So if you’ve ever been arrested, charged, or convicted of a domestic violence crime, it will show up on your criminal record when someone conducts a background check.
However, there is an option to get this information removed from your record. In the state of Georgia, under certain circumstances, you can apply for a record restriction.
If granted, this means that certain charges or convictions on your criminal record will be sealed from public access, and only law enforcement will be able to see them.
The terms “expungement” and “record restriction” are often used interchangeably. “Expungement” has a slightly different meaning, and actually isn’t possible in Georgia.
So the more correct term to use is “record restriction,” but if someone talks about expunging your records, they probably mean the same thing.
There are a few circumstances under which you may be eligible to have your record restricted in Georgia: