Massachusetts seals records under M.G.L. c. 276 §§ 100A & 100C. There's no court fee and no deadline — sealing is eligibility-based. Here's the whole path from petition to sealed record, and how it differs for a conviction (§100A) versus a non-conviction (§100C).
The first question is which statute applies. A conviction is sealed under §100A; a dismissal, nolle prosequi, no-bill, or not-guilty finding is sealed under §100C. For a conviction, the waiting period also has to have run.
The petition is filled out to your record — the offense, how the case ended, the court, and your key dates. Getting the statute and the details right is what keeps the petition from being bounced back.
Where the petition goes depends on the statute. This is the step most people get wrong — a §100A petition isn't filed in court, and a §100C petition has to go to the specific court where the case originated.
A §100A petition is reviewed by the Commissioner of Probation by mail — there's no hearing. A §100C petition is handled by the court, which in some cases holds a brief notice-and-hearing step before deciding.
Once sealed, the record comes off the standard CORI that most employers and landlords see, and you may answer "no record" to most questions. It stays visible to courts, law enforcement, and certain sensitive employers.
Convictions get the §100A petition, the eligibility and waiting-period check, and mailing instructions to the Commissioner of Probation. Non-convictions get the §100C petition for the right court and step-by-step filing instructions — all reviewed and signed by a licensed MA attorney.
General Massachusetts information, not legal advice and not a prediction of any outcome. Procedures can change and vary by court; confirm the details for your own record and the court where your case originated. Record sealing (§§ 100A & 100C) is separate from expungement (§§ 100E–100U). Using this page does not create an attorney-client relationship.