Williamson County Expungement & Record Sealing Lawyers
A Criminal Record Should Not Decide Your Future.
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- Affordable Fixed-Flat Fees
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Call Today for a Free Expungement Evaluation (618) 316-7322
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Marion, IL Expungement & Record Sealing Attorneys Serving Williamson County
Marion is the busiest court town in Southern Illinois, and the Williamson County Courthouse on Tower Square handles one of the largest criminal dockets in the region. That means a lot of people in Marion, Herrin, Carterville, Johnston City, and the rest of Williamson County are walking around with an old arrest or conviction on their record, often from a case that was dismissed or resolved years ago.
That record does not stay quiet. It shows up when you apply for a job at Aisin, the Marion VA, Heartland Regional, or any employer that runs a background check. It shows up when you apply for an apartment, a professional license, a nursing or CDL program at John A. Logan College, or a position that requires fingerprinting. Illinois law gives you real ways to clear it, and Olson & Reeves handles every step for a fixed-flat fee.
If you have been looking for a Marion expungement attorney or a Williamson County record sealing lawyer near me, you are in the right place. We file expungement and sealing petitions in the Williamson County court regularly, and you do not need to drive anywhere to get started. We offer a free expungement evaluation by phone or video. Call (618) 316-7322.
Expungement vs. Sealing: Which One Clears a Williamson County Record?
In Illinois, expungement destroys or returns your record so no public agency or private background check can find it. Sealing hides the record from the public but keeps it visible to law enforcement and a few licensing bodies. Expungement is the cleaner result, but it is available in fewer situations than sealing.
The right path depends on how your case ended. Cases that did not lead to a conviction — dismissals, acquittals, arrests with no charges, completed supervision — are usually candidates for expungement under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2. Most misdemeanor convictions and many Class 3 and Class 4 felony convictions cannot be expunged but can be sealed. We review every case on your record and tell you which remedy applies to each.
| Expungement | Sealing | |
|---|---|---|
| Effect on the record | Destroyed or returned to you | Hidden from public view |
| Visible to the public? | No | No |
| Visible to police/courts? | No (limited exceptions) | Yes |
| Works for convictions? | Rarely (vacated, pardoned, cannabis) | Many misdemeanors and most Class 3/4 felonies |
Who Qualifies to Clear a Record in Williamson County?
Illinois expungement is generally available when your case did not end in a conviction. That includes arrests where no charges were filed, dismissed cases, acquittals, completed court supervision, completed qualified probation, and vacated or reversed convictions. Each category carries its own waiting period, measured from the date your case or sentence ended, not the date of arrest.
Arrests and Dismissed Cases
An arrest with no charges filed, a case dismissed by the prosecutor, an acquittal at trial, or a finding of no probable cause are all eligible for expungement under 20 ILCS 2630/5.2(b) with no waiting period. A case stricken with leave to reinstate (an “SOL”) requires a short wait of 120 to 160 days before filing.
Court Supervision
A successfully completed sentence of court supervision is not a conviction under Illinois law. Most supervision cases are eligible to be cleared two years after supervision ends. Supervision for domestic battery, criminal sexual abuse, or certain Vehicle Code offenses requires a five-year wait, and supervision for DUI can never be cleared.
Qualified Probation: 710-1410, TASC, Second Chance, OIP
First-offender drug probation under 710-1410, TASC probation, Second Chance Probation, and the Offender Initiative Program are not convictions if completed successfully. These become eligible for expungement after a waiting period that the Clean Slate Act shortened to two years as of June 1, 2026. The drug-test that used to be required with these petitions is no longer needed.
Vacated or Reversed Convictions
If your conviction was reversed on appeal, vacated, or set aside by the trial court, you are eligible for immediate expungement with no waiting period. If a court found you factually innocent by clear and convincing evidence, that same court can enter the expungement order directly.
Cannabis Convictions
Under the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (410 ILCS 705), most minor cannabis convictions involving 30 grams or less are reviewed and expunged automatically by the Illinois State Police. Convictions involving 30 to 500 grams are not automatic and require a motion to vacate and expunge. We confirm whether your cannabis case has already been cleared or still needs a petition.
