June 16, 23

NEWS / New York legislature approves Clean Slate Act sealing most criminal records

The Senate and Assembly of the State of New York have passed the Clean Slate Act meant to seal most criminal records after a certain period of time. The bill is expected to be signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. Once the bill becomes law, an individual would be allowed to request that their records be sealed from public view after a certain period of time. The waiting period is 3 years for misdemeanors and 7 years for felonies. The State would need to grant approval for the records to be sealed. Cases that were dismissed or resulted in non-criminal convictions will be sealed automatically. Proponents of the bill argue that it will reduce the stigma associated with having a criminal record and make it easier for individuals who have not re-offended for several years to access housing, employment, and other opportunities. If an individual’s petition is approved, these criminal convictions would no longer be showing up on their publicly accessible background check. New York’s name-based background check is publicly accessible and is based on the individual’s name and date of birth. A&M Logos International can retrieve this record for you. We can also legalize it by getting an apostille or by means of chain authentication / legalization. Call us today at (212) 233-7061 or e-mail us at info@apostille.us if you have any questions about the process.