The cost to expunge a record in Illinois usually falls between $120 and $400 in government fees if you handle the petition yourself, and roughly $600 to $1,900 or more once you add an attorney. The spread depends on the county you file in, whether your case triggers a drug test, and whether you hire a lawyer.
Court Filing Fee
Every expungement or sealing petition requires a filing fee paid to the circuit clerk in the county where the charges were filed. The amount varies by county. Cook County charges $152.04.1Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Expunge or Seal Your Record Smaller counties often charge less, with some courthouses around $60. Budget somewhere between $60 and roughly $200, though a few counties sit higher.
If your records are spread across more than one county, each county needs its own petition and its own filing fee. That alone can double or triple what you pay.
Illinois State Police Processing Fee
The Illinois State Police charges $60 to process a court order granting expungement or sealing.2Illinois State Police. Fee Schedule The $60 covers the administrative work of removing or sealing records from the ISP database after a judge grants your petition. Filing the petition with ISP itself carries no charge. In most counties the circuit clerk collects the ISP fee along with the filing fee when you submit your paperwork, so you pay both at once.
Attorney Fees
Hiring a lawyer is optional, and it’s almost always the largest line item when people choose to use one. Most Illinois attorneys charge a flat fee for a straightforward expungement or sealing, typically between $500 and $1,500. Flat pricing works because the process is predictable: prepare the petition, file it, and appear at the hearing if one is scheduled.
Several things push the fee higher. Charges in multiple counties mean multiple petitions and potentially multiple court appearances. If the State’s Attorney objects, the case moves to a contested hearing that takes more preparation. Drug-related convictions tend to cost more because they require additional documentation. Get a written fee agreement before paying so you know exactly what the flat fee covers and what would trigger extra charges.
Drug Testing
A drug test is not required for every petition. Illinois law requires one only in specific situations:
- Sealing certain felony records, including felony convictions generally and felony drug offenses specifically
- Expunging records from qualified first-offender probation for drug crimes
If a drug test applies, you must take it within 30 days before filing your petition and attach proof to your paperwork.3Justia Law. Illinois Code 20 ILCS 2630 – Criminal Identification Act The test checks for controlled substances defined by Illinois drug laws. You pay for it yourself. Standard panels at walk-in labs typically run $30 to $100.
One protection worth knowing: a court cannot deny your petition because the drug test comes back positive for cannabis.3Justia Law. Illinois Code 20 ILCS 2630 – Criminal Identification Act That rule took effect January 1, 2023, and applies to both expungement and sealing petitions. A positive result for other controlled substances can still be grounds for denial.
Certified Copies and Other Small Costs
You will need certified copies of your case dispositions, the official court records showing how each charge ended. The circuit clerk in the county where your case was heard provides these, generally for a few dollars per document. You may also want a copy of your criminal history from the Illinois State Police, which has its own fee listed on the ISP schedule.
Service of your petition on the State’s Attorney, the arresting agency, and the Illinois State Police is handled by the circuit clerk under the statute, not by you personally.3Justia Law. Illinois Code 20 ILCS 2630 – Criminal Identification Act Some counties still ask the petitioner to handle mailing, so ask the clerk’s office when you file. If you do send certified mail yourself, budget about $5 to $10 per recipient.
Fee Waivers if You Cannot Afford to Pay
Illinois law allows the court to waive fees for petitioners who cannot afford them. You qualify for a full waiver of court fees if you receive benefits through SSI, TANF, SNAP, General Assistance, or Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled.4Justia Law. Illinois Code 735 ILCS 5/5-105 – Waiver of Court Fees, Costs, and Charges You also qualify for a full waiver if your income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. For a single person in 2026, that works out to annual income of $19,950 or less (125% of the $15,960 poverty guideline).
If your income is above that threshold, the statute creates partial waivers on a sliding scale:
- Income between 125% and 150% of poverty level: 75% of fees waived
- Income between 150% and 175% of poverty level: 50% of fees waived
- Income between 175% and 200% of poverty level: 25% of fees waived
A judge can also grant a waiver if paying the fees would cause substantial hardship to you or your family, regardless of where your income falls on the scale.4Justia Law. Illinois Code 735 ILCS 5/5-105 – Waiver of Court Fees, Costs, and Charges To apply, submit an Application for Waiver of Court Fees, available through the Illinois Courts website.5Office of the Illinois Courts. Fee Waiver for Civil Cases The application asks for detailed information about your household income, assets, and monthly expenses.
An approved fee waiver covers the circuit clerk’s filing fee, and Illinois courts guidance indicates the ISP processing fee can also be waived when collected by the clerk. A waiver does not cover attorney fees, drug testing, or the cost of obtaining certified copies.
Free Legal Help
Illinois Legal Aid Online offers guided interview tools that walk you through preparing your own petition. Some counties hold periodic expungement clinics staffed by volunteer lawyers who handle cases at no cost. For cannabis-related records specifically, the New Leaf Illinois program connects eligible individuals with free legal representation. Searching your county’s legal aid organization or checking with your local courthouse for upcoming clinic dates is the fastest way to find these resources.
Check Eligibility Before You Spend
Filing before the waiting period expires wastes your filing fee because the petition will be denied. Illinois imposes waiting periods that start from the end of your last sentence across all cases, not just the one you want to clear:
- Arrests without charges or cases dismissed or acquitted: no waiting period for expungement
- Supervision for most offenses: 2 years after the end of your last sentence
- Supervision for domestic battery, criminal sexual abuse, or retail theft: 5 years after the end of your last sentence
- Qualified first-offender drug probation: 5 years after the end of your last sentence for expungement
- Misdemeanor or felony convictions (sealing only): 3 years after the end of your last sentence
The phrase “last sentence” catches people off guard. If you completed supervision for the case you want to expunge five years ago but finished probation on a different case last year, the clock restarted when that second sentence ended. That rule applies even if the later case was in another county. Confirm eligibility first, then pay.
One boundary to keep in mind: certain serious offenses, including some sex crimes and DUI, are excluded from sealing entirely, and expungement is generally limited to arrests without conviction, dismissals, acquittals, and qualified first-offender drug probation.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 20 ILCS 2630/5.2 – Expungement, Sealing, and Immediate Sealing If your case falls outside what the statute allows, no amount of filing fees will clear it.