By Vanguard Staff
OAKLAND, CA – California expunged nearly one million old conviction records in 2024 under laws designed to give millions of residents a second chance, according to new data from the state Department of Justice.
The data show that 929,322 old conviction records were permanently cleared last year under Assembly Bill 1076 and Senate Bill 731—landmark laws aimed at reducing long-term barriers to employment, housing and education. These expungements represent a significant milestone in efforts to dismantle the collateral consequences of past convictions.
“It should be good news to all Californians that the state continues to make inroads on expunging old conviction records that for too long have served only to undermine the safety of our communities by preventing folks from moving forward and contributing to society,” said Tinisch Hollins, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice, which co-sponsored both bills.
Under the law, individuals must have completed their full sentence, including the payment of fines and fees, and remain free from further contact with the justice system for four years in order to qualify for expungement.
AB 1076, authored by then-Assemblymember Phil Ting and signed into law in 2019, enabled automatic expungement for certain misdemeanor and non-prison felony convictions. SB 731, authored by Sen. María Elena Durazo and signed in 2022, expanded this relief to include many prison felonies and created a pathway for those with more serious convictions to petition a judge for expungement.
An estimated eight million Californians—one in five adults—live with a past conviction or record. These individuals face nearly 5,000 legal restrictions in California alone, 73 percent of which are permanent and many of which affect employment. Nationally, more than 70 million Americans face similar restrictions, despite many never having served time or having lived crime-free for years or even decades.
Hollins emphasized the connection between expungement and broader public safety goals.
“After someone has completed their sentence and paid their debts, we cannot continue to allow old legal records to create barriers to opportunity that destabilize families, undermine our economy and leave us all less safe,” she said.
Supporters say these laws are already delivering benefits not only for impacted individuals but for the broader economy. California loses an estimated $20 billion in gross domestic product annually due to the underemployment and unemployment of people with old records. By removing barriers to work and housing, expungement is seen as a direct investment in workforce development and economic stability.
A 2023 national survey of people with old conviction records found that most had experienced economic hardship as a result, nearly all had been victims of crime who lacked support afterward, and many had faced serious crises prior to their arrests.
“Expunging old conviction records is an investment in both public safety and the California economy,” Hollins said.