The Illinois Clean Slate Act: What Changed June 1, 2026
Governor Pritzker signed the Illinois Clean Slate Act (Public Act 104-0459) on January 16, 2026. It will eventually let the Illinois State Police seal many records automatically, with no petition. But automatic sealing is not expected to begin until 2029, so for now, filing a petition is still the only way to clear a Williamson County record.
Several parts of the Act took effect June 1, 2026 and already help people filing petitions today:
- Shorter waiting periods. The wait to seal most misdemeanor convictions, ordinance violations, completed supervision, and qualified probation dropped to two years. Felony convictions remain at three years.
- No more drug test. The clean drug test that used to be required to seal or expunge a drug conviction has been eliminated.
- The subsequent-felony bar is gone. A later felony conviction no longer automatically blocks sealing of an eligible earlier felony.
- Simpler notice. Notice to municipal legal officers is no longer required in most cases.
When automatic sealing does arrive, it will roll out in phases: records from July 1, 2005 through 2028 are targeted for sealing by January 1, 2031, with older records following through 2034. The Act does not change which offenses are eligible. DUI, reckless driving, domestic battery, sex offenses requiring registration, animal cruelty, and most violent felonies remain off the table.
What this means for you: if a record is costing you a job, an apartment, or a license right now, waiting years for the automatic system is not the answer. We file under current law today and can tell you whether your record will also qualify for automatic sealing later.
Where You File an Expungement in Williamson County
An Illinois expungement or sealing petition is filed in the county where you were arrested or charged. For a Williamson County case, that is the Williamson County Circuit Court in Marion. If you also have cases in other counties, a separate petition has to be filed in each one.
Williamson County sits in the First Judicial Circuit, and Marion is the circuit’s administrative seat. Petitions are filed with the Williamson County Circuit Clerk at the Williamson County Courthouse, 200 W. Jefferson Street, Marion, and submitted electronically through Illinois e-filing. Case status is available online through Judici.
Once your petition is filed and served, the Williamson County State’s Attorney, the Illinois State Police, and the arresting agency — often the Marion Police Department, the Williamson County Sheriff, or the Illinois State Police on I-57 or I-24 — each have 60 days to object. Most clean non-conviction petitions clear that window with no objection, and the judge signs the order shortly after. Start to finish, most Williamson County petitions take about four to six months.
What Cannot Be Cleared in Illinois
Some Illinois convictions cannot be expunged or sealed under any circumstances. These include:
- DUI, including court supervision for DUI
- Reckless driving if you were 25 or older at the time
- Domestic battery convictions
- Sex offenses requiring registration
- Violations of an order of protection or no-contact order
- Animal cruelty offenses
- Class X felonies, homicide, and most violent felonies
- Minor traffic offenses
If one of these sits on your record alongside other cases, it does not automatically block relief on the rest. Each case is evaluated on its own.
How Much Does an Expungement Cost?
Illinois expungement filing fees vary by county and generally run from about $60 to $235, including the Illinois State Police processing fee. Juvenile expungements have no filing fee, and fee waivers are available if you meet low-income guidelines. Attorney fees are separate and depend on how many cases are on your record.
Olson & Reeves charges a fixed-flat fee for expungement and sealing work, so you know the full cost before we file anything, and we offer interest-free payment plans. Court fees are paid to the Williamson County Circuit Clerk. If you cannot afford the filing fee, we file the fee-waiver application as part of your petition.
Why Williamson County Residents Choose Olson & Reeves
We are local Southern Illinois attorneys who file expungement and sealing petitions in the Williamson County Courthouse and the surrounding First Circuit counties regularly. We know the court’s filing procedures, the e-filing rules, and the practical pace of the Marion docket, and we put that procedural familiarity to work so your petition is filed correctly the first time.
What sets the firm apart:
- Fixed-flat fees. You know the total cost before we start.
- Free expungement evaluations. An attorney reviews your record before you commit to anything.
- No office visit required. We handle the evaluation by phone or video and can come to you. You do not have to travel to get this done.
- Real courtroom experience. If a petition draws an objection or a contested hearing, we are not learning the work for the first time.
Clearing a record often opens the door to restoring firearm rights as well. We handle FOID card and gun rights restoration as a related matter, and you can read more about statewide eligibility on our Southern Illinois expungement and record sealing hub. We also serve nearby communities. See our Benton and Franklin County expungement lawyers page, or our Marion, IL lawyers page for other practice areas.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marion & Williamson County Expungement
Where do I file an expungement in Williamson County?
