For anyone who has carried a felony conviction, the word itself does a great deal of damage. It appears on forms, in searches, and in conversations that were supposed to be about the future rather than the past. In Columbus and across Franklin County, people who finished their sentences years ago often find that one old case still speaks for them before they get a chance to speak for themselves.
The frustration is rarely about the original penalty. That was served, the supervision ended, and the fines were paid in full. What lingers is the way a closed felony keeps resurfacing at the worst possible moment, on a job application or a lease, long after a person has built a steady life.
Ohio law has grown more willing to clear these records, and the question most people actually ask is a practical one: does my case qualify? This guide walks through which felonies can be sealed or expunged in Franklin County, which ones cannot, how long you have to wait, and what the process looks like in the county’s Common Pleas Court.
Can a Felony Be Sealed in Ohio?
The honest answer is that some felonies can, and many cannot. Ohio treats felony relief far more cautiously than it treats misdemeanors, and the result turns on the level of the offense, the nature of the crime, and the rest of your record.
This page focuses on felonies, so for how the rules apply across every offense type, see our full guide to record sealing and expungement in Franklin County. Before looking at which convictions qualify, it helps to separate the two forms of relief, because they mean very different things for a felony.
Sealing vs. Expungement for a Felony
Record sealing hides the felony from public view while the state keeps the file for law enforcement and certain agencies. Expungement goes further and destroys the record outright. For a felony, the gap between the two is enormous in practice. A sealable felony can often be sealed within a few years, yet the same conviction is not eligible for destruction until more than a decade has passed.
That is why sealing is the realistic path for most people, and expungement remains a distant option. For a statewide view of both remedies, The Meade Law Group explains the Ohio expungement process in more detail.
Which Felony Levels Qualify in Franklin County?
Ohio sorts felonies into five degrees, from fifth-degree at the lower end to first-degree at the most serious. Where your conviction falls decides both whether it can be cleared and how long you wait. The timelines below are measured from final discharge.
| Felony level | Can it be sealed? | Sealing wait | Expungement wait |
| Fifth-degree (F5) | Yes | 1 year | 11 years |
| Fourth-degree (F4) | Yes | 1 year | 11 years |
| Third-degree (F3) | Yes, with limits | 3 years | 13 years |
| Second-degree (F2) | Generally no | Not available | Not available |
| First-degree (F1) | Generally no | Not available | Not available |
Fourth and fifth-degree felonies, the levels that cover many drug, theft, and property cases in the county, are the most straightforward to seal. Third-degree felonies can also qualify, but they carry a condition that catches people off guard.
The Catch for Third-Degree Felonies
A third-degree felony is not automatically sealable, even after the waiting period ends. Ohio law blocks it when the rest of your record carries too much weight. In plain terms, you can seal one or two F3 convictions only when your remaining history is no heavier than those cases plus a small number of misdemeanors.
A single unrelated felony elsewhere on your record can be enough to disqualify an F3 that would otherwise be eligible. Because the counting rules are technical, an F3 case is worth reviewing closely before anything is filed.
Which Felonies Can Never Be Sealed?
Some felonies stay on the public record no matter how much time passes or how clean the rest of your history is. Ohio’s sealing statute, Ohio Revised Code 2953.32, lists the offenses that are shut out entirely.
- Violent felonies: Crimes of violence, including felonious assault, robbery, and similar offenses, are permanently ineligible.
- First and second-degree felonies: The two most serious felony levels generally cannot be sealed or destroyed, apart from narrow exceptions.
- Sex offenses with registration: Convictions that carry a sex-offender registration duty are excluded.
- Offenses involving a young child: A felony where the victim was under thirteen is not eligible.
- Felony OVI and traffic offenses: A felony OVI stays a traffic matter and cannot be sealed, the same rule that applies to any OVI.
When Does the Waiting Period Start for a Felony?
The clock does not begin when the judge announces the sentence. It starts at final discharge, the moment every part of the sentence is finished. For a felony, that usually means the end of any prison term, the completion of community control or parole, and payment of all fines, court costs, and restitution.
Because felony sentences often include supervision that runs for years, the discharge date can arrive much later than people expect. An unpaid balance on its own can hold the clock in place, so confirming the exact date is worth the effort before filing.
How to Seal a Felony Record in Franklin County
A felony petition follows a different path than a misdemeanor one, beginning with the court that handles it. At a high level, a felony sealing request moves through five stages:
- Confirm your eligibility and gather the case records.
