Search FAQ

*To return to the full list of FAQs, please clear the search bar.

General Information

Fresh Start is a record screening and sealing program for eligible, low-income individuals with criminal history in Harris County. The second-chance program helps people move forward after involvement with the criminal justice system by sealing their eligible records and connecting them to key support services.
Anyone who meets the following criteria can register for free eligibility screening:
  • Must have a Harris County criminal record (traffic tickets are not eligible)
  • Must be able to attend the event (attendance is required for eligible participants)
  • Must not have previously registered for and attended Fresh Start in the past two years
Note: Services are available to eligible participants who meet income requirements.
Fresh Start Record Screening and Sealing is held four times a year at the Harris County Jury Plaza, 1201 Congress St. in downtown Houston. Online registration is required. Find upcoming dates and times: www.ccl.hctx.net/calendar.html.
Fresh Start is offered by the Harris County Criminal Courts at Law and B.A.Y.O.U. City Community Court in partnership with the Harris County Public Defender’s Office, Harris County Criminal District Courts, Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, and Harris County Constable Precinct 1.
Texas law provides two ways to seal a criminal record:
  • Nondisclosure seals your criminal record from public view. ¬You don’t have to disclose it publicly – on job or housing applications, for example – but certain state and federal agencies can still see it.
  • Expunction completely erases the arrest or charge. This is only available for charges that have been dismissed, no-billed by a grand jury, or ended in a not-guilty verdict at trial.
Even if a case is dismissed, an arrest or charge can still appear on a person's record — making it harder to find a job, rent an apartment, pursue higher education, access financial aid, or obtain a professional license. Sealing records helps remove these barriers. When people can meet their basic needs and build stable lives, it strengthens families and reduces the likelihood of repeat offenses, making Harris County communities safer for everyone.

Registration

Go to www.ccl.hctx.net/FreshStart.htm and click the 'Registration' button. From there, you’ll answer three quick qualifying questions. If you qualify, you’ll be redirected to the registration form. Registration is only open during designated periods: www.ccl.hctx.net/calendar.html.

Important: Opening the form does not reserve your place in line. You must submit the form to secure a screening slot. If all slots fill before you’re able to complete your form, you will see an error or 'Registration is Closed' message.

Registration opens at noon on designated days: www.ccl.hctx.net/calendar.html.
Very fast. Thousands of people often try to register at the same time for just a few hundred slots. This means registration can fill within seconds of opening.

Yes! Sign up for Fresh Start email and text reminders: https://bit.ly/FreshStartAlerts.

Note: Reminder sign-ups are separate from event registration. Subscribing to Fresh Start alerts does not register you for Fresh Start.

If you register successfully, you will be redirected to a registration confirmation page and receive a confirmation email. Save or print your confirmation number or email, as you may need them to access services. If you do not get a confirmation number, your registration did not go through. You’ll need to try again during an upcoming registration period.

Eligibility results will be emailed to you no later than the week of the event. Check your email inbox and spam/junk folders regularly. If you have not received an update by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday immediately before the event, email FreshStart@ccl.hctx.net with your name, date of birth, and confirmation number. Requests sent before this time will not be processed.

Note: If you did not receive your eligibility results and could not reach the Fresh Start team before the event, you may attend to receive your results in person. Status updates will not be provided after the event. If you are eligible but do not attend, you will need to re-register for a future event.

No. We don’t have a waiting list or don’t allow walk-ins.
No. Registration is only available online at the designated time.
No. Email and text updates are separate from event registration. You must register to be screened.

Registration Technical Issues

Registration opens at noon on designated days. You cannot access the form before this time.
  • If you click the ‘Registration’ button prior to this time, you will be redirected to a 'Registration opens soon' page.
  • If you click it after registration is full, you will be redirected to a ‘Registration is full’ page.
Note: You may need to refresh the page right at noon to access the newly linked form.
No. Thousands of people try to register at the same time for just a few hundred slots, which means registration can fill within seconds. If you see this message, you will need to try again next time.

Eligibility

Eligibility is determined by state law. Specific requirements and mandatory waiting periods vary significantly depending on the criminal charge. After you register, Fresh Start legal partners will review your Harris County criminal records over the next two weeks to determine eligibility. If you are not eligible under state law, Fresh Start cannot seal your records.

Note: Traffic tickets are not eligible for Fresh Start, regardless of disposition.

No. You must register online to have your records screened.
No. Eligibility is determined by Texas state law. If you are not legally eligible, your records cannot be sealed.
Yes. Certain charges cannot be expunged or sealed, no matter how long ago they occurred. In Texas, eligibility is based on the disposition of the case, and each case must be reviewed to determine eligibility.
Yes. You must attend the event in person to receive record sealing services. Do not register unless you can commit to attending the event. If you are eligible but do not attend, you will need to re-register for an upcoming event.
No. Fresh Start only reviews Harris County criminal records. Records from other counties and states don’t qualify for this program.
No. Active cases cannot be sealed. Criminal records cannot be sealed until the case is closed and any mandatory waiting periods are completed.

Help

Our legal partners are processing eligible records. It takes about 180 days — either from the date you attended Fresh Start or the date your case(s) become eligible — for your case to be assigned. Once your case is assigned, the court process begins. You’ll get an email when it’s assigned and another when the process is complete.

Note: Emails do not come from FreshStart@ccl.hctx.net. They are sent by our legal partners. Please keep an eye on your inbox and spam/junk folders and check your voicemails, as legal partners sometimes reach out by phone.

If your question isn’t covered here, you can email FreshStart@ccl.hctx.net. Please include your name and specific questions in the email. You will receive a response within three business days. Note: If your question is already answered in the FAQs, you may not receive an individualized response.
Yes. If you can’t attend Fresh Start, you can access self-help legal resources at www.clearyourrecordharriscounty.org and www.texaslawhelp.org. You can also look for similar record sealing events held by other community organizations.