§ 943.0595, Fla. Stat.
Florida Automatic Sealing
Already sealed — but only partly.
Since 2019 Florida seals some records automatically when the clerk reports a qualifying disposition. Important limit: this reaches only FDLE's copy. Your local sheriff, the police department, the clerk of court, and every commercial background-check company still have theirs.
- Court petition
- Not required
- Lifetime relief
- Preserved
- FDLE fee
- None
Who this fits
Your case was dropped or dismissed after 2019. You probably still want a court-ordered sealing to reach everything else.
What it actually does to your record
FDLE's copy is sealed. Local agency records and private databases are untouched — which is why most people who believe their record is already clean are wrong.
Eligibility is about your whole record
The most common reason applications fail is not the case being cleared — it is a different case entirely. A prior adjudication of guilt anywhere in Florida, including DUI or driving while license suspended, can close this route before it starts. Our screening checks your whole picture, not just the arrest you are focused on.
Questions about automatic sealing
Who qualifies for automatic sealing in Florida?
Your case was dropped or dismissed after 2019. You probably still want a court-ordered sealing to reach everything else. This relief is governed by § 943.0595, Fla. Stat.. Eligibility also depends on your record as a whole — a prior adjudication of guilt in any case, in any county, can close this route even when the case you want cleared looks clean.
Does automatic sealing require a court hearing?
No. This pathway is handled administratively through FDLE — there is no petition to file and no judge involved. That makes it substantially faster than court-ordered sealing or expungement.
Does automatic sealing use up my one-in-a-lifetime relief?
No. This is one of the Florida pathways that does NOT consume your single court-ordered sealing or expungement. If you qualify here, you keep that allowance available for a different record later — which is a significant advantage most people do not know about.
What does automatic sealing cost?
There is no FDLE processing fee for this pathway. You may still have costs for certified dispositions from the clerk of court and for fingerprinting. Our preparation fee is separate and shown before you pay anything.