California
California law provides routes to seal juvenile records, some automatic in defined circumstances and some requiring a petition. Eligibility depends on the case.
Last updated August 29, 2026.
A closed California juvenile case is not automatically an invisible one. Sealing is its own process with its own requirements.
Sealing limits access to juvenile records held by the court and agencies. California distinguishes between records sealed by operation of law in certain dispositions and records sealed on petition after the case ends. Not every case is eligible, and eligibility often depends on the offense and the disposition reached.
Record consequences are easier to manage while the case is still open, because the disposition itself can influence later sealing eligibility. Sealing is usually addressed after satisfactory completion of supervision.
No. Turning 18 does not by itself seal a juvenile record; sealing depends on the statute that applies to the case.
Each reference links to the official published source.
Welfare and Institutions Code
Addresses dismissal and sealing of records after satisfactory completion of supervision or probation.
Welfare and Institutions Code
Addresses petitions to seal juvenile records after a case has ended.
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