You served your sentence, paid your fines, and tried to move on. However, every job application, housing form, or background check includes the same question. Have you ever been convicted of a felony? In that moment, you can clearly see that your past continues to impact your present.
How long does a felony stay on your record? If you are wondering about this, you’re not alone. In Colorado, felony convictions don’t simply disappear with time. They remain part of your criminal history unless the court seals or expunges them. And, even then, not every felony qualifies.
The good news is that, in some cases, Colorado law allows certain records to be sealed, giving you a real chance to rebuild your life. Our Boulder, Colorado criminal defense lawyer explains what you should know.
Get started with a free consultation by calling (970) 219-2923 or sending us an online message today.
In most situations, a felony conviction stays on your record permanently unless it is sealed or expunged. Colorado does not have automatic record removal after a set number of years. A background check can show your conviction indefinitely, even decades after the case closes.
However, some felony records, particularly those that did not result in a conviction, may be eligible for removal. Individuals may petition to seal certain records after specific waiting periods, provided they have completed all sentencing terms and have not received any new criminal charges.
This means your record can remain visible to employers, landlords, or licensing agencies for life unless you take formal steps to change that.
Felonies become a permanent part of your criminal history in Colorado. Even if years have passed, background checks used by employers, schools, and government entities will likely still show the conviction.
Not every felony is permanent in practice. Sealing your record can remove it from public view, although law enforcement and certain agencies may still have access to it. Expungement, which completely erases the record, is typically reserved for juvenile or very limited adult cases.
Under Colorado law, felony classifications range from Class 1 (the most severe) to Class 6 (the least serious). The higher the class, the more difficult it is to seal or expunge your record.
While a felony record doesn’t expire, there’s a waiting period before you can petition the court to seal it.
Eligibility and waiting times depend on your case type and outcome:
The waiting period starts after you have completed all probation, parole, and restitution obligations. Failing to meet any condition can delay or disqualify your eligibility.
The passage of years may demonstrate rehabilitation, but the record remains unless formally cleared from your record. Only a formal sealing or expungement order can limit public access to your criminal record. Without it, the felony remains visible indefinitely, regardless of how long ago the conviction occurred.
To begin sealing or expunging a record, you must first determine if you are eligible.
Making such a determination involves fulfilling all legal requirements, including the mandatory waiting period before submitting a petition to the court, including:
If granted, your record will no longer appear on public databases, allowing you to legally answer “no” when asked about prior convictions on most applications.
At Merson Law Office, LLC, we’ve spent over 20 years helping clients across Colorado (including Boulder, Fort Collins, Adams County, and Weld County) move forward from past mistakes. Founding attorney James Merson is known for finding legal solutions others miss from procedural errors that reopen cases to sealing options that restore freedom and dignity.
Many people charged with crimes wonder about how long a felony stays on their record. Don’t let that lurking question keep you up at night. Talk with our team today by reaching us online or calling (970) 219-2923. We offer free consultations and will help you protect your future with honesty, strategy, and unwavering commitment.
Unless sealed or expunged, yes. Felonies remain indefinitely on your criminal record and are viewable by employers, landlords, state agencies, and more.
No. Felony records don’t automatically disappear after a certain time. Only a successful petition for sealing or expungement can remove them from public access.
Crimes involving violence, sexual assault, or harm to children generally cannot be sealed under Colorado law.
The process can take several months from filing to final court order, depending on the county, backlog, and whether the request requires a hearing.
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