Jackson, Mississippi Expungement Lawyer
Record-clearing review for dismissed charges, qualifying convictions, nonadjudications, and eligible first-offense DUI records.
Start With the Exact Charge, Disposition, and Court
Mississippi does not have one blanket expungement rule. A dismissed charge, a first-offender misdemeanor conviction, one qualifying felony conviction, a completed nonadjudication, and a first-offense DUI conviction each follow different statutory paths. Before a petition is drafted, the record should be checked for the exact charge, court, disposition, completion date, fines and costs, prior history, and any statutory exclusion.
Sheppard Law Firm, P.A. helps people in Jackson, Hinds County, and across Mississippi evaluate and pursue criminal-record relief. We identify the statute that may apply, obtain or review the underlying court records, determine where a petition belongs, prepare the filing, address required notice, and follow the order through the court and relevant record repositories.
Mississippi changed the general felony-expungement waiting period in 2026. Effective July 1, 2026, Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-71(2) permits a petition for one qualifying felony three years after successful completion of all sentence terms and conditions, provided criminal fines and court costs have been paid. The law still excludes listed offenses and requires notice to the district attorney and a rehabilitation finding. The enrolled text of 2026 House Bill 1546 contains the current amendment.
That three-year rule does not replace every other waiting period. First-offense DUI expunction remains governed separately by Miss. Code Ann. § 63-11-30(13), which generally requires at least five years after successful completion of all sentence terms and includes additional conditions. Eligibility depends on the actual record, so obtain case-specific advice before relying on a general description.
Jackson Expungement and Record-Clearing Services
Dismissed or Dropped Charges
- Dismissals, dropped charges, acquittals, and cases with no disposition
- Arrest, charge, docket, and final-disposition verification
- Petitions under the statute that matches the case outcome
- Follow-up with the court and affected record repositories
Misdemeanor Convictions
- First-offender analysis under Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-71(1)
- Confirmation that the conviction is not a traffic violation
- Municipal, justice, county, or circuit court record review
- Charge-specific review for statutes with separate requirements
Qualifying Felony Convictions
- Three-year waiting-period calculation under the 2026 amendment
- Sentence-completion, fines, costs, and prior-expunction review
- Excluded-offense and common-nucleus-of-facts analysis
- District-attorney notice and rehabilitation presentation
DUI Record Relief
- First-offense DUI expunction eligibility under § 63-11-30(13)
- Five-year completion period and prior-history review
- Refusal and available BAC-record requirements
- Distinguishing conviction expunction from DUI nonadjudication
Nonadjudication Records
- Completed nonadjudication and dismissal-order review
- General criminal and DUI-specific statutory paths
- Proof that every court-ordered condition was completed
- Petition and order preparation after the case is eligible
Order and Record Follow-Through
- Certified copies and distribution to the appropriate agencies
- Court, arresting-agency, and state-record update checks
- Guidance when a commercial background report remains inaccurate
- Clear explanation of records that may remain nonpublicly retained
From Eligibility Review to the Final Order
1. Reconstruct the Record
We start with the charging document, docket, sentencing or dismissal order, completion date, payment status, prior history, and the court that entered the disposition.
2. Match the Statute
We determine whether the record involves dismissal relief, a first-offender misdemeanor, a qualifying felony, nonadjudication, DUI, or another statute-specific path, then check every condition and exclusion.
3. File and Follow Through
If the record appears eligible, we prepare the petition and supporting materials, provide required notice, handle the court process, and help route the signed order to the proper repositories. No result is promised.
Jackson Expungement FAQs
Practical answers about eligibility, the 2026 law change, filing courts, DUI records, and what to gather.
House Bill 1546 amended Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-71(2), effective July 1, 2026, by reducing the general waiting period for one qualifying felony from five years to three years after successful completion of all sentence terms and conditions. The petitioner must also have paid criminal fines and court costs, the offense cannot be in an excluded category, the district attorney receives notice, and the court must find rehabilitation.
No. Section 99-19-71 excludes multiple categories, including crimes of violence, first-degree arson, drug trafficking, third or subsequent DUI, felon in possession of a firearm, failure to register as a sex offender, voyeurism, witness intimidation, vulnerable-person abuse or exploitation, specified embezzlement, and promoting or procuring prostitution. The exact conviction statute and record must be checked.
Not under the general felony amendment. A qualifying first-offense DUI conviction follows Miss. Code Ann. § 63-11-30(13), which generally requires at least five years after successful completion of all sentence terms and includes separate requirements concerning prior history, chemical-test refusal, and available BAC results.
The petition is generally filed in the court where the conviction or case disposition occurred. Depending on the record, that may be Jackson Municipal Court, Hinds County Justice Court, Hinds County Court, or Hinds County Circuit Court. The original docket and final order should be reviewed before selecting the court or statute.
Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-71(4) provides a petition path when an arrest was made and the case was dismissed, the charges were dropped, there was no disposition, or the person was found not guilty at trial. The court file still needs to confirm what happened and identify the arrest and charge accurately.
No. Mississippi law provides for limited nonpublic retention, and different disclosure rules may apply to courts, law enforcement, licensing, immigration, federal matters, or particular employment questions. Commercial background vendors may also require a correction request after the official records are updated.
Bring the charging document, docket number, sentencing or dismissal order, proof of completed probation or other sentence terms, receipts or a ledger showing fines and costs were paid, and a complete list of prior charges and expungements. If records are missing, provide the court, approximate date, arresting agency, and name used in the case so the file can be located.
Want to Know Whether Your Record Can Be Cleared?
Tell us the charge, court, disposition, completion date, and any prior criminal or expungement history. An attorney will review the information and follow up about the appropriate next step.