Seal or Expunge a Broward County Criminal Record
If you were arrested in Broward County, your case is handled through the clerk of court in Fort Lauderdale and petitioned in Florida’s 17th Judicial Circuit. Find out in ten minutes whether your record can be cleared.
- Clerk of Court
- Fort Lauderdale
- Judicial Circuit
- 17th Circuit
- County Seat
- Fort Lauderdale
- FDLE Fee
- $75
What clearing a Broward County record involves
Florida runs record relief in two stages, and both are tied to where the arrest happened rather than where you live now. First you apply to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a Certificate of Eligibility. Then, once that certificate arrives, you petition the court — Broward County petitions go to the 17th Judicial Circuit, through the clerk of court in Fort Lauderdale.
The documents FDLE requires are the same everywhere: a notarized application, a certified disposition for every charge, a fingerprint card taken by a law enforcement agency, and a $75 processing fee. What changes by county is who holds your records and which prosecutor’s office signs off.
For an expungement — not a sealing — the State Attorney for the 17th Circuit must complete and sign Section B of the FDLE application. How quickly that happens varies enormously from circuit to circuit, and it is usually the least predictable part of the timeline.
One record, one chance — regardless of county
Florida allows one court-ordered sealing or expungement per person, for life. It is not one per county or one per case. If you have records in Broward County and somewhere else, only one of them can ever be cleared this way — so which one you choose is the most consequential decision in the process.
Broward County questions
Where do I get a certified disposition in Broward County?
From the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Fort Lauderdale, the Broward County seat. You need one certified copy for every charge on the arrest you want cleared. If you were placed on probation, you also need a certified copy of the order terminating it. Call ahead — some clerks fulfil these by mail or online, others require you to appear in person.
Which court hears my Broward County petition?
Broward County sits in Florida's 17th Judicial Circuit, which covers this county alone. Your petition to seal or expunge is filed with the clerk of court in the county where the arrest happened — so a Broward County arrest is petitioned in Fort Lauderdale, even if you have since moved.
Who signs Section B for a Broward County expungement?
The State Attorney for the 17th Judicial Circuit. Section B is required for expungement applications only — sealing applications skip it entirely. The prosecutor certifies that your case is eligible; their signature does not mean they support your petition, and they can still oppose it in court.
Do I have to live in Broward County?
No. Eligibility depends on where you were arrested, not where you live now. If you were arrested in Broward County and have since moved to another state, your petition is still filed in Fort Lauderdale. We prepare everything remotely; you never need to travel for the paperwork itself.
More general questions are answered in our full FAQ, and every Florida county is listed in our county directory.