What is the difference between expunging and sealing?
Expunged: The arresting agency (example: Chicago Police), the Illinois State Police will physically destroy your record, as if it never existed. The Clerk’s Office will seal your record and remove it from the electronic index. It’s as if if never existed! Sealed: The arresting agency (example: Chicago Police) will physically destroy your record, as if it never existed. The Illinois State Police and the Clerk’s Office will seal your record and remove your name from the electronic index. Only a judge can order for the public to view the record. It is no longer available to your employer or other members of the public, but it can still be seen by law enforcement agencies.
