Sealing juvenile records
Tuesday, Sep 27, 2016 by Brian Laviage
My son was arrested as a juvenile his freshman year of highschool in Houston, TX for possession of brass knuckles found in his locker. He was released early from the juvenile program for good behavior and completed all required paperwork relevant to the case. That was over 5 years ago and he is now attending a university in another part of Texas.
I’m pretty sure he is eligible for sealing his juvenile records, but I’ve also read something about automatic restricted access to juvenile records once one reaches the age of 17. I’ve also heard about the recent law of automatic restriction of access to juvenile records. Maybe these are the same thing.
In short, my question is: is it necessary for him to do anything additionally to get his records sealed, or has everything already been done for him by the state?
Thanks! - Amanda
Hi Amanda. Yes, we do need to do something proactive to seal his juvenile record. We must file an application to seal his Juvenile record with the original court the case was in. In Houston, Harris County there are no filing fees to seal a juvenile record. Therefore I can pass those savings on to you. It normally takes around 30-45 days.
