Texas Statutes
Chapter 55 - Expunction of Criminal Records
Article 55.01. Right to Expunction

(a) A person who has been placed under a custodial or noncustodial arrest for commission of either a felony or misdemeanor is entitled to have all records and files relating to the arrest expunged if:
(1) the person is tried for the offense for which the person was arrested and is:
(A) acquitted by the trial court, except as provided by Subsection (c);
(B) convicted and subsequently:
(i) pardoned for a reason other than that described by Subparagraph (ii); or
(ii) pardoned or otherwise granted relief on the basis of actual innocence with respect to that offense, if the applicable pardon or court order clearly indicates on its face that the pardon or order was granted or rendered on the basis of the person's actual innocence; or
(C) convicted of an offense committed before September 1, 2021, under Section 46.02(a), Penal Code, as that section existed before that date; or
(2) the person has been released and the charge, if any, has not resulted in a final conviction and is no longer pending and there was no court-ordered community supervision under Chapter 42A for the offense, unless the offense is a Class C misdemeanor, provided that:
(A) regardless of whether any statute of limitations exists for the offense and whether any limitations period for the offense has expired, an indictment or information charging the person with the commission of a misdemeanor offense based on the person's arrest or charging the person with the commission of any felony offense arising out of the same transaction for which the person was arrested:
(i) has not been presented against the person at any time following the arrest, and:
(a) at least 180 days have elapsed from the date of arrest if the arrest for which the expunction was sought was for an offense punishable as a Class C misdemeanor and if there was no felony charge arising out of the same transaction for which the person was arrested;
(b) at least one year has elapsed from the date of arrest if the arrest for which the expunction was sought was for an offense punishable as a Class B or A misdemeanor and if there was no felony charge arising out of the same transaction for which the person was arrested;
(c) at least three years have elapsed from the date of arrest if the arrest for which the expunction was sought was for an offense punishable as a felony or if there was a felony charge arising out of the same transaction for which the person was arrested; or
(d) the attorney representing the state certifies that the applicable arrest records and files are not needed for use in any criminal investigation or prosecution, including an investigation or prosecution of another person; or
(ii) if presented at any time following the arrest, was dismissed or quashed, and the court finds that the indictment or information was dismissed or quashed because:
(a) the person completed a veterans treatment court program created under Chapter 124, Government Code, or former law, subject to Subsection (a-3);
(b) the person completed a mental health court program created under Chapter 125, Government Code, or former law, subject to Subsection (a-4);
(c) the person completed a pretrial intervention program authorized under Section 76.011, Government Code, other than a veterans treatment court program created under Chapter 124, Government Code, or former law, or a mental health court program created under Chapter 125, Government Code, or former law;
(d) the presentment had been made because of mistake, false information, or other similar reason indicating absence of probable cause at the time of the dismissal to believe the person committed the offense; or
(e) the indictment or information was void; or
(B) prosecution of the person for the offense for which the person was arrested is no longer possible because the limitations period has expired.
(a-1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a person may not expunge records and files relating to an arrest that occurs pursuant to a warrant issued under Article 42A.751(b).
(a-2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a person who intentionally or knowingly absconds from the jurisdiction after being released under Chapter 17 following an arrest is not eligible under Subsection (a)(2)(A)(i)(a), (b), or (c) or Subsection (a)(2)(B) for an expunction of the records and files relating to that arrest.
(a-3) A person is eligible under Subsection (a)(2)(A)(ii)(a) for an expunction of arrest records and files only if:
(1) the person has not previously received an expunction of arrest records and files under that sub-subparagraph; and
(2) the person submits to the court an affidavit attesting to that fact.
(a-4) A person is eligible under Subsection (a)(2)(A)(ii)(b) for an expunction of arrest records and files only if:
(1) the person has not previously received an expunction of arrest records and files under that sub-subparagraph; and
(2) the person submits to the court an affidavit attesting to that fact.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) and subject to Subsection (b-1), a district court, a justice court, or a municipal court of record may expunge all records and files relating to the arrest of a person under the procedure established under Article 55.02 if:
(1) the person is:
(A) tried for the offense for which the person was arrested;
(B) convicted of the offense; and
(C) acquitted by the court of criminal appeals or, if the period for granting a petition for discretionary review has expired, by a court of appeals; or
(2) an office of the attorney representing the state authorized by law to prosecute the offense for which the person was arrested recommends the expunction to the court before the person is tried for the offense, regardless of whether an indictment or information has been presented against the person in relation to the offense.
(b-1) A justice court or a municipal court of record may only expunge records and files under Subsection (b) that relate to the arrest of a person for an offense punishable by fine only.
(c) A court may not order the expunction of records and files relating to an arrest for an offense for which a person is subsequently acquitted, whether by the trial court, a court of appeals, or the court of criminal appeals, if the offense for which the person was acquitted arose out of a criminal episode, as defined by Section 3.01, Penal Code, and the person was convicted of or remains subject to prosecution for at least one other offense occurring during the criminal episode.
(d) A person is entitled to obtain the expunction of any information that identifies the person, including the person's name, address, date of birth, driver's license number, and social security number, contained in records and files relating to the person's arrest or the arrest of another person if:
(1) the expunction of identifying information is sought with respect to the arrest of the person asserting the entitlement and the person was arrested solely as a result of identifying information that was inaccurate due to a clerical error; or
(2) the expunction of identifying information is sought with respect to the arrest of a person other than the person asserting the entitlement and:
(A) the information identifying the person asserting the entitlement was falsely given by the arrested person as the arrested person's identifying information without the consent of the person asserting the entitlement; and
(B) the only reason why the identifying information of the person asserting the entitlement is contained in the applicable arrest records and files is because of the deception of the arrested person.
Added by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 1880, ch. 747, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 29, 1977.
Amended by Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 1333, ch. 604, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 27, 1979; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 803, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Subsec. (2) amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 14, Sec. 284(53), eff. Sept. 1, 1991. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 7.02(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1236, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 30, 1999; Subsec. (a) amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1021, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Subsec. (d) added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 945, Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2001; Subsec. (a) amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1236, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1309 (H.B. 3093), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 840 (S.B. 1940), Sec. 5, eff. June 19, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1103 (H.B. 4833), Sec. 17(b), eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 690 (H.B. 351), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 894 (S.B. 462), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 770 (H.B. 2299), Sec. 2.23, eff. January 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 693 (H.B. 322), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1062 (H.B. 3147), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1149 (H.B. 557), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1212 (S.B. 562), Sec. 19, eff. June 14, 2019.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 809 (H.B. 1927), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2021.

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