Expungement Petition - Vermont

IMPORTANT: THIS IS A PREPARATION GUIDE — NOT A COURT FORM

Vermont's criminal-record law changed substantially on July 1, 2025. Current
Judiciary forms separate the narrow expungement route from sealing:

• 200-00129 — Petition to Expunge Criminal History is for a conviction
  whose underlying conduct is no longer prohibited by law or designated as a
  criminal offense.
• 200-00130 — Petition to Seal Criminal History is used for current
  conviction and nonconviction sealing routes.
• 200-00132 — Stipulation to Expunge or Seal Criminal History Record is
  used when the prosecutor agrees.

The former combined “Form 130” is stale. Transfer the relevant information to
the current form before filing.

VERMONT CRIMINAL-RECORD RELIEF PREPARATION GUIDE

1. Select Expungement or Sealing

A. Expungement of a decriminalized conviction — § 7602(b)

Use form 200-00129 only if:

• ☐ Petitioner was convicted of an offense for which the underlying conduct is
  no longer prohibited by law or designated as a criminal offense.

• ☐ Petitioner completed the sentence or supervision.

• ☐ Petitioner paid all restitution and surcharges.

This is the principal post-July 1, 2025 conviction-expungement route. Do not
request expungement merely because a misdemeanor or felony is a “qualifying
crime”; those convictions now generally proceed through sealing.

B. Sealing a misdemeanor conviction — §§ 7601(4)(A) and 7602(c)

Use form 200-00130 if:

• ☐ The offense is a misdemeanor not excluded by § 7601(4)(A).
• ☐ At least three years have passed under the statute.
• ☐ All restitution and surcharges have been paid.
• ☐ There is no unresolved criminal charge preventing action under § 7604.
• ☐ The prosecutor cannot show that sealing would be contrary to the interests
  of justice.

C. Sealing a listed felony conviction — §§ 7601(4)(B) and 7602(d)

Use form 200-00130 if:

• ☐ The felony is specifically listed as a qualifying crime in § 7601(4)(B).
• ☐ At least seven years have passed under the statute.
• ☐ All restitution and surcharges have been paid.
• ☐ There is no unresolved criminal charge preventing action.
• ☐ The prosecutor cannot show that sealing would be contrary to the interests
  of justice.

D. Sealing a qualifying misdemeanor DUI — § 7602(e)

Use form 200-00130 if:

• ☐ The conviction is the qualifying misdemeanor DUI described by the statute.
• ☐ At least ten years have passed.
• ☐ All restitution and surcharges have been paid.
• ☐ Petitioner does not hold a commercial driver's license or permit.
• ☐ The prosecutor cannot show that sealing would be contrary to the interests
  of justice.

A filing fee applies when the petition seeks to seal a conviction under
23 V.S.A. § 1201(a) committed when the defendant was age 25 or older. The
current Judiciary page directs an applicant seeking a waiver to form
600-00229.

E. Sealing when there was no conviction — § 7603

A citation or arrest record may be sealed when:

• no probable cause was found at arraignment;
• the case was dismissed before trial, with or without prejudice; or
• the defendant was acquitted.

The court automatically seals a qualifying nonconviction record within 60 days
after final disposition unless either party objects in the interests of
justice. The prosecutor may stipulate to sealing at any time, and the defendant
may file a petition to seal at any time.

F. Offense committed at ages 18 through 21 — § 7609

A qualifying conviction may be sealed when:

• ☐ the offense was committed after Petitioner turned 18 and before turning 22;
• ☐ at least 30 days have passed since completion of the sentence;
• ☐ restitution and surcharges were paid or waived; and
• ☐ the prosecutor has not shown that sealing would be contrary to the
  interests of justice.

Separate relief for some offenses committed before age 25 may arise under
33 V.S.A. § 5119 and is outside this adult Chapter 230 worksheet.

2. Petitioner and Record Information

3. Multiple Records

One petition may list multiple offenses only when they relate to the same
incident. If offenses arise from different incidents, or are in different
counties, prepare a separate petition for each offense or county as directed by
the current Judiciary instructions.

