Expungement

Dominate Your Future: Grand Rapids Expungement and Michigan Clean Slate Laws

If a past mistake is holding you back from a better job, stable housing, or professional licensing in Kent County, it is time to act. In 2026, Michigan’s Clean Slate Act has fully matured, offering the most expansive opportunities in state history to clear your record. Whether you are dealing with an old DUI, Retail Fraud, Shoplifting, Domestic Violence, or certain Criminal Sexual Conduct allegations, you need the best West Michigan attorney around, Shawn James Haff, to ensure your petition is successful.

While some minor offenses now qualify for automatic expungement, the system is far from perfect. Technical glitches and “intervening convictions” often prevent the automatic system from clearing records that should be clean. To guarantee your record is wiped, you must move with a professional sense of urgency and file a formal petition. Shawn Haff acts as your elite shield, navigating the complexities of the 61st District Court and the 17th Circuit Court to win your freedom from your past.

HB 4186 has been passed the house with zero dissenting votes and it has passed the senate and been signed into law by Mr. Snyder. The bill will allow more people to set aside their convictions.

To set a conviction aside a person who is filing a motion for an expungement will need to have an experienced Grand Rapids criminal defense attorney go over your background to determine if you qualify for an expungement. Our expungement lawyers in Grand Rapids, Michigan have a 100% success rate in getting expungements granted. 

It now appears that an individual will be able to set aside a conviction through an expungement with misdemeanors that are not “minor offenses.”  Minor Offenses were a big obstacle for many individuals because they were offenses that had maximum jail of 90 days or less.  A simple assault and battery is a 93 day misdemeanor and so is a DUI.  That means for individuals that had an assault and battery and any other offense with more than a 93 day maximum jail sentence could not expunge a conviction.  This prior incarnation of the law limited expungement to primarily those that were only ever convicted of one offense.

An additional provision of the new bill will allow an individual to expunge more than one conviction at a time as long as they are both misdemeanors.

Juveniles are maybe eligible for an expungement under MCL 712A.18e.  An adult expungement can be made nonpublic under MCL 780.621. We have the Grand Rapids Expungement Lawyers you need to get the best results possible!

Grand Rapids Expungement: Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)

Q: Can I really expunge a DUI in Grand Rapids? A: Yes. Since the law changed in 2022, first-offense DUI and Drunk Driving (OWI) convictions are eligible for expungement. You must wait five years after your probation ends to apply. Shawn Haff is the premier defense powerhouse for OWI expungements, helping you prove to a judge that you have remained sober and deserve a second chance.

Q: How many felonies can I have expunged in 2026? A: Under current Michigan law, you can expunge up to three felonies and an unlimited number of misdemeanors in your lifetime. However, there are strict categories of “non-expungeable” crimes, such as life-sentence felonies and certain high-tier Criminal Sexual Conduct charges.

Q: What is the “One Bad Night” rule? A: This is a sophisticated legal provision that treats multiple convictions arising from the same 24-hour period as a single conviction for expungement purposes. If you were charged with multiple crimes during one incident in Wyoming or Kentwood, Shawn Haff can use this rule to clear your entire record at once.

Q: How long is the waiting period to clear a Shoplifting or Retail Fraud charge? A: For non-serious misdemeanors like Retail Fraud or Shoplifting, the waiting period is typically three years from the date your probation ended or you were released from jail. Shawn Haff moves with urgency to file the moment your clock hits that three-year mark.

Q: Will my record be cleared automatically? A: While the state attempts automatic set-asides for certain non-assaultive crimes after 7 to 10 years, it is a slow and unreliable process. If you have “intervening convictions”—meaning any new ticket or charge since your last conviction—the automatic process will stop. Hiring the best attorney in West Michigan to file a manual petition is the only way to ensure your record is clean now, rather than waiting a decade for a system that might fail you.

Q: Can I expunge a Domestic Violence conviction? A: First-offense Domestic Violence misdemeanors are often eligible for expungement after a five-year waiting period. However, if you have a prior DV conviction on your record, even if it wasn’t a felony, you may be barred from clearing a subsequent felony DV charge. You need Shawn Haff’s elite legal analysis to determine your exact eligibility.