A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide that a person shall not be denied an expunction solely because the person has a conviction for a MISDEMEANOR boating violation; to provide that CERTAIN convictions for driving while impaired and boating while impaired are not eligible for expunction; and tO ALLOW FOR THE EXPUNCTION OF CERTAIN YOUTHFUL DRUG OFFENSES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 15A‑145.5 reads as rewritten:
"§ 15A‑145.5.  Expunction of certain misdemeanors and felonies; no age limitation.
(a)	For purposes of this section, the term "nonviolent misdemeanor" or "nonviolent felony" means any misdemeanor or felony except the following:
(1)	A Class A through G felony or a Class A1 misdemeanor.
(2)	An offense that includes assault as an essential element of the offense.
(3)	An offense requiring registration pursuant to Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes, whether or not the person is currently required to register.
(4)	Any of the following sex‑related or stalking offenses: G.S. 14‑27.7A(b), 14‑190.7, 14‑190.8, 14‑190.9, 14‑202, 14‑208.11A, 14‑208.18, 14‑277.3, 14‑277.3A, 14‑321.1.
(5)	Any felony offense in Chapter 90 of the General Statutes where the offense involves methamphetamines, heroin, or possession with intent to sell or deliver or sell and deliver cocaine.
(6)	An offense under G.S. 14‑12.12(b), 14‑12.13, or 14‑12.14, or any offense for which punishment was determined pursuant to G.S. 14‑3(c).
(7)	An offense under G.S. 14‑401.16.
(7a)	An offense under G.S. 14‑54(a), 14‑54(a1), or 14‑56.
(8)	Any felony offense in which a commercial motor vehicle was used in the commission of the offense.
(9)	Any offense that is an attempt to commit an offense described in subdivisions (1) through (8) of this subsection.
(10)	An offense involving impaired driving as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01(24a).
(b)	Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the person is convicted of more than one nonviolent felony or nonviolent misdemeanor in the same session of court and none of the nonviolent felonies or nonviolent misdemeanors are alleged to have occurred after the person had already been served with criminal process for the commission of a nonviolent felony or nonviolent misdemeanor, then the multiple nonviolent felony or nonviolent misdemeanor convictions shall be treated as one nonviolent felony or nonviolent misdemeanor conviction under this section, and the expunction order issued under this section shall provide that the multiple nonviolent felony convictions or nonviolent misdemeanor convictions shall be expunged from the person's record in accordance with this section.
(c)	A person may file a petition, in the court where the person was convicted, for expunction of a nonviolent misdemeanor or nonviolent felony conviction from the person's criminal record if the person has no other misdemeanor or felony convictions, other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation. The petition shall not be filed earlier than 15 years after the date of the conviction or when any active sentence, period of probation, and post‑release supervision has been served, whichever occurs later. The petition shall contain, but not be limited to, the following:
(1)	An affidavit by the petitioner that the petitioner has been of good moral character since the date of conviction for the nonviolent misdemeanor or nonviolent felony and has not been convicted of any other felony or misdemeanor, other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation, under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state.
(2)	Verified affidavits of two persons who are not related to the petitioner or to each other by blood or marriage, that they know the character and reputation of the petitioner in the community in which the petitioner lives and that the petitioner's character and reputation are good.
(3)	A statement that the petition is a motion in the cause in the case wherein the petitioner was convicted.
(4)	An application on a form approved by the Administrative Office of the Courts requesting and authorizing a name‑based State and national criminal history record check by the Department of Public Safety using any information required by the Administrative Office of the Courts to identify the individual, a search by the Department of Public Safety for any outstanding warrants on pending criminal cases, and a search of the confidential record of expunctions maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The application shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which shall conduct the searches and report their findings to the court.
(5)	An affidavit by the petitioner that no restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner are outstanding.
Upon filing of the petition, the petition shall be served upon the district attorney of the court wherein the case was tried resulting in conviction. The district attorney shall have 30 days thereafter in which to file any objection thereto and shall be duly notified as to the date of the hearing of the petition. Upon good cause shown, the court may grant the district attorney an additional 30 days to file objection to the petition. The district attorney shall make his or her best efforts to contact the victim, if any, to notify the victim of the request for expunction prior to the date of the hearing.
The presiding judge is authorized to call upon a probation officer for any additional investigation or verification of the petitioner's conduct since the conviction. The court shall review any other information the court deems relevant, including, but not limited to, affidavits or other testimony provided by law enforcement officers, district attorneys, and victims of crimes committed by the petitioner.
