Illinois Lawmakers Pass Clean Slate Act to Automatically Seal Eligible Criminal Records

Illinois lawmakers have passed the Clean Slate Act (House Bill 1836), a bipartisan measure that would make the state one of 13 nationwide — plus Washington, D.C. — to automate the sealing of certain criminal records. The bill, approved by both chambers in late October 2025, now awaits Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature.

If enacted, the law would establish a framework for automatic sealing of eligible, non-violent criminal records, removing the need for individuals to file complex court petitions. Advocates say the reform could clear pathways to employment, housing, and education for more than 1.7 million Illinois residents with qualifying records.

“This legislation is about creating pathways to opportunity for people who have earned a second chance,” said State Sen. Elgie R. Sims Jr. (D-Chicago), the bill’s Senate sponsor. “Illinois families and our economy benefit when we remove unnecessary barriers.”

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What the Legislation Does

The Clean Slate Act amends the state’s Criminal Identification Act to require state agencies to begin automatically sealing eligible arrest and conviction records once individuals meet statutory criteria and waiting-period requirements.

Under the plan, the Illinois State Police, circuit clerks, and local law-enforcement agencies will share data through a new automated system, overseen by a Clean Slate Task Force composed of court officials, advocates, and individuals with lived experience.

Supporters say this reform modernizes a record-clearing process that has long been burdensome and inequitable. Fewer than 6,000 Illinoisans successfully petition to seal records each year — a pace that would take more than a century to clear all currently eligible cases.

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What Kinds of Crimes Are Covered

The act applies to records “not considered serious,” primarily non-violent and lower-level offenses such as:

• Municipal ordinance violations
• Class C misdemeanors and similar minor offenses
• Certain non-violent felony convictions, including some drug-possession and property-crime cases

Exact waiting periods — the time a person must remain conviction-free before automatic sealing — will be set during implementation by the Illinois State Police and the Clean Slate Task Force.

According to the Clean Slate Initiative, the law is expected to open opportunities for an estimated 1.74 million residents and strengthen local economies by reducing barriers to work.

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What Is Excluded

The law does not apply to violent or high-risk crimes. Excluded offenses include:

• Class X felonies (the state’s most serious offenses)
• Sex offenses requiring registration
• Human trafficking, robbery, vehicular hijacking, and certain burglary convictions
• DUI, domestic battery, and crimes requiring special registration (such as arson or violent offender laws)

Sealed records will remain visible to law enforcement, courts, and prosecutors, but will no longer appear in most public or employer background checks.

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Implementation and Data Accuracy

Beyond record sealing, the bill also directs state agencies to improve the accuracy and completeness of criminal-record data, requiring clerks and police departments to correct missing or incomplete information.

Implementation will unfold in phases after the governor’s signature. The Illinois State Police and the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts must create a statewide data-sharing system to coordinate record-sealing across agencies. Counties may need to invest in new software or staff to meet the new requirements.

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Why It Matters

Advocates and researchers describe the Clean Slate Act as both justice reform and economic recovery.

Roughly 2.2 million adults in Illinois have an arrest or conviction record. The Clean Slate Initiative estimates that those barriers cost the state about $4.7 billion annually in lost wages and productivity.

In states that have adopted automatic record-sealing laws, surveys show nearly half of participants reported improved job prospects or financial stability, and more than a third reported better family relationships and mental health.

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How to Check Eligibility (Once the Law Takes Effect)

Residents who believe they may qualify should:

1. Monitor official updates from the Illinois State Police, Illinois Courts, or Clean Slate Illinois.
2. Confirm that sentences or supervision periods are complete. Automatic sealing applies only after all terms are fulfilled.
3. Check for data accuracy. You can request your state criminal-history record from the Illinois State Police and verify that cases are closed and dispositions are correct.
4. Seek local assistance. Free legal aid is available through groups such as Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Illinois Legal Aid Online, Live Free Illinois, the Lawndale Christian Legal Center, Westside Justice Center, and the Freedom Defense Center of Austin.

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The Bottom Line

The Clean Slate Act represents one of Illinois’ most comprehensive second-chance policies in decades — shifting from a petition-based bureaucracy toward an automated system centered on fairness and reintegration.

If signed into law, it will mean that thousands of Illinoisans each year won’t have to ask the courts for another chance. The state will offer one — automatically.