Municipal / Petty Crime Record Sealing

New Colorado Petty, Municipal and Arrest Record Sealing Law For Denver And Castle Rock

A new law effective July 1, 2013, provides that petty and Denver and Castle Rock municipal convictions (and underlying arrest records) can now be sealed. Petty offenses are those less serious than misdemeanors. Municipal courts are those separate from county court and district court, run by cities rather than the county. While there are some very particular requirements under this new law, overall this is a powerful change in how Colorado makes convictions available to the public. See our county and district court record sealing page.

What Is A Sealable Petty Offense Under The New Law In Lone Tree And Golden?

First, let’s look at what a petty offense is. In Colorado, we have class 1 and class 2 petty crimes. Most of these crimes are prosecuted in the county court of places like Arapahoe County, Douglas County, Jefferson County and Adams County. A convict can be punished for up to six months in jail or a $500 fine. Some petty offenses include:

• Small amounts of marijuana under previous law
• Many traffic offenses (not for commercial license holders)
• Unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog (under some circumstances)
• Certain parks and outdoor recreation laws
• Off-highway vehicle registration and water sports laws
• Many skiing-related offenses
• Minor in possession of alcohol
• Disorderly conduct (under some subsections)

Municipal And City Court Convictions In Aurora, Lakewood And Westminster

Most municipal court offenses/violations (and arrest records) are also sealable under this new law. This means that crimes committed in Lakewood, Littleton, Aurora, Denver (City Court only), Westminster and Thornton, to name a few, can be sealed. We have not found any exceptions for crimes like assault and battery, pet crimes, theft or noise ordinances.

Sealing In Littleton, Castle Rock And Centennial With Special Conditions

Before you get really excited about this new law, you should know there are requirements that must be met. Here are some of them:

• You must wait three years following the closure of the case.
• You must not be charged with a new misdemeanor or felony case since your case was closed.
• Traffic offenses for commercial drivers/vehicles are excluded.
• You must pay a filing fee of $188 and a $200 surcharge fee.
• You can only file one time every 12 months.
• The government can still see the sealed file.
• You must first pay all restitution, costs and fines of the case to be sealed.
• Sealing of these records does not vacate the conviction.
• If later convicted of a new misdemeanor or felony, your records are automatically unsealed.

There are many other particular requirements and conditions under this new law that are too numerous to mention here.

To get your life back by removing your arrest record and City Court conviction from the public record, contact one of our experienced criminal record sealing lawyers at 303-731-0719 for a free consultation. We’ll give you all the details of this wonderful new law. Together, we can protect your future.