Get Your Criminal Record Cleaned in San Diego — Every Legal Tool Available to You, Explained by a San Diego Attorney

TLDR: “Cleaning” a criminal record in San Diego means different things depending on your case — PC § 1203.4 expungement for most probation completers, PC § 851.91 arrest record sealing for arrests that never led to conviction, PC § 17(b) felony reduction to misdemeanor for wobbler offenses, SB 731 felony record sealing for state prison cases, and Prop 64 marijuana conviction relief. Jason Ronis Law evaluates which tools apply to your specific record and handles all of them. Free consultation 24/7 at (619) 859-2002 — you speak directly with the attorney. Se Habla Español.

🚨 THE RECORD THAT IS COSTING YOU JOBS AND HOUSING TODAY CAN LEGALLY BE CLEANED. THE FIRST STEP IS A FREE CALL.

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The Four Fastest Ways to Clean Your Criminal Record in San Diego — Which One Applies to You

California gives San Diego County residents four major legal tools to clean up their criminal records. The right one depends entirely on the nature of your record.

Tool 1 — PC § 1203.4 Expungement
Best for: Anyone who was convicted of a misdemeanor or qualifying felony and successfully completed probation. This is the most commonly used record-cleaning tool in San Diego County. It dismisses the conviction and allows you to legally answer “no” to conviction questions on most private employer applications. Processing time: 6 to 10 weeks for misdemeanors, 8 to 14 weeks for felonies.

Tool 2 — PC § 851.91 Arrest Record Sealing
Best for: Anyone who was arrested in San Diego but was never convicted — because charges were never filed, the case was dismissed, or you were acquitted at trial. An arrest record can appear on background checks and cause serious harm even without a conviction. PC § 851.91 seals the arrest record from most employer, landlord, and licensing board background searches. This applies to DUI arrests that were dismissed, drug arrests where charges were dropped, and any other arrest that did not result in a conviction.

Tool 3 — PC § 17(b) Felony Reduction to Misdemeanor
Best for: Anyone with a “wobbler” felony conviction — an offense that could have been charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor. Common wobbler felonies in San Diego include HSC § 11350 (drug possession — charged before Prop 47), PC § 273.5 (domestic violence), and many others. A PC § 17(b) reduction converts the felony to a misdemeanor in the court record, after which PC § 1203.4 expungement can follow. The result is a dismissed misdemeanor instead of a felony conviction.

Tool 4 — California SB 731 Felony Record Sealing
Best for: Anyone who served state prison time for a felony that does not qualify for PC § 1203.4 expungement. Senate Bill 731 (effective July 1, 2023) allows most felony convictions to be sealed from public view after completing all sentences and remaining free of new convictions for four years. When a SB 731 sealed record is disclosed in a background check, it does not include the details of the conviction.

What Your Criminal Record Is Costing You in San Diego Right Now

Most people seeking to clean their criminal record in San Diego are motivated by a specific problem — a job they lost, a housing application that was rejected, a professional license that was denied, or a loan that was turned down. The economic impact of an uncleaned criminal record in San Diego County is measurable:

Employment: Studies show that individuals with criminal records earn significantly less over their lifetimes than those without. In San Diego’s competitive employment market, a conviction appearing in a background check eliminates most applicants before they reach an interview.

Housing: San Diego County has one of the most competitive rental markets in California. Most landlords and property management companies run background checks, and a felony or recent misdemeanor conviction results in automatic denial at most properties.

Professional Licensing: San Diego County’s large healthcare, financial services, and defense industries have specific character requirements for professional licenses. An uncleared conviction can disqualify you from nursing (BRN), real estate (DRE), contracting (CSLB), accounting (CBA), and many other professional fields — even years after the offense.

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How Prop 64 Marijuana Expungement Cleans Old Cannabis Convictions From Your San Diego Record

California Proposition 64, which legalized adult recreational marijuana use in 2016, includes specific provisions for dismissing and sealing marijuana-related convictions that are no longer crimes.

Under HS § 11361.8, any person currently serving a sentence for a marijuana offense that would not be a crime under current law can petition for immediate dismissal. For completed sentences, convictions that involved activity now legal under Prop 64 — possession for personal use, cultivation of six or fewer plants — can be dismissed and sealed.

This applies to many San Diego County residents with older marijuana possession convictions — especially those charged under HS § 11357 (possession) and HS § 11358 (cultivation) for activities that are now entirely legal in California.

Jason Ronis Law evaluates Prop 64 marijuana expungement eligibility for every client whose record includes a cannabis conviction.

Cleaning Your San Diego Record After a Drug Conviction — PC 1000 Diversion Completion and Prop 47

Two specific pathways clean drug-related records in San Diego County that are worth knowing:

PC § 1000 Drug Diversion Completion: If your drug possession case was resolved through PC § 1000 diversion and you successfully completed the program, your charges were dismissed — meaning there is no conviction to expunge. However, if the arrest record still appears in background checks, PC § 851.91 arrest record sealing is available.

Proposition 47 Felony Reduction: If you were convicted of a felony drug possession charge before November 2014, Proposition 47 allows that conviction to be reclassified as a misdemeanor. Jason Ronis Law handles Prop 47 resentencing petitions for San Diego clients whose felony drug records are costing them employment, housing, or professional opportunities. Once reduced, the misdemeanor is eligible for full PC § 1203.4 expungement.

For more on all record cleaning options visit our How to Get Criminal Record Expunged San Diego County, San Diego County Fresh Start Program Clean Criminal Record, Affordable Criminal Record Expungement Attorney San Diego, How to Clean Up Your Criminal Record in San Diego, Facing Drug Charges in San Diego, Common Drug Charges Handled in San Diego, and How to Search for an Inmate or Arrest Record San Diego pages.

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🔴 EVERY DAY YOUR RECORD IS UNCLEAN IS A DAY IT IS COSTING YOU. CALL NOW — IT IS FREE.

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