Can a DUI be expunged in Connecticut?
Connecticut allows a DUI conviction to be cleared by erasure of criminal records after 10 years from the conviction, on conditions the statute sets. Automatic for some records, by petition for others. The licensing agency keeps the DUI on the driver record either way.
A DUI conviction is the offence most often written out of a state's expungement law. Where relief exists at all it usually arrives with a waiting period, a one-time limit and a list of disqualifiers, and clearing the court record is not the same as clearing the record the licensing agency keeps. The rules below are Connecticut's own, each quoted from the statute or the agency that holds the record.
Whether a DUI can be cleared at all
| What the relief is called | erasure of criminal records |
|---|---|
| A DUI conviction | Can be cleared, on conditions |
| Waiting period | 10 years from the conviction |
| How it is obtained | Automatic for some records, by petition for others |
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(1)(A)(ii) places a violation of section 14-227a in the ten-year erasure group rather than the seven-year group that covers other misdemeanors and motor vehicle violations. Section 54-142a(e)(2)(D) makes the conviction ineligible if the person was convicted of another violation of section 14-227a within the ten years following it, and section 54-142a(e)(3) requires any incarceration and probation to be finished and no state criminal charge to be pending.
“for any class D or E felony, unclassified felony offense for which a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five years could have been imposed or a motor vehicle violation for which a maximum term of imprisonment in excess of one year and not more than five years could have been imposed, or”
The driving record is a separate record
This is the part most summaries leave out. A court can seal or expunge the criminal case and the licensing agency can still keep the DUI on the driver record, where it reaches insurers and counts as a prior offence if there is a second one.
Not cleared. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(6) states that nothing in the erasure subsection requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to erase criminal history record information on an operator's driving record, and that where applicable the department shall make that information available through the Commercial Driver's License Information System.
“Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require the Department of Motor Vehicles to erase criminal history record information on an operator's driving record. When applicable, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall make such criminal history record information available through the”
What else sits on that record: suspensions and points in Connecticut.
How long the wait is, and from when
Ten years from the date on which the court entered the person's most recent judgment of conviction, for a violation of section 14-227a. Other classified and unclassified misdemeanors and motor vehicle violations punishable by not more than one year carry seven years, and section 14-227a is expressly carved out of that shorter period. Section 54-142a(e)(3) adds that the period does not begin to operate until any incarceration, parole and probation are served and no state criminal charge is pending.
“such records shall be erased ten years from the date on which the court entered the convicted person's most recent judgment of conviction (I) by operation of law, if such offense occurred on or after January 1, 2000, or (II) upon the filing of a petition on a form prescribed by the Office of the”
Automatic or by petition
Erasure happens by operation of law, with no filing, where the offense occurred on or after January 1, 2000. Where the offense occurred before that date, the same relief is available upon the filing of a petition on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142t provides for an automated process for erasing criminal records.
“by operation of law, if such offense occurred on or after January 1, 2000, or (II) upon the filing of a petition on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator, if such offense occurred prior to January 1, 2000”
Where it is filed, and what it costs
| Filed with | no filing where the offense occurred on or after January 1, 2000; for an earlier offense, the Superior Court on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator |
|---|
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(1)(A) provides for erasure by operation of law for offenses committed on or after January 1, 2000, and for a petition on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator for earlier offenses. Section 54-142a(e)(3) requires that any period of incarceration, parole, special parole, medical parole, compassionate parole or transitional supervision and any period of probation be completed first, and that no state criminal charge be pending.
“(3) The provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall not apply to any conviction for any offense until the defendant: (A) Has completed serving any period of incarceration, parole, special parole, medical parole, compassionate parole or transitional supervision”
Whether a cleared DUI still counts as a prior
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(2)(D) makes a conviction under section 14-227a ineligible for erasure where the person was convicted of another violation of section 14-227a within the ten years following that conviction, so a second offense inside ten years blocks the relief for the first.
“(D) Any conviction for a violation of section 14-227a if the defendant has been convicted for another violation of section 14-227a within the ten years following such conviction.”
The statute: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)
“any police or court record and record of the state's or prosecuting attorney or the prosecuting grand juror pertaining to such conviction, or any record pertaining to court obligations arising from such conviction held by the Board of Pardons and Paroles shall be erased as follows”
Questions about clearing a DUI in Connecticut
- Can a Connecticut DUI conviction be erased?
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e) covers a violation of section 14-227a and sets a ten-year period from the date of the most recent judgment of conviction, rather than the seven years that applies to other misdemeanors and motor vehicle violations. Section 54-142a(e)(2)(D) removes eligibility where the person was convicted of another violation of section 14-227a within the ten years following.
- Does erasure clear the DMV driving record?
- No. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(6) states that nothing in the erasure subsection requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to erase criminal history record information on an operator's driving record, and that where applicable the department makes that information available through the Commercial Driver's License Information System.
- Is a petition needed for erasure in Connecticut?
- Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(1)(A), erasure happens by operation of law where the offense occurred on or after January 1, 2000. Where the offense occurred before that date, the relief comes upon the filing of a petition on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator.
Sources
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a — Erasure of criminal records (Connecticut General Assembly, chapter 961a)
- Connecticut General Statutes chapter 961a — Criminal records (Connecticut General Assembly)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. chapter 248, including § 14-227a (Connecticut General Assembly)
- CT DMV — Driving Under the Influence: Laws & Penalties
Cite this page
Every state page quotes the statute or agency page each value comes from; when citing this page, include the verification date shown above.
WheelsBack. "DUI expungement and record sealing in Connecticut." Verified against primary sources August 29, 2026; sources re-checked September 4, 2026. https://wheelsback.com/connecticut/dui-expungement/