Are juvenile records automatically sealed in Georgia?
Only in some situations. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-11-701(a), upon dismissal of a petition or completion of an informal adjustment, “the court shall order the sealing”. After an adjudication, (b) requires an application or the court’s own motion, a hearing, and findings: two years since final discharge, no later felony or moral-turpitude misdemeanor conviction or new adjudication, nothing pending, and rehabilitation.
Confidential versus sealed
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Restricted access | Most of the public can't get it; §§ 15-11-701, 15-11-703 |
| Sealed | Treated as if it didn't happen, for most purposes |
| Destroyed | Rules allow some destruction after retention |
Steps
- Get the case number and the disposition.
- Calculate the two-year date from discharge.
- File a motion with the juvenile court, or ask the court to act.
- Give notice to the prosecutor.
- Attend any hearing.
- Send the order to agencies.
Limits
- Serious designated felonies and adult transfers may be excluded, or come with limits.
- Any case in superior court follows adult rules.
- Sex offender registration can be separate.
- An out-of-state agency’s copy may not be removed.
- Private data sellers aren’t bound by the order until told.
Effect
Under § 15-11-701(e), “the proceeding shall be treated as if it had never occurred”, and the person and agencies “shall properly reply that no record exists”. Military and security clearance forms may specifically ask, so a lawyer can advise.
Delinquency isn’t conviction
Section 15-11-606 says that an adjudication isn’t a conviction. It’s a separate rule from sealing. Some employers’ forms ask about “adjudications,” and honesty matters, since a false answer might be used against you.
Adult restrictions
If a matter later became adult, O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 is a different process. Restriction and sealing there have their own terms. An offender treated under the First Offender Act has another path.
Cost
The clerk may charge fees. Legal aid or juvenile public defenders may help with this. Ask the court’s clerk what form to use.
Why it matters
Jobs, college, housing, and military service may ask about records. A sealed record is safer than an unsealed one, though it isn’t an absolute shield.
Who may ask
The juvenile, the juvenile’s parent, or the juvenile’s lawyer. The court can also act on its own, as the section says. Ask for a certified copy of any order, and keep it.
General information about Georgia law as of November 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.