With new law, Illinois joins states making it easier to expunge some juvenile offenses

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Starting in 2025, the process of getting juvenile offenses expunged from criminal records will be easier in Illinois.

The Juvenile Court Act, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed into law, will eliminate some of the red tape when people seek to have juvenile offenses expunged from their records.

Instead of people having to go to court to seek hearings for expungement, those hearings will be automatically scheduled.

“It is no secret that the procedures of our court system can be difficult to navigate,” Pritzker said in a press release. “People deserve to know what resources and rights are available to them.”

The new law also allows juvenile offenses to be expunged two years after a sentence ends.

Supporters say that will make it easier for courts to schedule when those records can be expunged.

When it takes effect in January, Illinois will be the 23rd state to automatically seal or expunge juvenile criminal records in certain circumstances.

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