Does a criminal record expungement mean that it will not show up in a police certificate?

Answer 1

It depends on two things.

First, it depends on the law of the state in which the conviction occurred. In some states, expungement means that the records get sealed and it is treated as though it never happened. In other states (such as California) it means that the disposition is simply changed from conviction to dismissed, but all other details of the case are the same.

Second, it depends on police agencies policy for reporting convictions or arrests that have been cleared. In many states this is dictated by the state law.

Most counties have a public defender's office who will file a petition for record clearance (expungement, vacating, setting-aside, sealing, or whatever it is called in your state) for free-- though most public defenders have a low-income requirement. They may also have packets on how to do it yourself. If you have financial means, you can have an attorney handle it for you. There are law firms that specialize in record clearing. If your conviction was in federal court, you cannot have your conviction expunged. However, some states, such as Arizona, will allow you to petition to have all of your civil rights and gun rights restored.

Answer 2

What is a "police certificate?" An expungement only removes your offense from the records that are availlable to the public. Law enforcement agencies and the courts still have access to your original "actual" record. I hope this helps clarify it for you.