenile record

The process to seal a juvenile probation and Juvenile Court record takes approximately two to three months. You will be notified if it is necessary for you to appear in Court. If not, a copy of the Court order for sealing your juvenile record will be mailed to you by the Juvenile Court Clerk’s Office. Please be aware that the Department of Justice and the various law enforcement agencies may have a significantly longer time frame to complete sealing of their records after the Juvenile Court issues a record sealing order for you.