Bill To Expand Ability To Seal Some Criminal Records Advancing In Florida Senate

By Mitch Perry and Liv Caputo, Florida Phoenix

January 21, 2026

A measure that would expand the sealing of certain criminal history records has passed its first assigned committee in the Florida Senate.

Florida has a “one-time” rule that allows a person to seal an arrest record only once in their lifetime.

Three years ago, the Legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill that would have allowed an adult who had been arrested to expunge his or her criminal history related to a low-level incident. It only pertained to people who had their charges dropped, were found not guilty, or were arrested but not ultimately charged. It would not apply to domestic violence cases.

However, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed it, in a move that stunned criminal justice reform advocates.

Undaunted, Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, is back with a bill (SB 810) which would allow an individual who has had multiple arrests that were dropped or ended in non-guilty verdicts to petition a court again following a three-year crime-free waiting period. The proposal would also allow an individual to petition a court to seal a misdemeanor offense that they were found guilty of as long as it was not of a violent nature and they have maintained a conviction-free record over five years.

“Florida is the only traditional Southeast [state] that does not allow more than one chance to seal any kind of record including arrest that did not result in a conviction or withheld adjudication, and is one of the most restricted states in the country in not allowing a judge to consider sealing even a single low-level misdemeanor conviction after a waiting period,” Simon told the Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday.

The committee passed the measure, with only Sen. Jason Pizzo, an independent from South Florida, voting no.

A companion bill (HB 745) has been filed in the House by Rep. Traci Koster, R-Tampa.

The proposal is similar to a measure that both Republican lawmakers filed last year that failed to advance.

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