North Carolina Form AOC-SP-600 is the Petition and Order of Expunction under N.C.G.S. § 15A-146, and it is filed by any person whose criminal charge was dismissed, found “not guilty,” or otherwise disposed of without a conviction in a North Carolina district or superior court. The petition is filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the charge was brought, and a granted order erases the charge from public criminal records, the SBI database, and the AOC’s electronic system.
The form looks short, but the consequences of a single wrong box are heavy: a misfiled petition can sit for months, a wrong statutory basis can trigger an outright denial, and a missed offense can leave a “ghost” charge on a background check. According to the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts annual expunction report, more than 63,000 expunction petitions are processed each year in North Carolina, and roughly one in seven is returned for correction before it ever reaches a judge — almost always because of avoidable form errors on AOC-SP-600 (Rev. 12/23).
In this guide, you will learn:
- 📝 How to fill out every box on the current Rev. 12/23 version of AOC-SP-600 line by line
- ⚖️ How to pick the right subsection of § 15A-146 so your petition is not denied on the wrong-basis ground
- 📂 What documents to gather before you sit down to fill out the form, and why each one matters
- 🏛️ How to file by paper, in person, or through the new eCourts File & Serve portal in counties where it is live
- 🔍 The most common field-level mistakes filers make, and how to avoid each one through three real, named scenarios
What the Form Is and Who Must File It
Form AOC-SP-600 is the Petition and Order of Expunction of Dismissals or Findings of Not Guilty, published by the North Carolina Judicial Branch and authorized by N.C.G.S. § 15A-146. The form does two jobs in one document. The top half is the petition the citizen files. The bottom half is the order the judge signs.
The statute lets a person ask the court to erase any charge that ended without a conviction. That includes outright dismissals, “not guilty” verdicts at trial, dismissals after deferred prosecution under N.C.G.S. § 15A-1341, and dismissals after a conditional discharge such as a 90-96 drug discharge. The form covers misdemeanors, felonies, infractions, and DWI charges, as long as the final disposition was not a conviction.
Anyone with such a disposition can file. There is no waiting period for a single dismissed or “not-guilty” charge under § 15A-146(a). There is also no filing fee for petitions under § 15A-146, which makes this one of the few free expunctions in the state — a sharp contrast to the $175 fee under § 15A-145.5 for nonviolent convictions. The petitioner does not need an attorney, but a defense lawyer or a clinic such as the North Carolina Justice Center often helps when several charges or multiple counties are involved.
The form also pairs with companion documents. AOC-SP-600 is the engine. The supporting AOC-CR-264 affidavit is sometimes required when the charge is older or when the prosecutor demands proof of identity. The AOC-SP-905M is the wrong form for dismissed cases — it is for nonviolent convictions. Many filers grab AOC-SP-905M by mistake, file it for a dismissal, and lose six months waiting for a denial.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Before you open the PDF, gather every fact and paper below. A complete file folder makes the form a 20-minute job. A missing document turns it into a six-month back-and-forth with the clerk’s office.
- The original file number of the case (for example, 22 CR 045123). The clerk uses this number to pull the official record, and a wrong digit will route your petition to the wrong file or no file at all.
- The arresting agency name (for example, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department). The court must notify the arresting agency under § 15A-150 so the agency can purge its own records.
- The exact offense name and statute as charged (for example, Misdemeanor Larceny, G.S. 14-72(a)). Paraphrasing the offense or shortening the statute number is the single most common reason petitions bounce back.
- The disposition date and disposition code (dismissed, dismissed with leave, not guilty, etc.). The disposition date controls eligibility for several § 15A-146 subsections.
- Your full legal name, every alias, prior name, and date of birth. The SBI cross-checks all of these. A missed alias leaves a record under that alias untouched.
- Your Social Security number and driver’s license number. The SBI uses these to find every fingerprint card linked to the charge.
- A government-issued photo ID to attach or present at filing. Several counties demand a copy stapled to the petition.
- A self-addressed stamped envelope for the certified copy of the signed order, which you will need to give to private background check companies later.
- Any prior expunction orders you have ever received in North Carolina or another state, which the court asks about under § 15A-152.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official PDF lives on the NC Judicial Branch forms page. Always download the form fresh, because the AOC has revised it in 06/20, 12/21, and 12/23. Filing on a stale revision is a fast path to a clerk rejection at the counter.
