Houston Expunction & Non-Disclosure Attorney
Clear Your Record. Reclaim Your Future.

An arrest record can follow you for life — even if you were never convicted. Texas law gives eligible people a path to erase or seal that record. Brent Chapell can tell you whether you qualify and handle the entire process.

Find Out If You Qualify

Why Your Record Matters

An arrest record — even for a charge that was dismissed, resulted in acquittal, or never led to a conviction — is a public record. It shows up on background checks run by employers, landlords, and licensing boards. Texas law provides two distinct remedies for people who qualify: expunction and orders of nondisclosure. Understanding which remedy applies requires a close analysis of how the case was resolved.

Brent handles expunctions and nondisclosure petitions for clients across Harris County and the surrounding areas. He has seen how an old arrest record can close doors years after the underlying matter was resolved — and he knows how to pursue the legal remedy that fits each client's situation.

Expunction: Erasing the Record Entirely

An expunction, if granted, requires all government agencies and private entities to destroy records of the arrest. After an expunction, you may legally deny that the arrest ever occurred. This is the most complete remedy Texas law offers.

Who Qualifies for Expunction

Expunction is available in limited circumstances. The most common situations include:

  • The charge was dismissed and the applicable waiting period has passed
  • You were acquitted at trial
  • You were convicted and later pardoned
  • You were arrested but never charged, and the statute of limitations has run
  • Certain juvenile records under specific conditions

Expunction is generally not available if you were convicted — even if you completed probation successfully. The waiting periods and eligibility rules are specific and technical. An attorney review is the only reliable way to determine whether you qualify.

Order of Nondisclosure: Sealing the Record

An order of nondisclosure does not destroy the record — it seals it from public access. Government agencies retain the information, but private background check companies are prohibited from disclosing it. After an order of nondisclosure is granted, you may in most circumstances deny the arrest to private employers and landlords.

Nondisclosure is generally available to people who successfully completed deferred adjudication probation without a conviction. It is not available for all offenses — certain serious offenses are excluded by statute regardless of how probation was completed.

First-Time DWI Nondisclosure (SB 1902)

Texas law now allows some people convicted of a first-offense DWI — not just those who completed deferred adjudication — to petition for an order of nondisclosure, subject to a waiting period and other requirements. If you have a first DWI conviction and have completed your sentence, you may qualify. Brent can evaluate your eligibility and handle the petition.

The Process

Both expunctions and nondisclosure petitions require filing in the court where the case was handled, serving all relevant agencies, and appearing at a hearing if required. The process is not difficult with the right attorney, but procedural errors can result in denial or delay. Brent handles the entire process — from eligibility review through final order.

Board Certified. Former Prosecutor. Your Defense Attorney.

Brent Chapell is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He handles expunctions and nondisclosure petitions efficiently and without unnecessary cost. If you want to know whether you qualify, the best step is a direct conversation with Brent.

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HOUSTON Expunctions & Record Clearing

Record Clearance

An arrest record follows you even when the case ended in your favor. Texas law provides two main tools — expunction and orders of nondisclosure — to clear or seal eligible records. The first question is always eligibility.

  • Board Certified

    Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

  • Former Appellate Chief

    Chief of the Appellate Division, Montgomery County DA's Office — 200+ criminal appeals and habeas writs

  • Former Federal Prosecutor

    Appellate Division, U.S. Attorney's Office, S.D. Texas — 80+ Fifth Circuit appeals and writs

  • Court Admissions

    State Bar of Texas · U.S. District Court, S.D. Texas · Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals · U.S. Supreme Court

A Clean Start

Expunction vs. Nondisclosure — Two Different Tools

An expunction erases eligible records — typically arrests that did not lead to conviction, dismissals, and certain other outcomes — as if the event never occurred. An order of nondisclosure seals eligible records from public view while keeping them available to certain government entities.

Eligibility is technical: it depends on the offense, the outcome, and timing requirements. Many people are eligible and never act; others assume they qualify and don’t. A records review answers it definitively.

This is also why how a pending case resolves matters so much — the difference between outcomes that preserve eligibility and outcomes that foreclose it forever is a defense-strategy decision, not an afterthought.

Find Out If Your Record Can Be Cleared

Eligibility review is straightforward and the consultation is free. Stop letting an old arrest answer for you.

(713) 496-2221 · Free consultation · brent@chapell-law.com