Expungement Lawyers in Georgia

Record Restriction in Cobb County, GA

We all make mistakes. But when you’re charged with a crime, it can feel like your life has turned upside down. Our team represents those in Cobb, Bartow, Cherokee, Fulton, Paulding, and Douglas Counties. 

And even if your case has been dismissed or you plead guilty as a first-time offender, that charge can follow you around for the rest of your life. You could face barriers to employment, education, and even housing.

Luckily, there is a process to prohibit public access to the specific criminal records regarding your case. Known as expungement in some places, Georgia law refers to this process as record restriction.

Record Restrictions / Expungements in Georgia

Getting your record restricted in Georgia is the same thing as getting it expunged. Because the term “expunged” suggests that your record would be completely removed or destroyed, Georgia changed the term in 2013. However, nothing about the process changed.

Record restriction simply means that you can get the records on your official criminal history report restricted from public view. In this case, they’ll only be accessible to law enforcement for criminal justice purposes. Unfortunately, this process does not happen automatically, and records can only be restricted if you and your situation qualify.

In August of 2020, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp expanded access to restriction and sealing of convictions in Georgia, allowing people the opportunity to restrict certain convictions after a period of time. The new law allows an individual to petition the court to restrict and seal up to two misdemeanor convictions from their record and almost any offense that has been pardoned from their criminal history.

It’s important to note that you can’t have your entire criminal history restricted. Instead, you’ll need to apply for each eligible arrest to be restricted individually.