You can also pick up a paper copy at any Clerk of Superior Court office during business hours. The clerk hands out the same Rev. 12/23 PDF, just printed. Some clerks staple a county-specific instruction sheet to the form. Read that sheet, because Wake, Mecklenburg, Durham, and a growing list of eCourts pilot counties now require electronic filing through Tyler’s Odyssey portal.
The form is a fillable PDF. Open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader, not a browser preview, because browser previews often strip the form fields and print blank. Type your answers into the gray boxes. Then print, sign in blue or black ink, and make two copies — one for your records and one for the SBI. If you file in eCourts, you upload the signed PDF directly through File & Serve.
The form runs two pages on its face, but practically every filing includes a third sheet: the petitioner’s affidavit. Build a small packet so the clerk does not have to chase loose paper. Staple in this order: the signed AOC-SP-600, the AOC-CR-264 affidavit if your county requires it, a certified copy of the disposition, and a copy of your photo ID.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out AOC-SP-600 Line by Line
The form has a caption block, ten numbered petition paragraphs, a signature block, a verification, and a separate Order section the judge completes. Walk through every box in the order it appears on the page, even if a box looks obvious.
File No.
The File No. box sits in the upper right corner of page one and asks for the case number assigned when the charge was first filed.
Type the file number exactly as it appears on the charging document, including the two-digit year and the “CR,” “CRS,” or “IF” prefix. Use the format YY CR NNNNNN with a single space between each segment. Example: David Nguyen writes 21 CR 008412 because his shoplifting charge was filed in 2021 in district court.
If your case has both a district file number and a superior file number after a transfer, list the superior number when the final disposition occurred there. Filers sometimes write only the citation number from a uniform citation, which is not the same as the file number; that mistake routes the petition to a citation file with no court record, and the clerk returns it unfiled. A common misconception is that the file number includes the courtroom or session number — it does not.
County
The County box, just below File No., asks where the charge was disposed.
Write the full county name in all capital letters with no abbreviation. Example: Maria Lopez writes MECKLENBURG because her DWI was dismissed in Mecklenburg County District Court.
If the case was transferred between counties, list the county that entered the final disposition order, because that is the only county whose clerk can sign the expunction. Filers often write the county where they live now, which is wrong; the petition then sits unfiled until the clerk catches the error. The form does not let you petition multiple counties in one filing — each county needs its own AOC-SP-600.
In The General Court Of Justice — Division
The form has two checkboxes for District Court Division and Superior Court Division in the caption.
Check the box that matches the court that disposed of the charge. Example: David Nguyen checks District Court Division because his misdemeanor shoplifting was dismissed in district court.
Felonies that ended in superior court go in the Superior Court Division box, even if they started in district court at first appearance. A common mistake is checking District for a felony because the case began there at probable cause; the clerk will reject because superior is the court of disposition. Some filers think you can check both — you cannot.
Name Of Petitioner
The Name Of Petitioner field is the first line under the caption.
Write the petitioner’s full legal name, last name first, exactly as it appeared on the charging document. Example: Aisha Brown writes BROWN, AISHA RENEE because that is the name on her dismissed assault charge.
If your legal name has changed since the charge — through marriage, divorce, or a Chapter 101 name change — list the name on the charging document here and put your current legal name in paragraph 1. The SBI matches by every name a person has used, and a mismatch leaves a “shadow” record under the old name. A misconception is that hyphenated last names should be split; keep the hyphen because the AOC’s database stores it that way.
Paragraph 1 — Petitioner’s Identifying Information
Paragraph 1 collects current name, date of birth, sex, race, and current address.
Type each field on its own line. Use the date format MM/DD/YYYY. Example: David Nguyen writes name DAVID HUY NGUYEN, date of birth 03/14/1995, sex MALE, race ASIAN, and current street address 412 Queens Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207.
A P.O. Box is not enough on its own, because the SBI mails confirmation to a physical address. List both if you only get mail at a P.O. Box. The single biggest mistake here is leaving “race” or “sex” blank because the filer feels the question is invasive; the SBI uses those fields to confirm a match against fingerprint records, and a blank field bounces the petition. A common misconception is that you can use a former address from when the charge was filed — the form asks for the petitioner’s current address.
Paragraph 2 — Statutory Basis Checkboxes
Paragraph 2 lists every subsection of § 15A-146 with a checkbox: (a), (a1), (a2), (a3), and (a4).
