What is on your record are your arrests. In many jurisdictions, when a charge is dismissed all records relating to it are automatically "expunged" (i.e. cleared) from the person's criminal record history; but sometimes mistakes are made and this fails to happen. Further, in some jurisdictions you have to file for an expungment yourself; in other words you have to file a for a separate legal proceeding since record clearing is not automatic upon dismissal.In either case, you can either try and clear you criminal record yourself or you can have an attorney that handles these matters do it for you.