Adult Record Sealing in Ohio

If you wish to seal your record, you should contact your county’s Court of Common Pleas, and/or any local courts where you received a criminal conviction. You should ask if there is free legal representation to help you complete your record sealing application.  

In the event you wish to file your record sealing application by yourself, the fee is $50 but some municipalities may charge more. Check with each court about their current filing fees and request a poverty affidavit if you unable to afford the fee. Sealing a non-conviction, acquittal, no bill or dismissed charges should always be free of charge.

• Office of Reentry Record Sealing PPT - April 29, 2021 
• Ohio Justice & Policy Center Record Sealing Handout 
• Ohio Justice & Policy Center CQE Handout 

The Certificate of Qualification for Employment

If you are ineligible for record sealing, you should consider applying for the CQE. The CQE removes certain legal barriers to employment or occupational licensing, and it protects employers from negligent hiring liability if they hire someone with this certificate.

With the CQE, a job seeker or individual applying for a state license must have their application individually considered by either the employer or state licensing board. A person cannot be denied solely because of their criminal conviction. However, the certificate cannot be used for obtaining a job or state license in the healthcare field if a person has been convicted of murder, kidnapping, or certain serious and violent offenses.

To apply for the CQE, please visit www.drccqe.com. You will create a username and password, fill out the application and await confirmation that your application has been accepted. Once accepted, you will print your application and take it to your county’s Clerk of Court’s Office with the $50 filing fee. The court will assign you a court date to determine if your county judge will grant you the CQE. Assistance is available through the Second Chance Reentry Legal Clinic at Case Western Reserve University, if you would like help completing your CQE application. Please contact the Legal Clinic at lawclinic@case.edu or 216-368-2766. More information about the Certificate of Qualification can be found here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can Human Trafficking Victims apply for Record Expungement?

Victims of human trafficking can seek help from the Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office or the Ohio Justice and Policy Center. It is suggested you use free legal counsel because the legal process can be complicated and lengthy.

What record sealing applications does the Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office handle?

The Public Defender’s Office works with applicants who received a felony conviction from the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court or misdemeanor convictions that were pled down from a felony.       

How do I apply for the Certificate of Qualification for Employment?

If you do not qualify for record sealing, you can apply for the CQE by visiting www.drccqe.com. Please follow the instructions carefully. If you need further assistance, you can contact our office at 216-698-3437. You can also call 614-387-7384 or email drc.cqe@odrc.state.oh.us.  

How do I know which criminal convictions affect my employment opportunities?

If you visit https://civicc.opd.ohio.gov/, you can search the Ohio Justice and Policy Center’s online database for a list of criminal offenses and the types of employment you may be disqualified from because of your criminal history. You can also search a national database, called the National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of a Conviction, to determine how your job prospects may be if you are looking to move to another state or applying for a federal job.