Check only one subsection that matches your fact pattern. Example: Maria Lopez checks (a) because she has one charge dismissed and no other expunctions on record.
Subsection (a) covers a single charge dismissed or “not guilty” with no prior expunction on record. Subsection (a1) covers multiple charges from the same session of court, all dismissed. Subsection (a2) covers all charges from the same arrest, even on different dates. Subsection (a4) is the newer “automatic-eligible” basis for dismissed charges entered after December 1, 2021. Picking the wrong subsection leads the judge to deny on the merits, even though a different subsection would have granted relief. A misconception is that (a1) requires the same charge — it requires the same court session.
Paragraph 3 — Charge(s) To Be Expunged
Paragraph 3 lists each offense, the file number, the offense date, the disposition, and the disposition date.
Use the offense name and statute exactly as they appear on the charging document, then list the file number again, the offense date, the disposition word (“Dismissed,” “Not Guilty,” “Dismissed With Leave”), and the date the disposition was entered. Example: Aisha Brown writes Simple Assault, G.S. 14-33(a); File No. 23 CR 011298; Offense Date 04/02/2023; Disposition: Dismissed; Disposition Date 09/15/2023.
If you have multiple charges, list each one on its own line — do not bundle two offenses into one row, even if they share a file number. The most common mistake is shortening the statute (writing “14-33” instead of “14-33(a)”), and the SBI then cannot match the charge to its database, leaving the original record intact. A misconception is that “Dismissed With Leave” is not eligible — it is, under § 15A-146(a) and (a4).
Paragraph 4 — Affidavit Of Good Conduct (Where Applicable)
Paragraph 4 is the affidavit paragraph that says the petitioner has not been convicted of a felony.
Sign the line if the paragraph applies to your subsection (it is required for some § 15A-146 grants and for any companion § 15A-145.5 filing). Example: David Nguyen signs the line because his county clerk requires it for any (a4) petition.
A felony conviction anywhere in the United States — not just North Carolina — disqualifies the affidavit. A common mistake is signing the affidavit while a felony case is still pending; “pending” is not “convicted,” but many clerks ask for an extra disclosure note. A misconception is that out-of-state misdemeanors count as felonies; they do not, but the verifying judge may ask.
Paragraph 5 — Prior Expunctions
Paragraph 5 asks whether the petitioner has ever received a prior expunction in any state.
Check Yes or No. Example: Maria Lopez checks No because she has never petitioned before.
If you check Yes, list the date, the county, and the file number of the prior expunction. § 15A-146(a) allows multiple expunctions of dismissals over time, but § 15A-145.5 (convictions) does not — and lying here is a Class 2 misdemeanor under § 15A-152. A common mistake is forgetting a juvenile expunction; juvenile expunctions still count for the disclosure even if they are sealed. A misconception is that out-of-state expunctions do not count — they do for the disclosure.
Paragraph 6 — Restitution Statement
Paragraph 6 asks if the petitioner owes restitution from the charge.
Check No for any dismissed or “not guilty” disposition, because no restitution can be ordered without a conviction. Example: Aisha Brown checks No because her assault charge was dismissed before any judgment was entered.
If a deferred prosecution agreement included restitution, attach proof of payment to the petition; an unpaid balance can stall the order. The most common mistake is checking Yes out of confusion with court costs paid as part of a 90-96 discharge — court costs are not restitution. A misconception is that any unpaid traffic fine bars an expunction; it does not, unless it was a court-ordered restitution figure.
Paragraph 7 — Verification And Signature
Paragraph 7 is the verification block at the bottom of page one.
Sign in front of a notary or the deputy clerk. Example: David Nguyen signs his full legal name in blue ink in front of the Mecklenburg deputy clerk, who acts as the notary at no charge.
Most clerks notarize verifications free for documents being filed in their court. The biggest mistake is signing the form at home before going to the clerk, which voids the verification — the notary must see the signature happen. A misconception is that a notary public from a UPS Store can sign a court verification in any format; it works only if the notary uses a formal acknowledgment block.
Order Section — Judge’s Findings And Decree
The bottom half of AOC-SP-600 is the Order. The petitioner does not complete this section, but you should still understand it.
The judge fills in findings of fact, checks the granted/denied box, signs, and dates. Example: The Honorable Judge Patel signs the Order on 11/02/2024 granting Maria Lopez’s expunction.
