Welcome to Records Removal Services! We assist people with securing an expungement, seal, or pardon followed by criminal database updates, or criminal database updates for people who already have a court-ordered seal or expungement. Current laws allow your criminal records to be visible to everyone resulting in the loss of jobs, housing, and credit opportunities.

Rhode Island Expungement:  "Expungement of records and records of conviction" means the sealing and retention of all records of a conviction and/or probation and the removal from active files of all records and information relating to conviction and/or probation. G.S. § 12-1.3-1

In Rhode Island, criminal records may only be expunged under the following circumstances: 

1. A person arrested for a criminal offense after there has been an acquittal, dismissal, no true bill, no information, or the person has been otherwise exonerated from the offense with which he or she is charged, as long as the person has no previous felony convictions. G.S. § 12-1-12   2. A person detained by police, but not arrested or charged with an offense, or to persons against whom charges have been filed by the court, and the period of such filing has expired. G.S. § 12-1-12   3. Any person who has been charged with a complaint for a crime involving domestic violence where the complaint was filed upon a plea of not guilty, guilty or nolo contendere, must wait three years from the date of filing to seek expungement of the related records. G.S. § 12-1-12   Waiting Periods:  For expungement of records of conviction, the person must be a first offender not convicted of a crime of violence. "Crime of violence" includes murder, manslaughter, first degree arson, kidnapping with intent to extort, robbery, larceny from the person, first degree sexual assault, second degree sexual assault, first and second degree child molestation, assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to rob, assault with intent to commit first degree sexual assault, burglary, and entering a dwelling house with intent to commit murder, robbery, sexual assault, or larceny.      A person is eligible if in the five (5) years preceding the filing of the motion, if the conviction was for a misdemeanor.      A person is eligible ten (10) years preceding the filing of the motion if the conviction was for a felony, the petitioner has not been convicted nor arrested for any felony or misdemeanor, there are no criminal proceedings pending against the person, and he or she has exhibited good moral character.

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Pardon:  The power to pardon (except in cases of impeachment) is vested in the Governor, "by and with the advice and consent of the Senate." R.I. Const. art. 9, § 13.  Whether federal felons are eligible for a gubernatorial pardon has not been settled in Rhode Island.      Conviction of a felony (without a pardon) may be grounds for revoking or refusing to issue a professional license. Examples Include: Private Investigator (R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-5-3(2)); Private Security Guard Business (§ 5-5.1-8(a)(3)); Pharmacist (§ 5-19-18); Veterinarian (§ 5-25-14(1)). Rhode Island has a registration requirement for sex offenders. R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-37-16