If the court, after hearing, finds that the petitioner has not previously been granted an expunction under this section, G.S. 15A‑145, 15A‑145.1, 15A‑145.2, 15A‑145.3, or 15A‑145.4; the petitioner has remained of good moral character; the petitioner has no outstanding warrants or pending criminal cases; the petitioner has no other felony or misdemeanor convictions other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation; the petitioner has no outstanding restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner; and the petitioner was convicted of an offense eligible for expunction under this section and was convicted of, and completed any sentence received for, the nonviolent misdemeanor or nonviolent felony at least 15 years prior to the filing of the petition, it may order that such person be restored, in the contemplation of the law, to the status the person occupied before such arrest or indictment or information. If the court denies the petition, the order shall include a finding as to the reason for the denial.
…."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 15A‑145 reads as rewritten:
"§ 15A‑145.  Expunction of records for first offenders under the age of 18 at the time of conviction of misdemeanor; expunction of certain other misdemeanors.
(a)	Whenever any person who has not previously been convicted of any felony, or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation, under the laws of the United States, the laws of this State or any other state, (i) pleads guilty to or is guilty of a misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation, and the offense was committed before the person attained the age of 18 years, or (ii) pleads guilty to or is guilty of a misdemeanor possession of alcohol pursuant to G.S. 18B‑302(b)(1), and the offense was committed before the person attained the age of 21 years, he may file a petition in the court where he was convicted for expunction of the misdemeanor from his criminal record. The petition cannot be filed earlier than: (i) two years after the date of the conviction, or (ii) the completion of any period of probation, whichever occurs later, and the petition shall contain, but not be limited to, the following:
(1)	An affidavit by the petitioner that he has been of good behavior for the two‑year period since the date of conviction of the misdemeanor in question and has not been convicted of any felony, or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation, under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state.
(2)	Verified affidavits of two persons who are not related to the petitioner or to each other by blood or marriage, that they know the character and reputation of the petitioner in the community in which he lives and that his character and reputation are good.
(3)	A statement that the petition is a motion in the cause in the case wherein the petitioner was convicted.
(4)	Repealed by Session Laws 2010‑174, s. 2, effective October 1, 2010, and applicable to petitions for expunctions filed on or after that date.
(4a)	An application on a form approved by the Administrative Office of the Courts requesting and authorizing a name‑based State and national criminal record check by the Department of Public Safety using any information required by the Administrative Office of the Courts to identify the individual and a search of the confidential record of expunctions maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The application shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which shall conduct the searches and report their findings to the court.
(5)	An affidavit by the petitioner that no restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against him are outstanding.
The petition shall be served upon the district attorney of the court wherein the case was tried resulting in conviction. The district attorney shall have 10 days thereafter in which to file any objection thereto and shall be duly notified as to the date of the hearing of the petition.
The judge to whom the petition is presented is authorized to call upon a probation officer for any additional investigation or verification of the petitioner's conduct during the two‑year period that he deems desirable.
(b)	If the court, after hearing, finds that the petitioner had remained of good behavior and been free of conviction of any felony or misdemeanor, other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation, for two years from the date of conviction of the misdemeanor in question, the petitioner has no outstanding restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against him, and (i) petitioner was not 18 years old at the time of the offense in question, or (ii) petitioner was not 21 years old at the time of the offense of possession of alcohol pursuant to G.S. 18B‑302(b)(1), it shall order that such person be restored, in the contemplation of the law, to the status he occupied before such arrest or indictment or information. No person as to whom such order has been entered shall be held thereafter under any provision of any laws to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of his failure to recite or acknowledge such arrest, or indictment, information, or trial, or response to any inquiry made of him for any purpose.
…."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 15A‑145.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 15A‑145.1.  Expunction of records for first offenders under the age of 18 at the time of conviction of certain gang offenses.
(a)	Whenever any person who has not previously been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state pleads guilty to or is guilty of (i) a Class H felony under Article 13A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes or (ii) an enhanced offense under G.S. 14‑50.22, or has been discharged and had the proceedings against the person dismissed pursuant to G.S. 14‑50.29, and the offense was committed before the person attained the age of 18 years, the person may file a petition in the court where the person was convicted for expunction of the offense from the person's criminal record. Except as provided in G.S. 14‑50.29 upon discharge and dismissal, the petition cannot be filed earlier than (i) two years after the date of the conviction or (ii) the completion of any period of probation, whichever occurs later. The petition shall contain, but not be limited to, the following:
(1)	An affidavit by the petitioner that the petitioner has been of good behavior (i) during the period of probation since the decision to defer further proceedings on the offense in question pursuant to G.S. 14‑50.29 or (ii) during the two‑year period since the date of conviction of the offense in question, whichever applies, and has not been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state.
(2)	Verified affidavits of two persons who are not related to the petitioner or to each other by blood or marriage, that they know the character and reputation of the petitioner in the community in which the petitioner lives, and that the petitioner's character and reputation are good.
