Many people believe that a juvenile record is automatically sealed when the person adjudicated delinquent becomes an adult. However, the process is more complicated and less certain than that. First, while some juvenile adjudications are automatically expunged, this doesn’t happen as soon as the person turns 18. In many cases, automatic expungement doesn’t happen until the adjudicated person turns 26. And, some adjudications aren’t eligible for automatic expungement at all.
In some cases, it is possible to petition the court to have records expunged earlier.