4. Current Form Inputs

Form 200-00129 — expungement

State:

1. the conviction and docket information;
2. the date probation or other sentence conditions were completed;
3. whether restitution was ordered and paid;
4. that the offense is no longer prohibited by law or designated criminal;
5. every new charge or conviction since the listed offense;
6. why expungement is in the interests of justice; and
7. any additional Vermont State entity that should receive the order.

Form 200-00130 — sealing

State:

1. the conviction or nonconviction record and docket information;
2. the conviction date and sentence-completion information, if applicable;
3. whether restitution was ordered and paid;
4. every new charge or conviction;
5. why sealing is in the interests of justice; and
6. any additional Vermont State entity that should receive the order.

Interests-of-justice statement

Petitioner states that the requested relief serves the interests of justice
because:

[____________________________________________________________]

[____________________________________________________________]

[____________________________________________________________]

5. Prosecutor Stipulation and Court Process

Before filing, contact the prosecutor and ask whether the State will
stipulate.

If the prosecutor stipulates:

• complete current form 200-00132;
• ask whether the prosecutor will file it or return it for filing;
• if directed, file the correct petition form with the signed stipulation; and
• the judge may decide the matter without a hearing.

If the prosecutor does not stipulate:

• file current form 200-00129 or 200-00130, as applicable;
• the court notifies the prosecutor;
• the prosecutor notifies any victim, who may submit a statement;

• if the prosecutor agrees after filing, the judge may decide without a
  hearing; and

• if the prosecutor opposes, the court schedules a hearing.

There is generally no filing fee, except for the age-25-or-older misdemeanor
DUI sealing route described above.

6. Relief and Distribution Requested

For expungement, request an order under §§ 7602(b) and 7606 annulling the
arrest, conviction, and sentence record and directing the statutory
notifications.

For sealing, request an order under the applicable subsection of § 7602 or
§ 7603 and § 7607 making the record unavailable to the public while preserving
the limited uses authorized by law.

The current Judiciary instructions state that, after granting relief, the
court sends the order to the defendant, counsel, prosecutor, Vermont Crime
Information Center (VCIC), arresting agency, Restitution Unit, and other
identified Vermont State entities. VCIC notifies the FBI's National Crime
Information Center.

7. Effect of Relief

Expungement — § 7606

The order annuls the arrest, conviction, and sentence record. The person is
treated in all respects as though the person had never been arrested,
convicted, or sentenced for the offense. Accessible electronic records are
removed and any paper court file is physically destroyed, subject to the
statute's retained certificate and other limits.

Sealing — § 7607

The record is removed from public access but is not destroyed. The sealing
order is legally effective immediately, and the person is generally treated as
though the arrest, conviction, or sentence did not occur, subject to the
specific uses and disclosures the statute preserves.

8. Final Checklist

• ☐ Confirm the exact current § 7601(4) offense classification.
• ☐ Choose expungement only for the current decriminalized-conduct route.
• ☐ Use form 200-00129 for expungement or 200-00130 for sealing.
• ☐ List together only offenses arising from the same incident.
• ☐ Disclose every new charge or conviction.

• ☐ Confirm sentence completion and payment or waiver of restitution and
  surcharges.

• ☐ Ask the prosecutor to stipulate and use form 200-00132 if appropriate.

• ☐ Pay the filing fee or file form 600-00229 only if the DUI exception applies.
• ☐ Attend any hearing scheduled after an objection.

• ☐ Identify all additional Vermont State entities that should receive the
  order.

• ☐ If relief is denied, wait at least two years before filing again unless
  the court authorizes a shorter period. § 7605.

Official Sources

• Vermont Judiciary — Expunging and Sealing Criminal Records
• 13 V.S.A. Chapter 230
• Act 60 (2025), effective July 1, 2025
• Form 200-00129 — Petition to Expunge Criminal History
• Form 200-00130 — Petition to Seal Criminal History
• Form 200-00132 — Stipulation to Expunge or Seal

Use the current Vermont Judiciary form. Obtain Vermont-licensed legal review
before filing.