- More than 1.5 million convictions have been automatically expunged under Michigan’s Clean Slate Act
- The law clears misdemeanor convictions after seven years and felonies after 10
- Advocates say people can better find jobs, housing once criminal records are cleared
Michigan has cleared nearly 1.6 million criminal convictions under an automatic expungement process that began three years ago, according to new state data.
It’s not known exactly how many Michiganders have benefited from the “clean slate” initiative — some people had multiple convictions set aside — but advocates say it’s helped open doors to jobs, housing and a fresh start for numerous people who otherwise faced lifelong barriers.
“Sometimes we encounter people … in their 60s or 70s who lived the majority of their lives with a conviction on their record and they now have this opportunity to have this conviction removed,” said Kamau Sandiford, clean slate program manager for Safe and Just Michigan, a criminal justice reform nonprofit.
“And it’s not necessarily because they want better housing or employment but they simply want that stigma removed or they want to die knowing that they’re no longer considered a convicted felon.”
Related:
- Michigan prison art program helps inmates find voice — and hope
- More Michigan prisoners getting educations, job training
- Longer sentences push Michigan prisons closer to capacity
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the bipartisan Clean Slate Act in 2020, making Michigan the third state in the country to adopt a version of the law after Pennsylvania and Utah. Portions of the Michigan statute took effect in 2021, and the automatic expungement process began in 2023.
Under the law, misdemeanors are automatically expunged after seven years, while eligible felonies are expunged after 10 years. Up to four misdemeanor convictions and two felonies can be set aside for each individual. Certain crimes are not eligible for expungement, including murder and sexual assault.
Since the automatic expungement process began April 11, 2023, 1,578,501 Michiganders have had convictions automatically expunged, according to data from the Michigan State Police.
Among other things, that can mean better job and housing opportunities for Michiganders who might otherwise face discrimination due to criminal convictions, said Sandiford, with Safe and Just Michigan.
A 2025 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that prime-age adults with a criminal conviction earn 30% less than those without a record.
In addition to automatic expungement for certain crimes, Michigan’s Clean Slate law made it easier for residents to apply to expunge other crimes.
The City of Detroit launched its own expungement initiative before the state law took effect. To date, the city has helped more than 15,000 Detroiters clear their records under Project Clean Slate.
“People … seek expungement because they are being impacted in all aspects of their life,” Stephani LaBelle, executive director of Project Clean Slate, told Bridge Michigan. “Commonly, we think of employment and housing, but someone with a criminal conviction can often not volunteer for their child’s field trips … or cross into Canada and visit family members.”
Before the legislation was passed, only about 80,000 Detroiters qualified for automatic expungement. Now, roughly 168,000 residents qualify, about 4% of the city’s population, according to the initiative.
The law required the Michigan State Police to develop an automated process for notifying the courts on a daily basis of eligible convictions for expungement, but sometimes private companies still have access to outdated information, LaBelle said.
“We also send our clients’ expungement records to a background company that serves as a clearinghouse, so that entity will clear their (criminal history) from several companies,” LaBelle said.
“Expungement is not only a tool to access other resources but it’s a tool for people to break free and move beyond their past mistakes,” she said.
While the law was adopted with bipartisan support in 2020, some Michigan lawmakers opposed the legislation at the time because they thought the automatic expungement provisions should have extended to more crimes, such as drunk driving convictions.
“The legislation and what it targeted demonstrated that punishing people for some of these crimes for the rest of their lives is not productive or efficient for society,” said Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township. “However … the DUI issue was one that got neglected and was probably one of the largest groupings of individuals who need help.”
In 2021, the state passed a separate bipartisan bill package to expand automatic expungement to some first-time operating while intoxicated offenses.
“There was a wide outcry across the state of individuals saying this is a genuine, real problem,” McBroom said.
“If somebody’s DUI from when they were 21 years old stopped them from being a caretaker when they’re 65, (expungement) really seemed like something they should at least be able to apply for,” he said.