943.0515 Retention of criminal history records of minors.—
(1)(a) The Criminal Justice Information Program shall retain the criminal history record of a minor who is classified as a serious or habitual juvenile offender or committed to a maximum-risk residential facility under chapter 985 for 5 years after the date the offender reaches 21 years of age, at which time the record shall be expunged unless it meets the criteria of paragraph (2)(a) or paragraph (2)(b).
(b)1. If the minor is not classified as a serious or habitual juvenile offender or committed to a maximum-risk residential facility under chapter 985, the program shall retain the minor’s criminal history record for 2 years after the date the minor reaches 19 years of age, at which time the record shall be expunged unless it meets the criteria of paragraph (2)(a) or paragraph (2)(b).
2. A minor described in subparagraph 1. may apply to the department to have his or her criminal history record expunged before the minor reaches 21 years of age. To be eligible for expunction under this subparagraph, the minor must be 18 years of age or older and less than 21 years of age and have not been charged by the state attorney with or found to have committed any criminal offense within the 5-year period before the application date. The only offenses eligible to be expunged under this subparagraph are those that the minor committed before the minor reached 18 years of age. A criminal history record expunged under this subparagraph requires the approval of the state attorney for each circuit in which an offense specified in the criminal history record occurred. A minor seeking to expunge a criminal history record under this subparagraph shall apply to the department for expunction in the manner prescribed by rule. An application for expunction under this subparagraph shall include:
a. A processing fee of $75 to the department for placement in the Department of Law Enforcement Operating Trust Fund, unless such fee is waived by the executive director.
b. A full set of fingerprints of the applicant taken by a law enforcement agency for purposes of identity verification.
c. A sworn, written statement from the minor seeking relief that he or she is no longer under court supervision applicable to the disposition of the arrest or alleged criminal activity to which the application to expunge pertains and that he or she has not been charged with or found to have committed a criminal offense, in any jurisdiction of the state or within the United States, within the 5-year period before the application date. A person who knowingly provides false information on the sworn statement required by this sub-subparagraph commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
3. A minor who applies, but who is not approved for early expunction in accordance with subparagraph 2., shall have his or her criminal history record expunged at age 21 if eligible under subparagraph 1.
(2)(a) If a person 18 years of age or older is charged with or convicted of a forcible felony and the person’s criminal history record as a minor has not yet been destroyed, the person’s record as a minor must be merged with the person’s adult criminal history record and must be retained as a part of the person’s adult record.
(b) If, at any time, a minor is adjudicated as an adult for a forcible felony, the minor’s criminal history record prior to the time of the minor’s adjudication as an adult must be merged with his or her record as an adjudicated adult.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Criminal Justice Information Program shall retain the criminal history record of a minor adjudicated delinquent for a violation committed on or after July 1, 2007, as provided in s. 943.0435(1)(h)1.d. Such records may not be destroyed and must be merged with the person’s adult criminal history record and retained as a part of the person’s adult record.
History.—s. 90, ch. 94-209; s. 20, ch. 96-388; s. 1845, ch. 97-102; s. 7, ch. 98-94; s. 56, ch. 98-280; s. 6, ch. 99-284; s. 5, ch. 2007-209; s. 2, ch. 2016-42; s. 11, ch. 2016-104; s. 6, ch. 2024-133.
