How Long Does Record Sealing Take in Colorado?
If you're thinking about sealing your criminal record in Colorado, one of the first questions you probably have is: how long is this going to take? The honest answer is that it depends on several factors.
Most Colorado record sealing cases take 2-4 months from start to finish.
Here's a breakdown of what that timeline looks like and what affects it.
Step 1: Determining Eligibility (1-2 Weeks)
Before anything else, you need to confirm that your record is eligible for sealing under Colorado law. Not every conviction qualifies, and the rules vary depending on the type of offense, how long ago it occurred, and whether you've completed all the terms of your sentence.This step involves obtaining and reviewing your criminal history. The best place to start is to obtain a copy of your Colorado Bureau of Investigation arrest report, and a copy of your case disposition from the Colorado Court online public database. These are the two sources of background information used in background searches performed by employers, landlords, colleges and universities. Sometimes it is also necessary to request specific case records from the court. You can file an online record request here.
Once you have this information, an experienced Colorado record sealing attorney can review your record quickly — often within a few days — and tell you whether you qualify and which records can be sealed.
Step 2: Filing the Petition (1-2 Weeks)
Once eligibility is confirmed, your attorney prepares and files a Motion to Seal with the court that handled your original case. The Motion includes supporting documents and must be filed in the correct jurisdiction — which matters if you've moved or if you have cases in multiple counties.
Step 3: Waiting for the Court (1-2 Months)
This is where most of the time goes. After filing, the court will review the motion and, in most cases, set a deadline – usually around 30 days – for the prosecutor’s office to respond. If the prosecutor objects to the record being sealed, the court will then set a future date for a hearing, typically within another 30-45 days. In some cases — particularly for arrests that didn't result in a conviction or where the prosecutor does not object — the court may grant the motion without a hearing, which can speed things up significantly.
Step 4: The Hearing (1 Day)
Most record sealing hearings are brief and straightforward, especially when handled by an experienced attorney. The judge reviews the petition, considers any objections from the prosecutor’s office, and issues a ruling. In most uncontested cases, the motion is granted at the hearing.
Step 5: Processing and Notification (1-2 Weeks)
After the court grants your motion, the order needs to be sent to the relevant agencies — the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement, and others — directing them to seal your record. This processing takes an additional one to two weeks.Once complete, your sealed record will no longer appear on most background checks, including those run by private employers, landlords, colleges and universities.
What Can Speed Up or Slow Down the Process?
Several factors affect your timeline:
The Judge — Some courtrooms have longer dockets than others. Some judges move faster that others – where one judge might review a motion and start setting deadlines immediate upon filing, another may sit on a motion for weeks before beginning to work on it.
Type of offense — Arrests without conviction and certain convictions for non-violent and relatively minor offenses are more likely to move faster. Conversely, more serious convictions – including any domestic violence conviction – will usually draw an objection from the prosecutor’s office, resulting in delay.
Completeness of your petition — Errors or missing documents cause delays. Working with an attorney who knows the process reduces this risk significantly.
Prosecutor objections — if the DA objects to your petition, additional hearings may be required, extending the timeline.
Working with an Attorney – An experienced Colorado record sealing attorney will be able to move through this process more quickly – locating and analyzing court record, anticipating potential prosecution objections, and drafting and filing the motion to seal – than someone trying to work through this process for the first time.
The Bottom Line
For most people, the Colorado record sealing process takes two to four months from initial consultation to final processing. While that may feel like a long time, the result — a record that employers and landlords can't see — can open doors that have been closed for years.The best first step is finding out whether your record qualifies. At the Law Offices of Joshua Johnson, we offer free consultations to review your record and tell you exactly what's possible.
Call us at (720) 541-8583, email us at josh@johnsonlawllc.com, or use the contact form on our website.
Josh Johnson is a Colorado criminal defense and record sealing attorney licensed since 2010, serving clients statewide from his office in Aurora, Colorado.