Some clerks ask the petitioner to type the case caption at the top of the Order section to save the judge’s chambers time. Do that only if your local rule allows it. The most common mistake on this half is the petitioner pre-filling the granted box, which the judge will scratch out and may treat as a sign of bad faith. A misconception is that you can appeal a denied order — § 15A-146 grants are discretionary, and there is no appeal of right, only a re-petition with new facts.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Each scenario follows one named filer through the entire form so you can see what to write in every major section. All three petitions used the Rev. 12/23 version.
Scenario 1 — David Nguyen, Single Dismissed Misdemeanor In Mecklenburg
David was charged with misdemeanor shoplifting in 2021. The store dropped the case before trial, and the prosecutor entered a voluntary dismissal in district court.
| Form Section | What David Enters |
|---|---|
| File No. | 21 CR 008412 |
| County | MECKLENBURG |
| Court Division | District Court Division (checked) |
| Name Of Petitioner | NGUYEN, DAVID HUY |
| Paragraph 1 — Identifying Info | DOB 03/14/1995, MALE, ASIAN, 412 Queens Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207 |
| Paragraph 2 — Basis | (a) checked |
| Paragraph 3 — Charge | Misdemeanor Larceny, G.S. 14-72(a); File 21 CR 008412; Offense 06/22/2021; Dismissed 10/04/2021 |
| Paragraph 5 — Prior Expunctions | No |
| Paragraph 6 — Restitution | No |
| Verification | Signed before Mecklenburg deputy clerk on 09/12/2024 |
Scenario 2 — Aisha Brown, Multiple Charges From One Arrest, All “Not Guilty” In Wake
Aisha was arrested in 2023 for simple assault and resisting an officer arising from the same incident. After a bench trial, the judge found her not guilty on both counts.
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| File No. | 23 CR 011298 |
| County | WAKE |
| Court Division | District Court Division (checked) |
| Name Of Petitioner | BROWN, AISHA RENEE |
| Paragraph 1 — Identifying Info | DOB 07/19/1990, FEMALE, BLACK, 1208 Oberlin Rd, Raleigh, NC 27605 |
| Paragraph 2 — Basis | (a2) checked — same arrest |
| Paragraph 3 — Charges | Simple Assault, G.S. 14-33(a); Resisting Public Officer, G.S. 14-223; both Not Guilty 09/15/2023 |
| Paragraph 5 — Prior Expunctions | No |
| Paragraph 6 — Restitution | No |
| Verification | Signed before notary at Wake clerk’s office on 10/01/2024 |
| Filing Channel | Filed through eCourts File & Serve, Wake County |
Scenario 3 — Maria Lopez, DWI Dismissed After Deferred Prosecution In Buncombe
Maria was charged with DWI in 2022. She entered a deferred prosecution agreement, completed substance abuse classes and 24 hours of community service, and the State dismissed the charge.
| Form Section | What Maria Enters |
|---|---|
| File No. | 22 CRS 003388 |
| County | BUNCOMBE |
| Court Division | Superior Court Division (checked) |
| Name Of Petitioner | LOPEZ, MARIA ELENA |
| Paragraph 1 — Identifying Info | DOB 11/08/1988, FEMALE, HISPANIC, 56 Haywood St Apt 4, Asheville, NC 28801 |
| Paragraph 2 — Basis | (a4) checked — dismissed after 12/01/2021 |
| Paragraph 3 — Charge | Driving While Impaired, G.S. 20-138.1; Offense 02/14/2022; Dismissed 06/30/2024 |
| Paragraph 4 — Affidavit Of Good Conduct | Signed |
| Paragraph 5 — Prior Expunctions | No |
| Paragraph 6 — Restitution | No (court costs paid) |
| Verification | Signed before Buncombe deputy clerk on 07/15/2024 |
How to File the Completed Form
Filing AOC-SP-600 happens through one of three channels: in person, by mail, or through the eCourts File & Serve portal. Every channel ends in the same place — the Clerk of Superior Court — but the steps differ.
For in-person filing, take the signed packet to the Clerk of Superior Court in the county of disposition during business hours, generally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is no filing fee under § 15A-146. Acceptable proof of identity is any government-issued photo ID. The clerk stamps a “Filed” date on your copy, which is your proof-of-filing; processing time runs 60 to 180 days. Keep the file-stamped copy in a safe place because the SBI will reference it.
