A felony conviction stays on your record in PA for life unless you take legal action to remove or hide it. Pennsylvania has no automatic deletion and no expiration date for felony convictions. Two remedies exist: sealing certain third-degree felonies after 10 conviction-free years under the Clean Slate law, or obtaining a pardon from the Governor that opens the door to full expungement.
Why the Record Is Permanent by Default
Every arrest, charge, and conviction in Pennsylvania lives in the State Police Central Repository. Background checks run through the Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History system, known as PATCH, pull from that repository.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) Nothing in the system causes a felony to drop off after a set number of years. A conviction entered at 22 still appears at 72.
Private background checks follow the same logic. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires reporting agencies to stop reporting most negative information after seven years, but criminal convictions are explicitly exempt from that limit and can be reported indefinitely.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c The burden is on you to pursue relief.
Sealing a Felony Under Clean Slate
Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate law was expanded in December 2023 when Governor Shapiro signed House Bill 689 (Clean Slate 3.0). For the first time, certain felony convictions became eligible for sealing.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania House Bill 689 Sealing does not destroy the record. It hides it from most employers, landlords, and the public, while law enforcement, courts, and certain licensing boards can still see it.
Which Felonies Qualify
Only third-degree felonies in specific categories can be sealed: criminal mischief, criminal trespass, theft and related offenses, forgery and fraud, certain Human Services Code violations, and qualifying drug offenses added by Clean Slate 3.0.4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18 – Petition for Limited Access
A long list of offenses are permanently excluded. You cannot seal any felony involving violence against a person, a crime against a family member, a firearms offense, a sex offense, or corruption of a minor. Murder and all first- and second-degree felonies are also ineligible, regardless of how long ago they occurred.4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18 – Petition for Limited Access
The 10-Year Clean Record Requirement
To seal a qualifying felony, you must go 10 years without being convicted of any offense carrying a potential prison sentence of one year or more. The clock runs from your most recent qualifying conviction, not from the date your sentence ended. You also need to have paid all court-ordered restitution owed to victims. Unpaid fines and court costs no longer block sealing, but restitution to victims must be fully paid.5Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18 – Clean Slate Limited Access
Automatic Sealing Versus a Court Petition
Qualifying drug felonies can be sealed automatically by the Pennsylvania State Police once the 10-year period passes. You file nothing. Property-related felonies like theft or forgery work differently. You have to file a petition for Limited Access in the Court of Common Pleas where you were convicted, and a judge decides whether to grant it based on your record and rehabilitation. Filing fees vary by county.
When a Felony Can Be Fully Expunged
Expungement goes further than sealing. It directs every agency holding your records to destroy them. For felony convictions, eligibility is extremely narrow. A felony conviction can be expunged in only three situations:
- You are at least 70 years old and have gone 10 years after your final release from prison or supervision without any new arrests or prosecutions.
- You have been deceased for at least three years, in which case a family member or estate representative can petition on your behalf.
- You received an unconditional pardon from the Governor of Pennsylvania.
That is the full list.6Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18 – Expungement If you are under 70, alive, and have not received a pardon, you cannot expunge a felony conviction. Sealing under Clean Slate is your only option, and only if your offense qualifies.
The Pardon Route
For most people with a felony who want full expungement, the realistic path begins with a pardon from the Governor. It is slow and uncertain, but it is the only route if you are under 70 and your offense does not qualify for sealing.
You apply to the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons and submit your criminal complaint, the sentencing order, documentation of financial obligations, and other court records from your original case.7Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Board of Pardons – Apply for Clemency Department of Corrections staff investigate, review your full criminal history, and conduct a phone interview.8Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Clemency Process Overview
If the Board recommends you, the case goes to the Governor for a final decision. The difficult part sits here: under Pennsylvania’s constitution, the Board must vote unanimously to recommend a pardon for most felony convictions. A single dissenting vote out of five board members kills the recommendation. The requirement was added by a 1997 constitutional amendment and sharply reduced the number of pardons granted. The entire process from application to decision can take multiple years. If the Governor signs, you then petition the court for expungement of the felony.
What a Sealed Record Means in Practice
Once a record is sealed through Clean Slate or Limited Access, it should not appear on a PATCH check or a private background screening. The record still exists in the system, but access is restricted to law enforcement and specific licensing boards.
If you apply for a federal government job, separate protections apply regardless of sealing. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits federal agencies and their contractors from asking about your criminal history before extending a conditional offer. Exceptions exist for positions requiring security clearances, law enforcement roles, and sensitive national security work.9U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Fair Chance to Compete Act
Consequences That Can Survive Sealing
Clearing a felony under Pennsylvania law does not erase every consequence of the conviction. A few traps catch people off guard.
Firearms
Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Every Pennsylvania felony carries a maximum sentence exceeding one year, so this is effectively a lifetime federal ban for any felony conviction.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Sealing under Clean Slate does not remove the federal prohibition. Only a pardon that expressly restores firearm rights, or an expungement that eliminates the conviction entirely, may resolve the issue, and the legal picture can still be complicated.
Travel to Canada
A felony conviction can bar you from entering Canada even if the record has been sealed in Pennsylvania. Canadian immigration officials evaluate the conviction under Canada’s criminal code, and a U.S. felony that would also be a serious offense in Canada can make you inadmissible at the border.11Government of Canada. Overcome Criminal Convictions Canada offers pathways around this, including deemed rehabilitation once enough time has passed since you completed your sentence, a formal application for individual rehabilitation after at least five years, or a temporary resident permit for short-term needs. Some of these take over a year to process.
Federal Healthcare Exclusion
If you work in healthcare, a felony conviction for Medicare or Medicaid fraud can land you on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services exclusion list. Anyone on it cannot bill federal healthcare programs or be employed by an organization that does, and hiring an excluded individual can expose an employer to civil monetary penalties.12Office of Inspector General. Exclusions Program
A Note on Voting
Pennsylvania restores your right to vote once you are released from incarceration for a felony. You do not have to wait for probation or parole to end, and you do not need to apply for restoration. If you have been released by the date of the next election, you can register and vote.13Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Criminal Status and Voting Many people with felony convictions assume they have permanently lost the vote. They have not.
Where to Start
Pull your own criminal history through PATCH first. Any individual can request their full record, which includes both convictions and non-convictions, and it tells you exactly what employers and landlords will see.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH)
If your felony is a qualifying third-degree offense and you have been conviction-free for 10 years, you may already be eligible for sealing. A qualifying drug felony may even have been sealed automatically. For property-related felonies, you will need to file a Limited Access petition in the Court of Common Pleas where you were convicted. An attorney who handles criminal record clearing can confirm quickly whether your conviction qualifies and which path applies. If it does not qualify, a gubernatorial pardon is the remaining route to full relief, and building a record of rehabilitation, steady employment, and community involvement before you apply gives you the best shot at a favorable recommendation.