Cases such as Driving under the Influence (DUI), even if they are misdemeanor, will appear in your criminal record. This is practically detrimental to your current life and future endeavors, especially if you are not guilty of the offense in the first place. To help you, here is an article that talks about how long Nevada DUI records stay and what you can do legally about it.
Length of stay of Nevada DUI records
Contrary to popular belief, arrests also go to your criminal record, not just when you are convicted of DUI. Disheartening as it can be, this is required to provide a clear rundown of your background to anyone who wants to check it. Yes, criminal records can be of public access and unless you seal certain records, bad ones will affect your job applications, loan requests, and even college entrances.
For a misdemeanor DUI offense which is usually the first and second violation, the DUI could stay on record for as long as seven years after the case has ended. Even when acquitted, a DUI arrest could stay on your record forever as convictions are the only ones that can be sealed, not the arrests.
Getting a job with Nevada DUI records
As stated before, a Nevada DUI record could prove unfavorable to your attempts of moving on after the arrest or conviction.
One of the sectors in your life it could greatly affect are job applications. Employers usually perform background checks on their applicants to ensure they are not hiring people with a criminal past. However, there are some companies that provide a leeway if your charges are not severe or if you have disclosed it right from the start. Should you disclose an arrest or a conviction? If it is required by the company, you should and even if it is not, it is of your best interest to reveal your DUI background as there are companies who value honesty.
Sealing a Nevada DUI record
The solution to your DUI background being a hindrance to particular situations is record sealing. You can seal Nevada DUI records where the documentation will be concealed from public access. In short, your employer will not see your DUI arrest or conviction. Take note that sealing is different from expunging. Sealing is just hiding the records from potential onlookers while expunging is the complete erasure of your records. Currently, expunging does not exist in the State of Nevada.
Now, how do you seal a Nevada DUI record? It might not be as easy as you think. First, you need to wait out several years before you can submit an application for the sealing. For misdemeanor DUI, there needs to be seven years after the case had ended. That is roughly 14 years of having the DUI in your criminal record. When the DUI is of felony charges because of it being your third DUI in seven years, there might not be a chance of the criminal record being sealed. The same goes for DUI with death or with injury. A DUI acquittal means there is no waiting time that you should endure and you can record seal any time.
A record sealing might take two to four months depending on the precision of the application.
You must think a DUI is only a minor offense but its repercussions could be catastrophic. Avoid these dilemmas by having a Las Vegas DUI attorney—a reputable one should help keep your record clean and could also help you on sealing Nevada DUI records. However, the other best thing to fully prevent these legal troubles is not committing the DUI offense in the outset.