Frequently Asked Questions
Will I receive notice when criminal charges or convictions have been expunged from my record?
No, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation does not send out notices upon completion of the processing of expungement orders.
Why is something still showing on my record when I have received an order of expungement?
It may be that the order has not been processed by the SBI yet. When an expungement order is granted, the Clerk of Court in the County where the order was entered, sends a copy to agencies that house the criminal record which may include the arresting police agency and the SBI. It takes some time for all of the orders to be processed.
This may also occur if you have multiple charges on your record, but the expungement order did not address all of the charges or some of the charges were ineligible for expungement and therefore not ordered to be expunged by the court.
If I had charges expunged from my record, why do those charges show up on the internet?
The removal of criminal charges from a person’s record by the SBI and other local government police agencies pursuant to an expungement order does not guarantee that the information will be removed from all locations where the record exists. Private companies routinely acquire criminal records and may publish them on the internet or otherwise make that information available. If a private entity distributes information about charges on your record that have been expunged, you may wish to contact that private agency directly to determine what if anything can be done to address this issue.
Can my expungement be expedited?
Currently, the SBI does not have an expedited expungement process. The SBI processes petitions for expungements and expungement orders in the order in which the petition or order was received. For information concerning the status of expungement orders being processes currently, please refer to
this section for expungement information.
How do I get a copy of my expungement?
The SBI does not provide copies of expungement orders. If you were represented by attorney during the expungement process, you may wish to contact that attorney for possible assistance.