Expungement and Record Sealingin Mississippi

Mississippi’s expungement provisions apply to most nonviolent offenses, but only one felony offense may be expunged.

The waiting period is five years after the completion of all conditions of the sentence, including parole or probation, which means that most individuals are only eligible after spending nearly a decade in the community. Expungements must be approved by judges, and district attorneys have the opportunity to object to the expungement. The typical cost for expungement is $150. The law could be improved by increasing the number of offenses eligible for expungement, and decreasing both the waiting period and the filing fee, and allowing at least some expungements to be granted automatically if the individual has committed no further criminal offenses.