(3)	If the petition is filed subsequent to conviction of the offense in question, a statement that the petition is a motion in the cause in the case wherein the petitioner was convicted.
(4)	Repealed by Session Laws 2010‑174, s. 4, effective October 1, 2010, and applicable to petitions for expunctions filed on or after that date.
(4a)	An application on a form approved by the Administrative Office of the Courts requesting and authorizing a name‑based State and national criminal record check by the Department of Public Safety using any information required by the Administrative Office of the Courts to identify the individual and a search of the confidential record of expunctions maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The application shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which shall conduct the searches and report their findings to the court.
(5)	An affidavit by the petitioner that no restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner are outstanding.
The petition shall be served upon the district attorney of the court wherein the case was tried resulting in conviction. The district attorney shall have 10 days thereafter in which to file any objection thereto and shall be duly notified as to the date of the hearing of the petition.
The judge to whom the petition is presented is authorized to call upon a probation officer for any additional investigation or verification of the petitioner's conduct during the probationary period or during the two‑year period after conviction.
(b)	If the court, after hearing, finds that (i) the petitioner was dismissed and the proceedings against the petitioner discharged pursuant to G.S. 14‑50.29 and that the person had not yet attained 18 years of age at the time of the offense or (ii) the petitioner has remained of good behavior and been free of conviction of any felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation for two years from the date of conviction of the offense in question, the petitioner has no outstanding restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner, and the petitioner had not attained the age of 18 years at the time of the offense in question, it shall order that such person be restored, in the contemplation of the law, to the status occupied by the petitioner before such arrest or indictment or information, and that the record be expunged from the records of the court. No person as to whom such order has been entered shall be held thereafter under any provision of any laws to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of the person's failure to recite or acknowledge such arrest, or indictment or information, or trial, or response to any inquiry made of the person for any purpose. The court shall also direct all law enforcement agencies, the Division of Adult Correction of the Department of Public Safety, the Division of Motor Vehicles, and any other State or local government agencies identified by the petitioner as bearing record of the same to expunge their records of the petitioner's criminal charge and any conviction resulting from the charge. The clerk shall notify State and local agencies of the court's order as provided in G.S. 15A‑150.
…."
SECTION 4.  G.S. 15A‑145.2 reads as rewritten:
"§ 15A‑145.2.  Expunction of records for first offenders not over 21 years of age at the time of the offense of certain drug offenses.
(a)	Whenever a person is discharged, and the proceedings against the person dismissed, pursuant to G.S. 90‑96(a) or (a1), and the person was not over 21 years of age at the time of the offense, the person may apply to the court for an order to expunge from all official records, other than the confidential files retained under G.S. 15A‑151, all recordation relating to the person's arrest, indictment or information, trial, finding of guilty, and dismissal and discharge pursuant to this section. The applicant shall attach to the application the following:
(1)	An affidavit by the petitioner that he or she has been of good behavior during the period of probation since the decision to defer further proceedings on the offense in question and has not been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state;
(2)	Verified affidavits by two persons who are not related to the petitioner or to each other by blood or marriage, that they know the character and reputation of the petitioner in the community in which he or she lives, and that the petitioner's character and reputation are good;
(3)	Repealed by Session Laws 2010‑174, s. 5, effective October 1, 2010, and applicable to petitions for expunctions filed on or after that date.
(3a)	An application on a form approved by the Administrative Office of the Courts requesting and authorizing a name‑based State and national criminal record check by the Department of Public Safety using any information required by the Administrative Office of the Courts to identify the individual and a search of the confidential record of expunctions maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The application shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which shall conduct the searches and report their findings to the court.
The judge to whom the petition is presented is authorized to call upon a probation officer for any additional investigation or verification of the petitioner's conduct during the probationary period deemed desirable.
If the court determines, after hearing, that such person was discharged and the proceedings against him or her dismissed and that the person was not over 21 years of age at the time of the offense, it shall enter such order. The effect of such order shall be to restore such person in the contemplation of the law to the status the person occupied before such arrest or indictment or information. No person as to whom such order was entered shall be held thereafter under any provision of any law to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of the person's failures to recite or acknowledge such arrest, or indictment or information, or trial in response to any inquiry made of him or her for any purpose.
The court shall also order that all records of the proceeding be expunged from the records of the court and direct all law enforcement agencies, the Division of Adult Correction, the Division of Motor Vehicles, and any other State and local government agencies identified by the petitioner as bearing records of the same to expunge their records of the proceeding. The clerk shall notify State and local agencies of the court's order as provided in G.S. 15A‑150.
