Seal or Expunge a Miami-Dade County Criminal Record
If you were arrested in Miami-Dade County, your case is handled through the clerk of court in Miami and petitioned in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit. Find out in ten minutes whether your record can be cleared.
- Clerk of Court
- Miami
- Judicial Circuit
- 11th Circuit
- County Seat
- Miami
- FDLE Fee
- $75
What clearing a Miami-Dade 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 — Miami-Dade County petitions go to the 11th Judicial Circuit, through the clerk of court in Miami.
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 11th 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 Miami-Dade 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.
Miami-Dade County questions
Where do I get a certified disposition in Miami-Dade County?
From the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Miami, the Miami-Dade 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 Miami-Dade County petition?
Miami-Dade County sits in Florida's 11th 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 Miami-Dade County arrest is petitioned in Miami, even if you have since moved.
Who signs Section B for a Miami-Dade County expungement?
The State Attorney for the 11th 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 Miami-Dade County?
No. Eligibility depends on where you were arrested, not where you live now. If you were arrested in Miami-Dade County and have since moved to another state, your petition is still filed in Miami. 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.