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A criminal conviction on your record can quietly follow you for the rest of your life — showing up on employment background checks, blocking professional licenses, disqualifying you from housing, and affecting your reputation in ways you may not even be aware of. But California law provides powerful tools to clear past convictions, and millions of Californians who have paid their debt to society are entitled to use them.
Under Penal Code 1203.4, most misdemeanor convictions and many felony convictions in California can be expunged — the conviction is dismissed, your plea of guilty is withdrawn, and a plea of not guilty is entered in its place. Once expunged, you may legally answer "no conviction" on most private employment applications. The record does not disappear from law enforcement databases, but it is removed from most public-facing background checks.
Beyond basic expungement, California offers a range of additional record-clearing tools — from felony reduction to misdemeanor under PC 17(b), to Proposition 47 resentencing for eligible prior felonies, to Certificates of Rehabilitation for those who have completed their sentences and demonstrated rehabilitation. The right strategy depends on your specific conviction, your current circumstances, and what doors you want to open.
At The Smalls Firm, we handle record-clearing cases throughout San Bernardino County with the same thoroughness we bring to every matter. We evaluate your eligibility, identify every available relief mechanism, and file the strongest possible petition on your behalf. Call us today — you may qualify for relief you don't even know exists.
Many people who think they are ineligible for expungement actually qualify. The law has expanded significantly through Propositions 47 and 64, AB 1076, and other recent reforms. Call (909) 501-6882 for a free evaluation of your record and every relief option available to you.
California offers multiple pathways to clear or reduce the impact of your record. The right option depends on your conviction, sentence, and current circumstances.
Standard expungement under PC 1203.4 is available to most people who were convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, successfully completed probation (or were granted early termination of probation), and are not currently charged with, on probation for, or serving a sentence for another crime. Upon granting the petition, the court withdraws your guilty or no contest plea, enters a not guilty plea, and dismisses the case.
After expungement, you may legally answer "no" when most private employers ask about prior convictions. The conviction remains visible to law enforcement and on your DMV record, and you must still disclose it when applying for government jobs, professional licenses, or positions requiring background clearance. But for the vast majority of private employment situations, expungement provides meaningful relief.
If you were convicted of a wobbler offense — a crime that can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor — and you were sentenced to probation rather than state prison, you may petition to have the felony reduced to a misdemeanor under PC 17(b). This is often pursued either at the completion of probation or simultaneously with an expungement petition.
Reducing a felony to a misdemeanor has enormous practical consequences: it restores your right to own and possess firearms (except for domestic violence convictions), allows you to say you have no felony conviction, and significantly improves your employment and licensing prospects. Many wobbler convictions — including some drug offenses, theft, and assault — are eligible for this relief.
Proposition 47, passed by California voters in 2014, reclassified certain nonviolent felonies as misdemeanors — including simple drug possession, petty theft, shoplifting, receiving stolen property, forgery, and writing bad checks, all for amounts under $950. If you were convicted of one of these offenses as a felony before Prop 47 passed, you may petition for resentencing to have your felony reduced to a misdemeanor retroactively.
Prop 47 resentencing can change a felony conviction that has been blocking your employment and housing opportunities for years or even decades into a misdemeanor — with all the benefits that come with that reduction. The application period remains open, and we have helped many San Bernardino County residents take advantage of this relief.
Proposition 64 legalized recreational marijuana in California and created retroactive relief for people with prior marijuana convictions. If you were convicted of an offense that is now legal or would have been charged as a lesser offense under Prop 64, you may petition to have your conviction dismissed, reduced, or redesignated. AB 1076 further required courts to automatically identify and seal many marijuana convictions.
Many marijuana convictions that created barriers to employment, housing, and professional licensing have already been automatically sealed — but some still require a petition. We review your record to determine whether your marijuana conviction has been addressed or whether you need to file for relief, and we handle the petition efficiently if needed.
A Certificate of Rehabilitation is available to people who were convicted of a felony, served their sentence in state prison or county jail, and have since lived an honest and upright life in the community for a specified period (typically 7 to 10 years after release). The petition is filed in superior court, and if granted, the court finds that you are rehabilitated and recommends a Governor's pardon.
A Certificate of Rehabilitation also serves as an automatic application for a Governor's pardon, which can restore certain civil rights including the right to possess firearms and removes the requirement to register as a sex offender in some cases. For those who have genuinely rebuilt their lives after serious felony convictions, this is the most powerful form of relief available.
If you are currently on probation and have complied with its terms, you may petition the court for early termination of probation under PC 1203.3. Courts consider factors including your compliance with probation conditions, your employment history, and whether continued probation serves the interests of justice. Early termination is often a prerequisite for expungement, since expungement is not available until probation is complete.
We frequently file early termination and expungement petitions simultaneously, presenting a comprehensive picture of your rehabilitation and the reasons why the court should grant both forms of relief. Early termination also removes the restrictions that come with being on probation — including travel restrictions, regular check-ins, and the risk of revocation for minor violations.
The expungement process is straightforward when handled by experienced counsel. Here is exactly how we approach your case from first call to clean record.
We begin with a free, thorough evaluation of your criminal record. We identify every conviction, every eligible relief mechanism, and every potential obstacle to clearing your record. We give you an honest assessment of what we can achieve — no false promises, no wasted time. Many clients are surprised to learn they qualify for relief they never knew existed.
We prepare a comprehensive petition tailored to your specific situation — whether a standard PC 1203.4 expungement, a PC 17(b) felony reduction, a Prop 47 resentencing, or a combination of multiple forms of relief. We include supporting documentation — letters of recommendation, employment records, community involvement, and any other evidence that demonstrates your rehabilitation and the reasons the court should grant your petition.
We file your petition with the San Bernardino County Superior Court and serve it on the prosecutor's office. In many expungement cases, the court grants the petition without a hearing. When a hearing is required — either because the prosecutor objects or the judge requests one — we appear and argue your case personally. We do not outsource your hearing to a paralegal or an associate.
Once the court grants the petition, we obtain certified copies of the order and submit them to the appropriate agencies — the California Department of Justice, the FBI, and any other relevant databases — to ensure your record is updated promptly and accurately. We follow up to confirm that background check services reflect the expungement, so that when employers run checks, they see the updated record.
Once your record is cleared, we provide you with documentation explaining your legal rights — what you can and cannot say on employment applications, how to respond if a background check reveals the expunged conviction, and what to do if an employer illegally uses the expunged conviction against you. We want to make sure you can actually use the relief we obtained for you with confidence and complete understanding of your rights.
Your record evaluation is 100% confidential — no cost, no obligation. Find out exactly what relief you qualify for and take the first step toward a clean slate.