For mail filing, send the original signed petition, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check for $0 (yes — many clerks want a $0 receipt to log the filing) to the same Clerk of Superior Court. Use certified mail with return receipt; the green card is your proof-of-filing. Processing runs 90 to 240 days because the clerk must docket the petition before sending it to a judge. Wake, Mecklenburg, and Durham generally do not accept mailed petitions any longer because they are eCourts counties.
For eCourts filing, log into File & Serve, select the county, choose “Expunction Petition,” upload the signed AOC-SP-600 PDF, and click submit. There is no fee, but the portal generates an “envelope number” that is your proof-of-filing. Processing time in eCourts counties is faster — typically 30 to 90 days — because the petition routes electronically to the assigned judge.
The clerk also forwards a copy to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation so the SBI can verify there is no disqualifying history. The SBI’s check usually adds 30 to 60 days to the timeline. Keep your phone on, because a clerk’s office calling about a missing field is the single fastest way to know your petition is moving.
What Happens After You File
Once filed, the petition goes to the District Attorney for the county of disposition. Under § 15A-146(b), the DA has the right to object, although objections to dismissed-charge petitions are rare. Most petitions move from clerk to DA to judge without a hearing.
Next, the SBI runs a record check using your name, date of birth, Social Security number, and any aliases. If the SBI finds a disqualifying entry — for instance, a felony conviction that bars the affidavit — it returns a “Not Eligible” memo, and the judge denies the petition. If you are eligible, the SBI returns a “Eligible” memo, and the case lands on the judge’s desk for signature.
After the judge signs, the clerk mails or e-mails the certified order to the petitioner, the DA, the SBI, the original arresting agency, and the AOC’s expunction unit. The clerk then expunges the case from public dockets. Under § 15A-151, the AOC keeps a confidential file accessible only to courts, prosecutors, and a small list of licensing boards.
The full cycle, from filing to final purge, runs anywhere from three to nine months depending on the county and the channel. Background-check companies can take another 30 to 90 days to refresh their data, so do not panic if a private background check still shows the charge a month after the order. Send certified copies of the order to any company that still reports the charge, citing § 15A-152 and the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
Form errors are the number-one reason petitions stall. Avoid these specific traps.
- Writing the citation number instead of the file number, which routes the petition to a non-existent file.
- Checking the wrong subsection of § 15A-146, which leads to a denial on the wrong-basis ground.
- Listing offenses by nickname (for example, “shoplifting”) instead of by exact statutory name, which leaves the SBI unable to match the charge.
- Leaving Race or Sex blank, which the SBI treats as an incomplete petition.
- Skipping aliases, which leaves a “shadow” record under the missed name.
- Using a P.O. Box only, which the SBI flags as undeliverable.
- Pre-signing the verification before reaching the notary, which voids the oath.
- Filing in the county of residence instead of the county of disposition, which the clerk returns unfiled.
- Filling in the Order section, which the judge treats as an attempt to draft your own court order.
- Submitting an outdated revision (06/20 or 12/21), which most eCourts counties auto-reject.
- Forgetting to attach a certified disposition copy, which adds 30 to 60 days while the clerk pulls it from the court file.
- Using AOC-SP-905M for a dismissal, which is the wrong form entirely and leads to a six-month dead end.
Do’s and Don’ts
A short list of behaviors that separate clean filings from rejected ones.
- Do download the latest Rev. 12/23 PDF every time, because field labels move between revisions.
- Do call the clerk’s office to confirm whether your county is on eCourts, because rules change quarterly.
- Do keep a file-stamped copy of every page, because the SBI sometimes asks for a re-send.
- Do list every alias, because the SBI will not infer them.
- Do sign in blue or black ink only, because some clerks reject other colors.
- Do notarize at the clerk’s window for free, because outside notaries sometimes use the wrong block.
- Don’t skip the offense date, because eligibility under (a4) hinges on it.
- Don’t combine two charges into one row, because the SBI matches charge-by-charge.
- Don’t mail to a Wake or Mecklenburg clerk, because eCourts counties reject paper.
- Don’t lie on the prior-expunction question, because false statements are a Class 2 misdemeanor.
- Don’t fill in the Order section, because the judge alone signs that half.
- Don’t assume “Dismissed With Leave” is final, because the State can reopen it within two years.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Filing pro se works well for many people, but a lawyer’s eye saves time on complex records. Compare the two paths before choosing.
- Pro — Pro Se Saves Money. § 15A-146 has no filing fee, so an unrepresented filer pays nothing.
