Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Estimated total cost
$1,490
Attorney fee (complexity-adjusted)
$1,200
Court + records costs
$290
Psst — share this and help Rex grow
One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter court filing fee ($).
- 2Enter certified records / fingerprint fee ($).
- 3Enter case complexity.
- 4Enter attorney fee (0 if self-filing) ($).
- 5Read your estimated total cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Expunging or sealing a criminal record involves a court filing fee that varies by state and county (commonly $100-$450), a certified copy of your criminal history from the state repository or FBI ($10-$50), and often a fee to have fingerprints taken again for the petition ($20-$60). Straightforward single-charge expungements handled by an attorney typically cost $750-$2,000 in legal fees, while records with multiple charges, a hearing requirement, or prosecutorial objection can run $2,000-$5,000+. Some states waive filing fees for indigent petitioners, and a growing number of states now offer 'clean slate' automatic expungement for certain lower-level offenses after a waiting period at no cost at all, so it's worth checking your state's automatic relief eligibility before paying anything. This calculator totals the realistic cost of a petition-based expungement across filing, records, and attorney fees.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Court filing fee: 250 $
- Certified records / fingerprint fee: 40 $
- Case complexity: Single charge, no objection
- Attorney fee (0 if self-filing): 1200 $
Results
- Estimated total cost: $1,490
- Attorney fee (complexity-adjusted): $1,200
- Court + records costs: $290
What each field means
Inputs
- Court filing fee ($)
- The court filing fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 250 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Certified records / fingerprint fee ($)
- The certified records / fingerprint fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 40 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Case complexity
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Single charge, no objection, Multiple charges, Contested / hearing required.
- Attorney fee (0 if self-filing) ($)
- The attorney fee (0 if self-filing) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1200 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Estimated total cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Attorney fee (complexity-adjusted)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Court + records costs
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What's the difference between expungement and sealing?
Expungement generally destroys or removes the record from public access entirely, treating the case as if it never happened for most purposes, while sealing hides it from general public view but keeps it accessible to certain agencies like law enforcement or licensing boards. States use these terms differently, so check your state's specific legal effect rather than assuming based on the word used.
Does everyone qualify for expungement?
No. Eligibility depends on the offense type, how much time has passed since sentence completion, whether you have subsequent convictions, and state-specific exclusions (violent felonies and certain sex offenses are commonly permanently excluded in most states). Check eligibility before paying any attorney retainer.
Are there free or low-cost options?
Many public defender offices, legal aid clinics, and university law clinics run expungement clinics, sometimes for free or a nominal fee, especially around 'clean slate' events. Some states also have moved to automatic expungement for certain low-level offenses with no petition or fee required at all after a set waiting period.
Does expungement fix background checks immediately?
Not always instantly. Private background check companies that scraped the record before expungement may still show it until you request removal directly from each company, so budget time for follow-up requests even after the court order is granted.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Traffic Ticket Insurance Impact Calculator
Estimate the fine plus the multi-year insurance premium increase from a moving violation.
Attorney Hourly vs Flat Fee Calculator
Compare total cost of hourly billing against a flat fee for the same legal matter.
Court Filing & Service of Process Cost Calculator
Total court filing fees, service of process, and copies to file a civil case.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Expungement Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/expungement-cost-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/expungement-cost-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Expungement Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Expungement Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/expungement-cost-calculator) (2026).