What Clearing a Record Through the Courts Actually Costs

The honest range for hiring an attorney to handle a straightforward California dismissal is roughly $500 to $1,500, all in. Here is what drives that range, what free options exist, and where the fees actually come from.

Updated October 10, 2026

Cost is usually the first question, and it deserves a straight answer: across the market, attorneys handling a routine California record dismissal typically charge somewhere between about $500 and $1,500, all in, depending on the type of case. That range is wide because the cases underneath it are not all the same amount of work. This guide breaks down what actually drives the price, what is free, and what the courts themselves charge.

What drives the price

• Case type: a simple infraction or misdemeanor dismissal under Penal Code § 1203.4 or § 1203.4a is less work than a felony reduction under Penal Code § 17(b), and a Certificate of Rehabilitation under Penal Code § 4852.01 is substantially more involved than either.
• Whether the case is contested: most petitions are uncontested, meaning the district attorney does not object within the statutory notice period. A contested case that requires a hearing and argument takes more attorney time.
• Whether more than one case or county is involved: fees commonly scale per case, since each one is its own petition with its own filing and its own record to pull.
• Whether the petition pairs a reduction with a dismissal: asking the court to reduce a wobbler felony to a misdemeanor and then dismiss it in the same petition is more work than a single dismissal, though it is often cheaper than two separate filings.

What courts actually charge

Filing fees are set and published by each individual county court, not by the state as a flat number, and they are inconsistent about publishing them at all. Some counties genuinely charge nothing. Sacramento County's own self-help center, for example, states outright that there is no filing fee for a petition under Penal Code §§ 1203.3, 1203.4, 1203.41, 1203.42, 1203.43, or 1203.4b. Other counties do charge a filing fee, and the amount is not standardized statewide. If a filing fee would be a hardship, Judicial Council form FW-001 (Request to Waive Court Fees) is available to petitioners who qualify, generally based on receiving public benefits or having income below a set multiple of the federal poverty guideline.

What a DIY filing costs

You are allowed to file your own petition without an attorney. The Judicial Council forms themselves -- CR-180 (Petition for Dismissal) and CR-181 (Order), along with any attached declaration -- are free to download and file. What you are paying for when you hire an attorney is not the forms; it is someone who has read your specific record, confirmed you are not already covered by automatic relief (see our guide on automatic record relief), identified whether the court's decision is mandatory or discretionary in your case, and who can respond if the district attorney objects. For a clean, uncontested case, a careful DIY filing is realistic. For anything with a probation violation, a Vehicle Code offense, or a mixed record, the stakes of getting a declaration wrong go up.

The free options, in order of who they help

1. Automatic relief. Since October 1, 2024, the DOJ has been granting relief to qualifying records automatically, at no cost and with no petition, under Penal Code § 1203.425 and § 851.93. Checking whether you already have this costs $25 for your own DOJ record, not a filing fee -- read our automatic relief guide first.
2. County Public Defender clean-slate clinics. A number of California counties run free record-relief clinics through their Public Defender's office, sometimes called “Clean Slate” or similar names. Availability and services vary by county, so check your own county Public Defender's website.
3. Legal aid organizations. Nonprofit legal aid groups in many counties handle record-relief petitions for free or on a sliding scale for people who qualify financially.

What the $25 DOJ fee is for, specifically

Separate from any court filing fee, the DOJ charges a $25 processing fee if you want to pull your own official criminal history record through its Record Review program. This is the fee for finding out what is actually on your record -- including whether automatic relief already applies -- and it is a different fee than anything a court or an attorney charges for a petition. A fee waiver for this DOJ charge may also be available for people who qualify.

A word on the market itself

Published prices among attorneys and document-preparation companies handling these petitions vary widely, and in this market, published prices from the same company have been known to disagree with themselves from one page to the next -- a quoted price on a homepage that does not match the price at checkout. Before paying anyone, ask for one number that includes the filing fee, not a base price with fees added later, and get it in writing.

Flat fee or hourly? What you are actually buying

Most consumer-facing firms in this space quote a flat fee per case rather than an hourly rate, which is worth understanding before you compare numbers. A flat fee generally covers reviewing your DOJ record, confirming which type of relief actually applies, preparing and filing the petition, and handling routine communication with the court and the prosecutor during the notice period. It typically does not cover a contested hearing that requires extended argument, which is one reason some firms price a standard petition separately from a petition they already expect the DA to object to. Ask what happens to the price if the case turns out to be contested, before you are in the middle of one.

Why a Certificate of Rehabilitation costs more than a dismissal

Not every form of relief costs the same, and the gap is not arbitrary. A straightforward misdemeanor dismissal under Penal Code § 1203.4 is largely a records-and-paperwork matter once eligibility is confirmed. A Certificate of Rehabilitation under Penal Code § 4852.01 and following sections is a substantially longer process -- it generally requires a residency period in California, a formal petition, and a hearing, and it is the step that can lead toward a full Governor's pardon. The added cost reflects added statutory steps, not simply a higher price for the same work.

Legal information on this page was last checked against primary sources in October 2026. California law changes; if you are reading this long after that date, confirm before you rely on it.