What type of background check is conducted by the state’s law enforcement agency to determine my eligibility to have a criminal history record sealed or expunged?

Why is the State Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles checked to determine my eligibility to have my criminal history record sealed or expunged?

The state’s law enforcement agency conducts criminal history record checks in the state through the State Crime Information Center (SCIC), national record checks through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), local Court databases, and driving history checks through the state’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). These databases are utilized to determine the eligibility of an individual to have a criminal history record sealed or expunged.

A criminal offense such as DUI, Driving While License Suspended/canceled/revoked, or reckless driving may appear in the DHSMV database even though it may not be entered in the criminal history record system maintained by the state law enforcement agency. Although non-criminal traffic offenses (such as careless driving) have no affect on eligibility to seal or expunge a criminal history record, an adjudication of guilty for any criminal offense renders the record ineligible for either form of relief.