Merced County

Contact

Probation Department Juvenile Division
2150 M. Street
2nd Floor
Merced, CA 95340
(209) 385-7381
Map and directions »

Application

Get application

To get an application to seal your juvenile record, contact the Probation Department Juvenile Division either in person, or by mail or have an application sent to you. After you have reviewed the eligibility requirements for juvenile record sealing, return your completed application to the Juvenile Division by mail or in person.

Fee

$0

$0 for those currently under age 26.

Time frame

About 2 months

Process

After turning in your application

After receiving your application, a probation officer will run an investigation to decide if you are eligible to have your juvenile record sealed. The investigation will be focused on your basic eligibility, a criminal background check, and evidence of rehabilitation. Based on this investigation, the probation officer will write a report either recommending that your record be sealed, or stating that you are not eligible to have your record sealed and why.

Court hearing

If the probation officer recommends that your record be sealed, he or she will provide the recommendation to a judge. There is no formal court hearing. The judge simply reviews your application and grants or denies it based on your case. If your application is denied, then you can request a hearing. This can be done by contacting the Probation Department or an attorney.

Tracking your application

To track your application, contact the Probation Department Juvenile Division.

Learn more about the sealing process »

Outcome

Once a judge reviews your application they will either grant or deny your request to seal your juvenile record. A judge may choose to deny your application for reasons including a lack of rehabilitation, adult charges, and crimes of moral turpitude.

If your application is granted

The Court will send a record sealing order to all of the agencies involved in your case, which includes, but is not limited to, police agencies, probation agencies, and courts. The order will direct the agencies you listed on your application to seal your record, and also direct them to respond to anyone asking about your juvenile record to say, “The applicant has no record.” Once your record is sealed, you may legally say that you do not have a juvenile record.

Sealing a juvenile record does not affect the ability of insurance companies to access your records through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in Sacramento, nor will it prevent the Federal Government, including branches of the military service, from accessing your sealed records pursuant to Section 781 of the Welfare and Institutions code.

All juvenile records must be reported even though sealed when applying for a security clearance or employment with a private company that engages in business with the Federal Government.

If your application is denied

If your application is denied by the judge, then Probation Department will notify you by mail, and will receive a copy of the Order of Denial. If you have been denied "without prejudice" you may resubmit your application once you have resolved the issues blocking the seal on your record, such as paying restitution or waiting a longer period of time to show rehabilitation. You will need to repay the sealing fee and will not be refunded for the payment you previously made for the seal. There is no specific time frame you must wait before reapplying.

Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice

Seal It is a project from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, with generous support from the Zellerbach Family Foundation.

To report an error, contact cjcjmedia@cjcj.org or (415) 621-5661 x121.