You file an Illinois expungement or sealing petition in the county where you were arrested or charged. For a Williamson County case, that is the Williamson County Circuit Court at the courthouse in Marion, on Tower Square, in the First Judicial Circuit. Petitions are filed with the Circuit Clerk and submitted through Illinois e-filing.
If your record includes cases from more than one county, a separate petition has to be filed in each county where a case originated. We pull your full criminal history first so nothing is missed and every county is covered.
How long does an expungement take in Marion?
Most Williamson County expungement and sealing petitions take about four to six months from filing to final order. After the petition is served, the State’s Attorney, the Illinois State Police, and the arresting agency each have 60 days to object. If no one objects, the judge usually signs the order soon after that window closes.
A contested petition that draws an objection takes longer because it has to be set for a hearing. After the order is signed, the agencies have another 60 days to clear the records on their end.
Will clearing my record help me get a job in Marion?
Yes. Once a record is expunged or sealed, it should not appear on the private background checks employers use for hiring. Under Illinois law, employers cannot ask about expunged or sealed arrests or convictions, and you can lawfully answer “no” when asked whether you have been arrested for that offense.
That matters in a market like Marion, where Aisin, the Marion VA, the hospitals, and the larger retailers all run background checks. Some positions that require fingerprinting — healthcare with disqualifying convictions, school employees, law enforcement — can still see sealed records, so we tell you up front which jobs a sealing will and will not cover.
Can a felony be cleared in Illinois?
Most felony convictions cannot be expunged, but many can be sealed. Class 3 and Class 4 felonies, and some Class 2 felonies, are generally eligible for sealing three years after the end of your last felony sentence. Expungement of a felony is limited to vacated or pardoned convictions and certain cannabis cases.
As of June 1, 2026, a later felony conviction no longer automatically blocks sealing of an eligible earlier felony, and the old drug-test requirement is gone. We review every entry on your record to identify which felonies are sealable and which path fits each one.
What does the Clean Slate Act change for my Williamson County record?
As of June 1, 2026, the Clean Slate Act shortened the sealing wait to two years for most misdemeanors, ordinance violations, supervision, and qualified probation, removed the drug-test requirement, and ended the rule that a later felony blocks sealing an earlier one. Automatic sealing with no petition is not expected to begin until 2029.
The Act did not expand which offenses can be cleared. DUI, domestic battery, and the other permanent exclusions stay the same. Until the automatic system is running, a petition is still the fastest way to clear your record, and it may give you more relief than the automatic process will.
Do I have to come to your office or go to court in Marion?
No. We handle the free expungement evaluation by phone or video, and in most uncontested cases you will not need to appear in court at all. You do not have to drive to Mt. Vernon or take time off work to get the process started.
If your petition is one of the rare ones that draws an objection and a hearing is set at the Williamson County Courthouse, we prepare you for it and stand with you. For everything else, we keep it remote and convenient.
Will an expunged record show up on a background check?
No. After your record is expunged or sealed, it should not appear on the private background checks used for employment, housing, or licensing. Illinois law bars employers from asking about expunged or sealed arrests and convictions, and you can answer that you have not been arrested for that offense in most situations.
Some private database companies are slow to update their files. If an old record surfaces after it was cleared, your certified court order is written proof, and it can be sent to the reporting company to demand a correction. We always recommend keeping a certified copy of the order.
How much do you charge to expunge a record?
Olson & Reeves charges a fixed-flat fee for expungement and sealing, set after we review your record, so you know the full cost before we file. We offer interest-free payment plans, and court filing fees, generally about $60 to $235 per county, are paid separately to the circuit clerk.
If you cannot afford the court filing fee, Illinois lets you ask the judge to waive it, and we file that fee-waiver application as part of your petition packet when it applies.
Talk to a Williamson County Expungement Lawyer Today
A criminal record does not have to follow you for the rest of your life. If an old case in Marion, Herrin, Carterville, or anywhere in Williamson County is standing between you and a job, an apartment, a license, or your firearm rights, we can help. Call (618) 316-7322 or use the form below for a free expungement evaluation. We review your record, tell you plainly what is eligible and what is not, and quote a fixed fee before you commit to anything, by phone or video, with no office visit required.