Sonoma County

Contact

Juvenile Probation Office
7425 Rancho Los Gulicos Rd.
Department B
Santa Rosa, CA 95409
(707) 565-6229
Map and directions »

Application

Get application

To get a juvenile record sealing application, contact the Juvenile Probation Department either in person or by phone or mail to have the forms sent to you. After you have reviewed the eligibility requirements for juvenile record sealing, return the completed application along with the $144 application fee to the Juvenile Probation Department in person or by mail.

Fee

$150

$0 for those currently under age 26.

Waiver

To be considered for a fee waiver, you must complete the Financial Statement form and submit it along with your application to seal juvenile records. You will receive notification via mail by the judge who decides whether or not to grant the fee waiver.

Payment methods accepted:

Cash, check, or money order are accepted forms of payment.

Time frame

15-18 months

Once the Juvenile Probation office receives your application and payment, the sealing process can take up to 15-18 months.

Process

After turning in your application

After receiving your application, a Probation Officer will conduct a background investigation and 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 rehabiliation. 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, the recommendation will be sent to a judge who will decide whether or not your juvenile records may be sealed. There is no court hearing, but you will be notified of the judge's decision by mail.

Tracking your application

You can call the Juvenile Probation Office to check on the status of your application.

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, you will be notified by mail. Depending on the reason why the judge denied your applicaition, you may or may not be able to reapply at a later date. If the court order does not state the reason why your application was denied, contact your probation officer with your questions. If you do reapply, you will have to repay the application fee.

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.