Fort Lauderdale Expungement and Sealing Lawyer

Expungement in Fort Lauderdale is the court-ordered physical destruction of a criminal arrest record by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and other relevant criminal justice agencies, pursuant to Florida Statute § 943.0585. An expunged record is destroyed from public databases. Only law enforcement agencies retain a non-public copy.

Record sealing in Fort Lauderdale is a court-ordered restriction on public access to a criminal record under Florida Statute §943.059. A sealed record remains in existence but is removed from public background checks. City, county, state, and military agencies retain access to sealed records.

The practical difference matters for Fort Lauderdale residents:

• After expungement, a person may lawfully deny that the arrest occurred in most circumstances, including on job applications and rental applications.
• After sealing, the same right to deny applies, except that sealed records must be disclosed when applying for employment with a criminal justice agency, law enforcement, or the Florida Department of Education.

On the other hand, expunging a record involves the destruction of the record, and only the FDLE has a copy of your record. The expungement process may involve a court hearing. Thus, a Fort Lauderdale expungement attorney can surely help you throughout the process.

What Does Expungement Remove and What Does It Not Remove?

A Florida court expungement order removes a Fort Lauderdale arrest record from the FDLE criminal history database and from the Broward County Clerk of Courts’ public records.

It does not automatically remove the arrest from private background check companies or mugshot websites.

Private data brokers, including Checkr, Accurate Background, and First Advantage, do not update their records when a Florida court issues an expungement order.

Erase The Case resolves this gap. After obtaining the court order, the firm directly contacts private background check companies and submits legal takedown requests to mugshot websites. The result is the complete removal of the criminal footprint from public court records, private background databases, and online search results.

Who Qualifies for Expungement or Sealing in Fort Lauderdale?

Florida law sets specific eligibility criteria for expungement and sealing under Florida Statute § 943.045. Eligibility is determined by the outcome of the Broward County court case, the nature of the charge, and the applicant’s complete criminal history.

Eligibility for Expungement in Fort Lauderdale

A Fort Lauderdale resident qualifies for expungement if:

1. The Broward County court dismissed the case, the State Attorney’s Office declined to file charges, or the applicant was acquitted at trial
2. The applicant has never been adjudicated guilty (convicted) of any criminal offense in Florida, including misdemeanors
3. The applicant has never previously sealed or expunged a criminal record anywhere in Florida
4. The applicant is not currently under any form of court supervision

Eligibility for Record Sealing in Fort Lauderdale

A Fort Lauderdale resident qualifies for record sealing if:

1. The Broward County court issued a withhold of adjudication, meaning the judge did not formally convict the applicant, despite a guilty or no-contest plea
2. The underlying offense is not among the charges specifically excluded from sealing under Florida Statute § 907.041
3. The applicant has no prior convictions and no prior sealings or expungements in Florida

Charges That Are NOT Eligible for Sealing or Expungement in Fort Lauderdale

Florida Statute §907.041 permanently excludes the following offense types from sealing or expungement, regardless of case outcome:

• Domestic violence offenses
• Aggravated assault and aggravated battery
• Robbery
• Child abuse and aggravated child abuse
• Drug trafficking
• Sexual offenses and crimes against minors
• Manslaughter and homicide
• Terrorism-related offenses

A withholding of adjudication on any of these charges does not create eligibility. David Weisselberger reviews each Fort Lauderdale case individually to confirm eligibility before beginning the filing process.

Why Fort Lauderdale Residents Choose Erase The Case Over General Criminal Defense Firms?

In Florida, expungement and sealing are once-in-a-lifetime legal actions. A single procedural error, an incorrect FDLE application, a missing certified court disposition, or a filing to the wrong Broward County Clerk division results in denial and permanent loss of eligibility. Erase The Case specializes exclusively in Florida expungement and record sealing. The firm handles no other practice area.

Erase The Case resolves Fort Lauderdale expungement cases in 3–5 months.

General Broward criminal defense attorneys who offer expungement as one of many services typically take 6–9 months. The difference is process efficiency built from handling more expungement and sealing cases than any other law firm in Florida, across all 67 counties.

David Weisselberger, Esq., is a former Miami-Dade County Assistant Public Defender. He understands both the prosecution and defense sides of Broward County’s 17th Judicial Circuit. Erase The Case has earned 300+ verified 5-star reviews for expungement and sealing, the highest volume of any expungement attorney in Florida.