WIC 781
Sealing a juvenile record (WIC 781)
Juvenile records are supposed to be confidential. In practice they surface in exactly the moments you would least want them to, and sealing is what actually closes them.
What it does
The court orders the juvenile records sealed across every agency that holds them, and the proceedings are deemed never to have occurred.
What it does not do
It does not reach cases that were transferred to adult court, and a short list of serious offences committed at 14 or older cannot be sealed this way.
People are often told that juvenile records seal themselves at 18. They do not, and the belief causes real damage — someone applies for a job or a licence at 30 and finds a case from when they were 15 still sitting there.
Automatic sealing under WIC 786, and its limits
California does seal some juvenile records automatically: where a young person satisfactorily completes probation or a diversion programme, the court must dismiss the petition and seal the records. That covers a great many cases. It does not cover cases that ended some other way, cases from before the automatic provisions applied, or records held by agencies that never processed the order.
Filed with probation, not with the court
This is the procedural quirk that catches people out. A request to seal juvenile records goes to the probation department first, which investigates and reports to the court. It is not filed across the counter at the courthouse like an adult petition.
Who qualifies
- The case was handled in juvenile court
- You are 18 or older, or five years have passed since the jurisdiction ended
- You have not been convicted since of a felony or a misdemeanour involving moral turpitude
- The court is satisfied you have been rehabilitated
Who does not
- Offences listed in Welfare and Institutions Code 707(b) committed when you were 14 or older
- Cases that were transferred to adult court, which are adult convictions
The forms and how long it takes
Filed on JV-595, JV-595-INFO, JV-596.
- JV-595 — Request to Seal Juvenile Records
- JV-595-INFO — Information sheet
- JV-596 — Order
Longer than most adult petitions, because the probation department investigates and reports before the court rules. Several months is normal.
Our flat fee for this is $649, all in, with the court filing fee included. See what that covers.
Common questions
I thought juvenile records sealed automatically at 18.
Some do, under a different statute, and many do not. The only way to know is to look at the record. It is the single most common misunderstanding in this area.
My case was moved to adult court. Does this apply?
No. Once a case is transferred to adult court the resulting conviction is an adult conviction, and it follows the adult statutes.
Does unpaid restitution stop a juvenile sealing?
No. The statute says a petition shall not be denied because restitution is unpaid. The restitution itself remains owed and enforceable.
Related relief
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.