HB279 Alabama 2017 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Alan BakerRepresentative
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2017
Title: Expungement of criminal records, expanded to include felonies, Sec. 15-27-2 am'd.
Summary: Expands criminal record expungement to include all felonies, including violent offenses, when the person is found not guilty.
What This Bill Does
It allows a person charged with any felony, including violent offenses, who has been found not guilty to petition the circuit court to expunge the related records. It also preserves and clarifies other ways to expunge felonies (such as dismissals, no bills, or completion of certain programs) with specified timeframes and conditions. For violent offenses, the expunged records may be disclosed to law enforcement for investigation under existing rules. The changes are made by amending Section 15-27-2 and taking effect after the stated effective date.

Who It Affects
People charged with felony offenses, including violent felonies, who were found not guilty, who may now petition to have those records expunged.
Law enforcement agencies, which may be given access to expunged records related to violent offenses for investigative purposes.

Key Provisions
Expungement is allowed for all felony charges, including violent offenses, when the person has been found not guilty of the charge.
The bill retains other expungement paths for felonies (e.g., dismissals with prejudice, no bills, program completion) with specific conditions and waiting periods (one year after program completion, five years since dismissal without prejudice plus no further offenses, or 90 days after certain dismissals and no refiling).
Records related to violent offenses may be disclosed to law enforcement agencies for criminal investigations as provided by current law.
Section 15-27-2 is amended to implement these changes, with an effective date specified in the act.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Crimes and Offenses