Through the Clean Slate Program, our Office can clear or reduce the impact of your arrest or conviction so that a background check will not stop you from getting a job, housing or professional license.
This free service prevents most private employers from using your history against you in hiring decisions. Even in jobs that require a more intense background check, it is better to say that a judge expunged your case than to have to explain the arrest or conviction record on your own.
Our goal is to give you the economic and social tools to break the vicious cycle of criminalization that ensnarls and traps us. We know that confidence is key to getting hired. Who you were in the past should not hold you back from being who can you be in the future.
If you meet BOTH requirements above, we encourage you to apply for an expungement. This is especially true if you applied before 2023 and were told that you had a specific conviction that was not eligible. Some convictions remain ineligible, but the law changed in 2023 and more convictions are now eligible for expungement.
We also help with Certificate of Rehabilitation. For these the requirements are:
We can help with termination of 290 registration requirement if you currently register in San Francisco and you have been designated Tier 1 or Tier 2 or you believe you have been assigned the wrong Tier.
This is the fastest and easiest way to apply for the Program. You can do this on a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. The information you provide in the application is confidential and will not be shared with anyone. We will only use it to help us clean your record and to keep track of our work.
Every application must have a signed “Release of Information” form below. This form authorizes the Clean Slate Program to obtain your criminal history so that we may know how to best help you.
To begin your online application, you must download, sign and save the “Release of Information” form to your device. Do NOT begin the online application until you have this form signed and saved to your device. The online application will ask you to upload the “Release of Information” form at the end of the application.
Once you have downloaded and signed the “Release of Information” form above and saved it to your device, you are now ready to start your online application below. Do NOT begin the online application below without first downloading, signing and saving the Release of Information form to your device. At the end of the application, you will be asked to upload your “Release of Information.” An application cannot be submitted without a signed “Release of Information” form.
While we encourage everyone to apply online with Option A above, if you prefer a paper or in-person process, download the applications below. Print, fill out, sign and then mail the application to us at 555 7th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Alternatively, you can also bring the application to our 555 7th Street Office or apply in person at our office or at any of our Clean Slate outreach events.
Our team will review your file and determine how we can clean up your arrest and/or convictions. The law limits which convictions can be cleaned but we will make sure that everything that can be cleaned gets cleaned. This review takes about 6 weeks
Once our review of your application is complete, we will contact you according to your preferred method of communication. An attorney will review your rap sheet with you and explain the services that are available to you. If there are items on the rap sheet that we can’t clean, we’ll let you know which ones they are and why we can’t clean them. We’ll still proceed with the items that can be cleaned.
We can help you without your coming into the office. However, if you want to discuss your case with us in person, you can schedule an appointment to meet with us below. Please fill out an application at Step 1 above before you schedule an appointment.
Our attorneys need time to review and work on your case before we can meet and discuss your case with you. We cannot meet with you without an application.
If supporting documents or written statements from you are required, we’ll let you know what they are, and we’ll guide you on how to best obtain them. Once we have everything in place, we will file your petition and ask for a court date. You will receive a letter in the mail notifying you of the court date.
Most people do not need to come to court. We’ll let you know if it is required or helpful. An attorney will represent you on your court date and ask the judge to clean your record. After the outcome of your court hearing, we’ll need time to review your file before we mail you the results of our work, letting you know the extent of our ability to help you. You will receive the original order signed by the judge. It takes about 90 days for the California Department of Justice to update their rap sheet.
Visit the following organizations who may be able to provide help with expungement, employment, housing and immigration.
Job resources & law firms that can help with employment law:
Resources for non-citizens:
Click below to view a list of out of county offices that may be able to help with expungement:
1-415-553-9337