Michigan Expungement Lawyer | Overcome with Coontz Law

Years after your case closed, the record is still there. It shows up on a background check before a job offer in Ann Arbor, on a landlord’s screening before a lease in Grand Rapids, or on a license application before a career move in Detroit. You paid what the court asked. You moved on. The system didn’t.

Coontz Law knows how much weight an old conviction can carry long after the sentence ends, so we guide you through clearing your record under Michigan law, one step at a time, until that chapter stops following you into rooms it has no business being in.

Michigan Record Expungement

Clear Your Record & Reclaim Your Future

A past mistake on your criminal record shouldn’t stop you from securing a job, renting an apartment, or advancing your career. Under Michigan’s expanded expungement laws, more people than ever are eligible to clear misdemeanors, first-time OWIs, and certain non-violent felonies off their public records.

How soon can you apply in Michigan?

3 Years: Most non-serious misdemeanors
5 Years: First-offense OWIs, serious misdemeanors, or 1 felony
7 Years: Multiple felonies (up to 3 total)

At Coontz Law, we treat you with the respect and understanding you deserve. While Michigan’s automatic system clears some records after long waiting periods, petitioning through the court can clean your record much faster.

Check Your Expungement Eligibility

What Does a Michigan Expungement Lawyer Do?

A lawyer who assists with expungements (called “setting aside” a conviction) in Michigan handles applications and hearings and can also help ensure that convictions that should be automatically cleared are actually cleared.

Could Your Record Already Be Clean Without Filing Anything?

Yes. Some Michigan convictions are automatically set aside after enough time has passed, so your first step is to check your record before filing anything. Eligibility depends on the maximum punishment authorized for the offense, the time elapsed, and other statutory requirements.

Under Michigan’s Clean Slate laws, eligible misdemeanors can generally be automatically set aside after seven years. Eligible felonies can be automatically set aside ten years after sentencing or the completion of a prison term, whichever is later.

The automatic system can clear up to two eligible felonies and up to four eligible misdemeanors that were punishable by 93 days or more in prison. Eligible misdemeanors that were punishable by not more than 92 days are not subject to the four-misdemeanor cap.

Automatic does not mean every old conviction goes away. Some offenses are excluded, and records might not look the way you expect.

Which Convictions Can You Ask a Michigan Court to Set Aside?

If a conviction is not eligible for automatic relief, you may still be able to apply to the court where the conviction occurred. For application-based expungement in Michigan, the law generally allows:

Up to three felony convictions in a lifetime,
An unlimited number of misdemeanor convictions,
No more than two convictions for assaultive crimes, and
No more than one felony conviction for the same offense if that offense is punishable by more than 10 years.

For purposes of the set-aside limits, some felony or misdemeanor convictions arising from the same incident and occurring within 24 hours are treated as one conviction, although important exceptions apply.

The waiting period for an application is generally seven years for multiple felonies, five years for one felony or certain serious misdemeanors, and three years for most other misdemeanors. A new conviction during that period can delay eligibility.

Expungement eligibility gets messy fast. Two people with convictions that sound almost identical can get different answers because of the offense, sentence, timing, or how several charges arose.

What Can Keep an Old Conviction from Being Expunged?

Some convictions cannot be set aside at all. Michigan excludes categories that include felonies punishable by life imprisonment, several criminal sexual conduct offenses, certain child abuse and child sexual abuse material offenses, some human-trafficking offenses, and particular traffic offenses.

That is why “my case is 15 years old” is not enough to answer the eligibility question.

Other convictions have special rules. A qualifying first-offense operating while intoxicated (OWI) may be set aside after five years if it did not involve injury or death, but later OWI convictions are excluded.

What Does a Michigan Expungement Application Actually Require?

If you apply to set aside a conviction, your case returns to the court where it happened. Whether it was in Lansing, Eaton County, Clinton County, Shiawassee County, Livingston County, or another part of Michigan, the original court file is important.

The application process generally requires you to:

Review your criminal history and identify the convictions you want set aside,
Obtain certified records from the convicting court,
Complete fingerprinting and the required application,
File the application and send copies to the required agencies, and
Attend a hearing where the judge decides whether to grant the request.

Being eligible means you are allowed to ask. It does not mean the judge has to say yes. The judge must decide whether your circumstances and behavior since the conviction warrant relief and whether setting it aside is consistent with the public welfare.

Why Hire a Lawyer If Michigan Lets You File on Your Own?

You are not legally required to hire a lawyer for a Michigan expungement application. Plenty of people file on their own. We would rather tell you that plainly than pretend otherwise.

An attorney can be useful when eligibility is unclear or when you just do not want to manage the process yourself. We can identify convictions already set aside, calculate waiting periods, spot exclusions, organize the filing, and prepare you for the hearing.

A Michigan expungement lawyer can also help explain what forms cannot show—how your life has changed since the conviction, and why you meet the legal standard.

What Does Coontz Law Actually Do in an Expungement Case?

Second-chance work is not a side project here. It is a major reason Coontz Law exists.

These cases are detail-heavy, so we built a process around getting the details right.

We check your record before making any promises. If we see a problem, we’ll let you know. We handle the paperwork, agency submissions, and court requirements so you do not have to figure it out on your own. Because client care is everybody’s job here, you should know what is happening and what we need from you.

A second chance matters too much for vague answers.

Ready to Find Out What Can Come off Your Record?

You do not need another speech about how your past does not define you. You need to know what Michigan law allows and whether taking action now makes sense.

With the right legal support, you can remove the barriers holding you back and embrace new opportunities. At Coontz Law, we’re here to help you turn the page and start a new chapter.

Schedule a case review, and we’ll help you handle your application if court action is required.

Additional Questions About Expungement in Michigan

Can I Apply for a Michigan Expungement If I Live in Another State?

Yes. You can apply to have a Michigan conviction set aside even if you no longer live in Michigan. The application still goes to the Michigan court where you were convicted, and out-of-state applicants follow different fingerprint procedures.

Does Expungement Remove a Traffic Conviction from My Driving Record?

Not always. A qualifying traffic conviction might be removed from your public criminal record, but it will stay on your driving record with the Michigan Secretary of State. If your main concern is your driving privileges, expungement and license restoration are separate issues.

What Happens If the Judge Denies My Application?

If the court denies your application, you generally must wait three years to file another petition concerning the same conviction unless the court allows an earlier filing date in its denial order. Before filing again, it helps to understand why the first request failed and what has changed.

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