- Complete and file the sealing application in the correct court.
- The prosecutor’s office receives notice and may object.
- Attend the hearing, where the judge weighs your request.
- Wait for the order and for agencies to update their files.
Two parts of this process cause the most trouble and deserve a closer look.
Filing in the Common Pleas Court
Felony cases in the county run through the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, so a felony sealing petition is filed there rather than in the Municipal Court that handles misdemeanors. Applicants use the county’s record sealing application, and the court publishes its own record sealing instructions. Pulling accurate copies of your conviction and discharge records first keeps the application from stalling.
The Prosecutor’s Objection and Your Hearing
After you file, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office receives notice and can oppose the request. Ohio law sets a firm timeline: the court schedules the hearing within roughly forty-five to ninety days, the prosecutor is notified at least sixty days ahead, and any objection is due no later than thirty days before the date.
At the hearing, the judge weighs your interest in a clean record against any reason the state offers for keeping it public. From filing to final clearance, a felony petition usually takes three to six months.
What About Felony Drug Charges?
Many felony cases in Franklin County begin as low-level drug possession, frequently charged as a fifth-degree felony. Those are among the easier felonies to clear, since an F5 can qualify one year after final discharge.
There is also a route that avoids a conviction altogether. When a court grants intervention instead of conviction and the person completes the program, the charge is dismissed instead of recorded, and a dismissed case can usually be cleared without the long wait a conviction demands. Our guide to drug possession charges in Franklin County explains how these cases are charged, and our guide to sealing a drug charge in Franklin County covers how to clear one.
Why Sealing a Felony Matters
A felony carries heavier consequences than a misdemeanor long after the case closes, which is exactly what makes clearing it worthwhile.
- Employment: Many employers screen out felony records on sight, and sealing removes the conviction from the background check they run.
- Professional licensing: A felony can block licenses and certifications in fields from healthcare to skilled trades, and sealing reopens many of those doors.
- Housing: Landlords who spot a felony often stop reading an application, and a sealed record no longer sets off that reaction.
- Firearm rights: A felony conviction restricts gun ownership, and restoring those rights is a separate legal question from sealing that deserves its own review.
For most people, the value is measured in doors that stop closing. A record that no longer follows you into every application is the difference between explaining your past and moving past it.
Talk to Marcus A. Ross Law About Sealing a Felony
A felony petition rewards preparation and punishes guesswork, especially when a third-degree case or a prosecutor’s objection is in play. Marcus A. Ross is a Franklin County criminal defense attorney and a former Assistant City Prosecutor, so he has reviewed sealing requests from the state’s side of the table and understands what moves a judge.
At Marcus A. Ross Law, our team manages the full process:
- Confirming which felony convictions qualify and when the waiting period ends.
- Preparing and filing the petition in the Common Pleas Court.
- Answering any objection raised by the prosecutor’s office.
- Presenting your case for sealing at the hearing.
Contact Marcus A. Ross and our Franklin County team today.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
| Can I seal a felony if I was convicted in a different Ohio county? | You file in the court that entered the conviction, not the county where you now live. A conviction from another Ohio county has to be sealed through that county’s court, so someone with cases in several counties may need to file more than one petition. |
| If my felony was reduced to a misdemeanor, which rules apply? | The rules for the offense you were actually convicted of control. If a felony charge was resolved as a misdemeanor, the shorter misdemeanor waiting period generally applies, which is often one year from final discharge rather than the longer felony timeline. |
| Can I seal an older felony from before Ohio’s 2023 law? | Often, yes. The 2023 changes apply to eligible convictions regardless of when they happened, and some people who were turned down years ago now qualify. An older felony is worth a fresh look under the current rules. |
| Does sealing a felony restore my right to vote? | In Ohio, your right to vote returns on its own once you are released from incarceration, separate from any sealing. Sealing controls who can see the record rather than restoring civil rights, and firearm rights in particular follow their own distinct process. |
| Is sealing a felony more expensive than sealing a misdemeanor? | The court’s filing fee is similar for both, and Franklin County offers a fee waiver for applicants who cannot afford it. Felony petitions often involve more records and preparation, which can affect attorney fees rather than the court cost itself. |
| Do I need a lawyer to seal a felony, or can I file on my own? | You are allowed to file on your own. That said, felony petitions carry more risk of a misstep, particularly with third-degree eligibility limits and prosecutor objections, which is where guidance from an attorney tends to matter most. |