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A juvenile criminal record in Colorado can follow your child into adulthood, creating barriers to employment, housing, college admissions, and military service that many families do not anticipate. Colorado law provides a path to clear many juvenile records, but the process requires meeting specific eligibility criteria and often filing a formal petition with the court. The Law Office of Jacob Martinez helps families across Denver and Colorado protect their children’s futures through juvenile defense and record sealing.

How a Juvenile Record Affects Your Child’s Future

Many parents assume juvenile records are automatically confidential, but that is not always the case. An unsealed record can create obstacles in several areas:

• Employment background checks
• College and graduate school admissions
• Professional licensing for fields like nursing, teaching, and law
• Military enlistment
• Housing applications and landlord screening

Even a minor adjudication for theft or drug possession can create barriers that persist well beyond your child’s eighteenth birthday. Clearing that record as early as possible is often the most important step a family can take to protect long-term opportunities.

Who Qualifies for Juvenile Expungement in Colorado

In Colorado, cleaning up a juvenile record is technically called expungement, not sealing. Expungement means the record is permanently destroyed, as if it never existed. Sealing is a different process used mainly for adult records, where the record still exists but is hidden from most background checks. Your child likely qualifies for expungement, which is the stronger outcome.

Colorado’s juvenile expungement statute, C.R.S. § 19-1-306, sets specific eligibility requirements. Dismissed or acquitted cases are eligible immediately, with no waiting period. Adjudicated cases have waiting periods from one to five years, depending on offense severity, and the clock starts after your child is fully released from supervision, not from when the case closed. All sentence terms must be completed, including probation, community service, and restitution. Outstanding restitution is one of the most common reasons petitions are denied. Class 1 felonies and sex offenses that require registration are entirely excluded from expungement.

Colorado’s Automatic Juvenile Expungement Law

Under HB 24-1160, Colorado expanded automatic expungement for certain juvenile cases. Records for eligible offenses, including dismissals, acquittals, and completed diversion programs, may be expunged automatically without a petition. However, many adjudicated offenses, particularly felonies and cases involving violent crimes, still require a formal court petition. Our juvenile defense lawyer can confirm whether HB 24-1160 applies to your child’s case and can move quickly to file a petition if one is needed.

Steps to File an Expungement Petition in Colorado

When automatic expungement does not apply, the family must file a petition with the court that handled the original case. Timelines vary by judicial district, and forms are available through the Colorado Judicial Branch.

• File a petition with the court that handled the original juvenile case
• Include documentation showing the waiting period has passed and all sentence conditions are met
• The district attorney is notified and given the opportunity to object
• If no objection is raised, the court may grant the petition without a hearing
• If the DA objects, a hearing is scheduled where both sides present arguments

Our Denver juvenile defense attorneys can manage the entire filing process, respond to DA objections, and give you a realistic timeline based on your child’s specific county and case history.

What Expungement Means and Its Limitations

Once expunged, a juvenile record is permanently destroyed and removed from most background checks, and your child is generally not required to disclose it in everyday situations. However, certain government agencies, law enforcement, and licensing boards may still have access depending on the circumstances. Failing to disclose when legally required can itself create legal problems. Our Denver criminal defense attorneys can advise exactly when disclosure is required and when it is not for your child’s situation.

Expungement vs. Sealing in Colorado

Expungement physically destroys the record permanently and is the standard remedy for eligible juvenile cases. Sealing removes a record from public view, but it continues to exist and remains accessible to law enforcement, licensing boards, and certain government employers, applying primarily to adult criminal records. Understanding which process applies before you file anything matters. Our juvenile defense attorneys can evaluate the record and advise on whether expungement, sealing, or both are available.

Don’t Let a Juvenile Record Follow Your Child Into Adulthood

Your child’s future should not be defined by a single juvenile mistake. At the Law Office of Jacob Martinez, our juvenile defense lawyers handle expungement and record sealing for families throughout Denver and the surrounding areas. Contact us online for a free consultation about your child’s juvenile record and what options are available.