How to Seal a Criminal Record in Nevada

Sealing a record under NRS 179.245 removes it from public view: employers, landlords, and most licensing boards running a standard background check will not see it, and Nevada law then lets you deny that the arrest or conviction ever happened in most situations. The record is not destroyed — law enforcement and certain agencies can still access it — but for everyday life it effectively disappears.

For many people the practical payoff is a job offer that no longer falls through, an apartment application that gets approved, or a professional license that finally clears.

The clock generally starts when the case fully closes — for a conviction, that means after you finish custody, probation, or parole. Dismissed or acquitted charges have no wait. Misdemeanors are eligible after 1 year, gross misdemeanors and category E felonies after 2 years, category B/C/D felonies after 5 years, and category A or violent felonies after 10 years. Misdemeanor DUI and misdemeanor domestic battery sit at 7 years.

Because the start date depends on your exact release or discharge date, the safest move is a quick eligibility check rather than guessing — a single early petition that is filed too soon gets denied.

Nevada permanently bars sealing for certain offenses, including sexual offenses, crimes against children, and felony DUI involving death or substantial bodily harm. A handful of other serious offenses are also excluded. Everything else is at least potentially sealable once the waiting period runs.

If your offense is on the never-eligible list, other relief — such as a pardon — may still be worth exploring.

Sealing is a court process, not an automatic right. It starts by obtaining your full criminal-history records, then filing a petition in the right court with the records attached and serving the District Attorney, who can stipulate or object. If the court grants the order, it is sent to every agency holding the record so they seal their copies.

An attorney handles the records-gathering, the petition, and the DA negotiation — the parts where do-it-yourself petitions most often stall or get denied.