How long does a felony show on your record?

Answer 1

A felony in Florida can remain on your record indefinitely. However, you may be able to seal or expunge the criminal record. Criminal record sealing, under Florida Statute § 943.059, is a process that seals the record from government view, but government agencies (i.e. the police) would retain the ability to access it. Expunging, under Florida Statute § 943.0585, is a similar process that would allow you to seal the record from public access, though government agencies could still obtain access through a court order.

Eligibility for criminal record sealing or expunging in Florida can be a tricky process. It is not available to individuals who have been previously convicted of more than one misdemeanor or felony. Additionally, previous juvenile adjunctions, individuals with previously sealed/expunged records, and those under community supervision are not eligible. There is also a long list of criminal offenses that are excluded from this process, including aggravated assault and battery, child abuse, drug trafficking, robbery, and certain other violent crimes, drug crimes, and sexual offenses.

Therefore, while the felony can remain on your record, there are options to remove it at the very least from public record. If you are concerned about how a felony conviction can impact your employment prospects, this may be an option to explore.

Answer 2

Crimes committed after your 18th birthday NEVER go away from your criminal history file. You can try and apply to the court to have it expunged from your record but there is no guarantee that will happen.

Answer 3

The record of your arrest and conviction will always exist. Your criminal history does not "go away" after any period of time.