NOTIFICATION: There will be no Expungement Screening on Thursday, March 30. 

Expungements

Expungement Screening

An Assistant District Attorney General, along with a General Sessions/Criminal Court Clerk, will be available to assist pro se defendants and private attorneys regarding the application for Expungement of eligible criminal cases during the following times:

Mondays & Thursdays
3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
4th Sessions Courtroom
Main Floor of the City-County Building

All General Sessions Court & Criminal Court Expungement Applications will be screened during these days/times.  A map and directions are available by clicking the following link: City-County Building Parking, Directions & Map.  Applications from pro se defendants will no longer be accepted at the District Attorney General’s Office Reception window.

Expungement Screening For Dismissals

Expungement Screening For Convictions

  • All applicants must follow the instructions in the Expungement of Conviction Packet.  You can download an Expungement of Conviction Packet PDF or request one during Expungement Screening hours listed above. The Expungement of Convictions Packet is under review pursuant to the amendments to TCA 40-32-101(g).  Please call the District Attorney’s Office at 865.215.2515 with questions.
  • All Expungement of Conviction Petitions require payment of a non-refundable $100 fee to the Clerk of the Court at the time of submission.
  • If you are an attorney filing the Petition on your client’s behalf, the District Attorney General’s Office will not evaluate the request until the Petition (including required documentation as per the Expungement Packet), proposed Order, and fee of $100 are filed with the Clerk of the Court.

Expungements (FAQs)

  • Expungement is the process to remove a charge or charges from a public criminal record. For more information, see T.C.A. § 40-32-101.
  • Expungement is not an automatic process and you must file with the court to receive it.

  • The process starts on the local level at the court in the county where the arrest occurred.
  • Charges that were “Dismissed,” “Nolle Prosequi,” “No True Bill,” or a verdict of “Not Guilty” are eligible for Expungement at no cost to you. Charges that were on “Diversion” (Pretrial or Judicial) and certain qualifying convictions are subject to additional fees.

  • Pursuant to T.C.A. § 40-32-101(g), certain convictions are eligible for Expungement. If your conviction occurred within Knox County, you can appear in the 4th Sessions Courtroom at the City-County Building during Expungement Screening hours listed above to request an Expungement of Conviction Packet and meet with an Assistant DA.
  • You can also download an Expungement of Conviction Packet PDF, which includes the Knox County DA Cover Letter, Instructions, Demographic Form, Petition Checklist Requirements, and Inclusion/Exclusion Lists of Crimes, Petition and Proposed Order. The Expungement of Convictions Packet is under review pursuant to the amendments to TCA 40-32-101(g).  Please call the District Attorney’s Office at 865.215.2515 with questions.
  • Please carefully follow the instructions on the coversheet and in the packet for your initial request to be evaluated and processed by the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office.
  • If you require legal advice, please contact a licensed attorney as the District Attorney General’s Office does not represent you and is prohibited from providing you with legal advice.
  • If your conviction is among the eligible crimes, and you qualify for the stipulations, you can file a Petition to have your record expunged at the Knox County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office.
  • You must pay a NON-REFUNDABLE filing fee of $100 at the time you file your Petition to the Clerk of the Court where the conviction was entered.
  • You must submit a Self-Addressed-Stamped-Envelope (business or legal size) with your Petition so that the Clerk can mail you a certified copy of your Expungement Order if the Judge grants your Petition.  You should keep this certified copy forever as proof that your case was expunged.
  • The District Attorney General, by assisting in the completion of the Petition for Expungement and the Order of Expungement, is not giving legal advice but is performing an administrative function pursuant to T.C.A. § 40-32-101(g), and further in some instances the District Attorney General may stand in opposition to the granting of the Petition.
  • If you are currently represented by an attorney who is assisting you in filing your Petition, the District Attorney General’s Office will not evaluate your request until your Petition (including required documentation as per the Expungement Packet), your proposed Order, and fee of $100 are filed with the Clerk of the Court.

  • Once the court completes the Expungement process locally, the Expungement Order is sent to various agencies including the arresting agency, county jail, Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC), and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). Each agency then follows their own procedures to expunge the charges. You may want to contact the TDOC and TBI to make sure each agency received a copy of your Order.

  • Please note that if a background check is requested through a private background check company (not through the TBI or other state bureau or FBI) criminal charges will probably still appear on file. Background check companies gather information as it becomes public and it is rarely updated. If charges are showing at a background check company, you will need to contact the company directly.

  • Once charges have been expunged, it is very important for you to keep a certified copy of the Expungement Order. It is the only way you will be able to prove the Expungement has been completed by the court and is valid.

To Learn More about Expungements, click here.