Kentucky expungement, explained
The whole law in plain English, written by a Kentucky criminal defense lawyer who has been doing this since the first felony expungement law passed in 2016.
Class D felony convictionsWho qualifies, the five-year wait, excluded offenses, fees, and the hearing. KRS 431.073.Misdemeanors and violationsUnlimited cases, five-year wait, the enhancement catch. KRS 431.078.Dismissed, acquitted, never indictedAutomatic expungement after 2020, waiting periods, the plea-deal exception. KRS 431.076.DUI and the ten-year ruleWhy a DUI waits ten years from the offense date, and why a felony DUI cannot be expunged.Which Class D felonies qualifyThe sixty-odd statutes named in the law, grouped by category, plus the catch-all.How the process worksCertification, filing, the prosecutor’s sixty days, hearings, and how long it all takes.Fees and fee waiversEvery court fee, the installment plan, indigency waivers, and our flat fees.Gun rights after expungementWhat federal and Kentucky law say, and the timing trap to avoid.What the General Assembly is doingThe 2026 automatic-expungement bill that failed, and every change since 2016.How the 2016 law passedThe day-by-day story of HB 40, from the blog that became this site.