- Pro — Pro Se Is Fast When The Record Is Simple. A single dismissed charge takes 20 minutes to draft.
- Pro — Clerks Help With Form Mechanics. Most clerks will point out a blank field at the counter.
- Pro — Free Clinics Bridge The Gap. Legal Aid of North Carolina runs expunction clinics in every district.
- Pro — Self-Filing Builds Knowledge. The same skills carry over to later expunctions of new dismissals.
- Con — Lawyers Catch Subsection Errors. A wrong (a) versus (a4) is invisible to most filers.
- Con — Multiple Counties Multiply Mistakes. A lawyer keeps the timeline straight when three counties are involved.
- Con — DWI And Drug Cases Add Layers. Deferred prosecution and 90-96 discharges have unique paperwork.
- Con — Background Check Cleanup Is Labor-Intensive. A lawyer’s letter to private vendors moves faster than a citizen’s.
- Con — Pro Se Filers Rarely Spot Disqualifiers. A pending felony elsewhere can quietly sink a petition.
Filing Channel Comparison
The choice of filing channel changes the timeline more than any other factor.
| Filing Detail | In-Person, Mail, Or eCourts |
|---|---|
| Fee | No fee under § 15A-146 |
| Proof Of Filing | Stamped copy, certified mail green card, or eCourts envelope number |
| Average Processing Time | 60–180 days in person, 90–240 days by mail, 30–90 days via eCourts |
| Acceptable Counties | All 100 counties accept in person; eCourts is live in pilot counties |
| Notary Requirement | Free at clerk’s window in person; outside notary needed for mail; e-notary accepted in eCourts |
| Risk Of Rejection | Lowest in person; highest by mail |
FAQs
Is there a filing fee for AOC-SP-600?
No. Petitions filed under § 15A-146 for dismissals or “not guilty” verdicts carry no filing fee in any of North Carolina’s 100 counties.
Can I expunge a charge that was dismissed years ago?
Yes. § 15A-146 has no time limit on dismissed charges, so a 1995 dismissal qualifies the same as a 2024 dismissal as long as no conviction followed.
Do I write my maiden name or married name on the Name of Petitioner line?
No to current name. Use the name on the original charging document and list your current name in Paragraph 1 so the SBI can match every record.
Should I write the citation number in the File No. box?
No. The File No. is the court file number assigned at first appearance, not the uniform citation number written by the officer at the scene.
What if I do not know my disposition date?
No filing yet — call the clerk’s office in the county of disposition to read it off the file before you fill in Paragraph 3, because the date drives eligibility under (a4).
Can I file one petition for charges in two counties?
No. Each county of disposition needs its own AOC-SP-600 because only the clerk of that county can route the petition to its DA and judge.
Do I check (a) or (a4) for a 2023 dismissal?
Yes to (a4) when the dismissal was entered after December 1, 2021, because the legislature created (a4) to streamline newer dismissals; (a) still works as a fallback.
Is “Dismissed With Leave” eligible?
Yes. Dismissed With Leave qualifies under § 15A-146, although the State technically retains the right to reopen for two years; clerks still process the petition.
Do I sign the Order section?
No. The Order is signed by the judge alone, and pre-filling it can be treated as an improper attempt to draft a court order.
Will an expunction show up on a federal background check?
No in most cases. Federal databases pull from the NCIC, and a granted § 15A-146 order requires the SBI to purge its NCIC entries, although private vendors may lag for 30–90 days.
Can I expunge a DWI dismissal?
Yes. A dismissed DWI is eligible under § 15A-146 because the bar is on convictions, not charges, and the offense statute does not exclude DWI from dismissal-based expunctions.
Do I need an attorney?
No. § 15A-146 petitions are designed for pro se filers, and most clerks help with form mechanics, although an attorney is worth the cost for multi-county or felony-adjacent records.
What if the SBI says I am ineligible?
No appeal of right exists, but you can re-petition once you cure the disqualifier (for instance, after a separate expunction clears the conviction the SBI flagged).
How long until private background checks update?
Yes, expect 30 to 90 days after the order. Send certified copies of the order to each vendor and cite § 15A-152 and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out North Carolina Form AOC-CV-100 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out North Carolina Form AOC-CV-101 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out North Carolina Form AOC-CV-304 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out North Carolina Form AOC-CV-318 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out North Carolina Form AOC-CV-622 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out North Carolina Form AOC-SP-602 (w/Examples) + FAQs