Two possible ways exist to have your criminal arrest records either sealed or expunged (eliminated).

Orders of Nondisclosure- This is a record seal. The ability to have a record sealed occurs in a much greater number of cases. To obtain an Order of Nondisclosure there are a few general requirements that need to exist.

1. The person must have been granted Deferred Adjudication for an offense and successfully completed this probationary period. (Certain first time DWI's are an exception)
2. The offense must be one that is eligible for an Order of Nondisclosure. Aggravated offenses, sexual offenses and family related offenses are never eligible.
3. If applicable, complete a certain waiting period of two years for some misdemeanor charges and five years for all eligible felony charges. Additionally, the person wanting the Order of Nondisclosure must not be charged with any new additional offenses.
4. The Court must find that granted the Order of Nondisclosure is in the best interest of society.

Criminal records including arrest records are sealed to the public. However, many Texas licensing agencies will still have access to those records. Once the records are sealed a person can deny the existence of the offense.