(1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), if a petitioner is arrested or charged with an offense, the petitioner is eligible to receive a certificate of eligibility from the bureau to expunge records of the arrest, investigation, and detention in the case for the offense if:

Attorney's Note

Under the Utah Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class B misdemeanorup to 6 monthsup to $1,000
class C misdemeanorup to 90 daysup to $750
For details, see Utah Code § 76-3-204

Ask a criminal law question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a criminal defense lawyer and protect your rights.

Terms Used In Utah Code 77-40a-302

  • Agency: means a state, county, or local government entity that generates or maintains records relating to an investigation, arrest, detention, or conviction for an offense for which expungement may be ordered. See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Bureau: means the Bureau of Criminal Identification of the Department of Public Safety established in Section 53-10-201. See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Certificate of eligibility: means a document issued by the bureau stating that the criminal record and all records of arrest, investigation, and detention associated with a case that is the subject of a petition for expungement is eligible for expungement. See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Conviction: means judgment by a criminal court on a verdict or finding of guilty after trial, a plea of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere. See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Criminal protective order: means the same as that term is defined in Section 78B-7-102. See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Expunge: means to seal or otherwise restrict access to the individual's record held by an agency when the record includes a criminal investigation, detention, arrest, or conviction. See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Minor regulatory offense: includes an offense under Section 76-9-701 or 76-10-105. See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Petitioner: means an individual applying for expungement under this chapter. See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Plea in abeyance: means the same as that term is defined in Section 77-2a-1. See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • Traffic offense: means , except as provided in Subsection (21)(b):
              (21)(a)(i) an infraction, a class B misdemeanor offense, or a class C misdemeanor offense under Title 41, Chapter 6a, Traffic Code;
              (21)(a)(ii) an infraction, a class B misdemeanor offense, or a class C misdemeanor offense under Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 2, Driver Licensing Act;
              (21)(a)(iii) an infraction, a class B misdemeanor offense, or a class C misdemeanor offense under Title 73, Chapter 18, State Boating Act; and
              (21)(a)(iv) all local ordinances that are substantially similar to an offense listed in Subsections (21)(a)(i) through (iii). See Utah Code 77-40a-101
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Writing: includes :
         (48)(a) printing;
         (48)(b) handwriting; and
         (48)(c) information stored in an electronic or other medium if the information is retrievable in a perceivable format. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
     (1)(a) at least 30 days have passed after the day on which the individual is arrested or charged for the offense;
     (1)(b) one of the following occurs:

          (1)(b)(i) an investigating law enforcement agency and the prosecuting attorney have screened the case and determined that no charges will be filed against the petitioner;
          (1)(b)(ii) all charges in the case are dismissed with prejudice;
          (1)(b)(iii) if a charge in the case is dismissed without prejudice or without condition:

               (1)(b)(iii)(A) the prosecuting attorney consents in writing to the issuance of a certificate of eligibility; or
               (1)(b)(iii)(B) at least 180 days have passed after the day on which the charge is dismissed;
          (1)(b)(iv) the petitioner is acquitted at trial on all of the charges in the case; or
          (1)(b)(v) the statute of limitations expires on all of the charges in the case; and
     (1)(c)

          (1)(c)(i) there is a conviction in the case for a traffic offense that is a class C misdemeanor or an infraction, at least three years have passed after the day on which the petitioner was convicted of the traffic offense; or
          (1)(c)(ii) there is a conviction in the case for a traffic offense that is a class B misdemeanor, at least four years have passed after the day on which the petitioner was convicted of the traffic offense.
(2) A petitioner is not eligible for a certificate of eligibility under Subsection (1) if:

     (2)(a) there is a criminal proceeding for a misdemeanor or felony offense pending against the petitioner, unless the criminal proceeding is for a traffic offense;
     (2)(b) there is a plea in abeyance for a misdemeanor or felony offense pending against the petitioner, unless the plea in abeyance is for a traffic offense;
     (2)(c) the petitioner is currently incarcerated, on parole, or on probation, unless the petitioner is on probation or parole for an infraction, a traffic offense, or a minor regulatory offense; or
     (2)(d) there is a criminal protective order or a criminal stalking injunction in effect for the case.