US EditionClean Slate Act: New Illinois Law Empowers Ex-Offenders with Automatic Record Sealing
The law will automatically seal records for about 1.7 million Illinois adults with nonviolent convictions, aiming to boost employment and reduce recidivism by 2029.
- On Jan. 16, 2026, Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 1836, the Clean Slate Act, in Chicago, making over 1.7 million Illinois adults eligible for automatic sealing of nonviolent records.
- Business and advocacy groups pushed for automation after years of proposals, with advocates saying only 10% of eligible people previously applied for sealing and support from groups like the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and Illinois Manufacturers Association last year.
- Under the law, circuit clerks must seal electronically held records within 90 days of notice from Illinois State Police, which will automate sealing in three waves from 1970 to 2028 by Jan. 1, 2034.
- Sealing will make records unavailable to the public while law enforcement and relevant agencies retain access; supporters say the law will expand access to jobs, housing and education and a state task force will oversee implementation for five years.
- Opponents also pointed to implementation costs estimated at $18 million, with Republican lawmakers objecting to drug-test removal and the bill passing 80-26 in the House and 39-17 in the Senate.
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13 Articles
Democrats love criminals - Gov. Pritzker signs new law sealing criminal records · American Wire News
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is under fire for signing a new law that seals some criminal records. The controversial law, called The Clean Slate Act, will “require law enforcement agencies and circuit clerks to begin systematically sealing eligible criminal records by 2029,” according to ABC7. This streamlines the process under existing law, which has allowed qualifying non-violent offenders to apply to seal their records. “Of the 2.2 million I…
Gov. Pritzker Signed Clean Slate Law Sealing Criminal Records
JB Pritzker signed the Clean Slate Act into law, which means so-called non-violent criminals can live next door to you, get a teaching or nursing degree, and work anywhere. So, if you are arrested 50 times for drugs or not paying your bills, no one will know, and you will be treated as a first-time […] The post Gov. Pritzker Signed Clean Slate Law Sealing Criminal Records appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.
2 million Illinois residents could have convictions for nonviolent crimes automatically sealed under new law
An estimated 2 million Illinois residents who’ve served their sentences for nonviolent offenses will become eligible to have their state criminal records automatically sealed from public view beginning in 2029, under the so-called Clean Slate measure Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law Friday. Following the lead of a dozen other states, Illinois will automate the byzantine process of sealing records that can stand in the way of people obtaining job…
Pritzker signs ‘Clean Slate’ act to help those with nonviolent criminal records
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