A Nevada background check can reveal private details about your criminal, commercial, financial, and personal history. Employers, creditors, landlords, and other organizations use the information to understand your reliability and trustworthiness better. But if you have a criminal record, the details from a background check could prevent you from getting the opportunities that would allow you to start fresh again.
Fortunately, there’s hope. You may be able to seal your Nevada criminal record.
Record sealing makes your criminal history invisible to most organizations, with limited exceptions. A clean slate can make a huge difference as you move forward in life.
The timing of when you can petition the court to seal your record depends on the nature of the crime. A Las Vegas record sealing lawyer at Adras & Altig can help determine whether the time is right for you.
Don’t wait to get started on a new future. Call or contact us today for a free consultation.
What Shows Up on a Background Check?
A comprehensive background check will disclose a broad range of information about you. This includes:
- Identity verification
- Sex offender status
- Past criminal convictions
- Driving history
- Pending arrests
- Past incarcerations
- Parole and probation history
- State and county court records
- Outstanding credit card and loan debt
- Social Security records
- Past addresses
- Marriage and divorce records
- Bankruptcy history
- Employment verification
Keep and mind that Nevada has laws in place to prevent unfair background checks. For example, state and local governments cannot ask about a job applicant’s criminal history on their initial applications. In addition, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires an applicant’s consent before certain employers run background checks on them.
Nevada law used to restrict criminal background checks to the prior seven years. That’s no longer the case, so your criminal records from long ago may appear on your record. For this reason alone, it’s important to learn whether you can seal your criminal record.
Which Criminal Records Can Be Sealed?
In Nevada, you can have your records sealed for a wide range of crimes. However, the timeline for when you can start the process will be different depending on the offense:
- Category A felony: 10 years after your sentence is complete
- Category B, C, or D felony: 5 years after completing your sentence
- Class E or gross misdemeanors: 2 years after the sentence is complete
- Misdemeanor DUI: 7 years from the date of release from custody or date when you are no longer under a suspended sentence, whichever is later
- Misdemeanor Battery Domestic Violence: 7 years from the date of release from custody or date when you are no longer under a suspended sentence, whichever occurs later
- Misdemeanor battery, harassment, stalking, or temporary/extended order of protection: 2 years from the date of release from custody or date when you are no longer under a suspended sentence, whichever is later
- Lesser misdemeanor: 1 year from date of release from custody or date when you are no longer under a suspended sentence, whichever is later
Keep in mind that some records are not sealable. These include crimes against children, sexual offenses, and certain DUIs. Those will always show up on background checks.
Contact a Las Vegas Record Sealing Attorney Today
Record sealing in Nevada can clean up your background check and improve your prospects. If you have questions or want to petition the court to seal your records, call or contact Adras & Altig today.
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At Adras & Altig, we believe that every client we work with deserves a fresh start. Our dedicated Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys take the time to get to know you so we can understand the circumstances surrounding your arrest.