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(c)	Whenever any person who has not previously been convicted of (i) any felony offense under any state or federal laws; (ii) any offense under Chapter 90 of the General Statutes; or (iii) an offense under any statute of the United States or any state relating to controlled substances included in any schedule of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes or to that paraphernalia included in Article 5B of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, pleads guilty to or has been found guilty of a misdemeanor under Article 5 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes by possessing a controlled substance included within Schedules I through VI of Chapter 90, or by possessing drug paraphernalia as prohibited by G.S. 90‑113.22 or pleads guilty to or has been found guilty of a felony under G.S. 90‑95(a)(3), the court may, upon application of the person not sooner than 12 months after conviction, order cancellation of the judgment of conviction and expunction of the records of the person's arrest, indictment or information, trial, and conviction. A conviction in which the judgment of conviction has been canceled and the records expunged pursuant to this subsection shall not be thereafter deemed a conviction for purposes of this subsection or for purposes of disqualifications or liabilities imposed by law upon conviction of a crime, including the additional penalties imposed for second or subsequent convictions of Article 5 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes. Cancellation and expunction under this subsection may occur only once with respect to any person. Disposition of a case under this subsection at the district court division of the General Court of Justice shall be final for the purpose of appeal.
The granting of an application filed under this subsection shall cause the issue of an order to expunge from all official records, other than the confidential files retained under G.S. 15A‑151, all recordation relating to the petitioner's arrest, indictment or information, trial, finding of guilty, judgment of conviction, cancellation of the judgment, and expunction of records pursuant to this subsection.
The judge to whom the petition is presented is authorized to call upon a probation officer for additional investigation or verification of the petitioner's conduct since conviction. If the court determines that the petitioner was convicted of (i) a misdemeanor under Article 5 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes for possessing a controlled substance included within Schedules I through VI of Article 5 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes or for possessing drug paraphernalia as prohibited in G.S. 90‑113.22 or (ii) a felony under G.S. 90‑95(a)(3), that the petitioner has no disqualifying previous convictions as set forth in this subsection, that the petitioner was not over 21 years of age at the time of the offense, that the petitioner has been of good behavior since his or her conviction, that the petitioner has successfully completed a drug education program approved for this purpose by the Department of Health and Human Services, and that the petitioner has not been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of this State at any time prior to or since the conviction for the offense in question, it shall enter an order of expunction of the petitioner's court record. The effect of such order shall be to restore the petitioner in the contemplation of the law to the status the petitioner occupied before arrest or indictment or information or conviction. No person as to whom such order was entered shall be held thereafter under any provision of any law to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of the person's failures to recite or acknowledge such arrest, or indictment or information, or conviction, or trial in response to any inquiry made of him or her for any purpose. The judge may waive the condition that the petitioner attend the drug education school if the judge makes a specific finding that there was no drug education school within a reasonable distance of the defendant's residence or that there were specific extenuating circumstances which made it likely that the petitioner would not benefit from the program of instruction.
The court shall also order all law enforcement agencies, the Department of Correction, the Division of Motor Vehicles, and any other State or local agencies identified by the petitioner as bearing records of the conviction and records relating thereto to expunge their records of the conviction. The clerk shall notify State and local agencies of the court's order as provided in G.S. 15A‑150.
…."
SECTION 5.  G.S. 15A‑145.3 reads as rewritten:
"§ 15A‑145.3.  Expunction of records for first offenders not over 21 years of age at the time of the offense of certain toxic vapors offenses.
(a)	Whenever a person is discharged and the proceedings against the person dismissed under G.S. 90‑113.14(a) or (a1), such person, if he or she was not over 21 years of age at the time of the offense, may apply to the court for an order to expunge from all official records, other than the confidential files retained under G.S. 15A‑151, all recordation relating to the person's arrest, indictment or information, trial, finding of guilty, and dismissal and discharge pursuant to this section. The applicant shall attach to the application the following:
(1)	An affidavit by the petitioner that the petitioner has been of good behavior during the period of probation since the decision to defer further proceedings on the misdemeanor in question and has not been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state;
(2)	Verified affidavits by two persons who are not related to the petitioner or to each other by blood or marriage, that they know the character and reputation of the petitioner in the community in which the petitioner lives, and that his or her character and reputation are good;
(3)	Repealed by Session Laws 2010‑174, s. 6, effective October 1, 2010, and applicable to petitions for expunctions filed on or after that date.
(3a)	An application on a form approved by the Administrative Office of the Courts requesting and authorizing a name‑based State and national criminal record check by the Department of Public Safety using any information required by the Administrative Office of the Courts to identify the individual and a search of the confidential record of expunctions maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The application shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which shall conduct the searches and report their findings to the court.
The judge to whom the petition is presented is authorized to call upon a probation officer for any additional investigation or verification of the petitioner's conduct during the probationary period deemed desirable.
If the court determines, after hearing, that such person was discharged and the proceedings against the person dismissed and that he or she was not over 21 years of age at the time of the offense, it shall enter such order. The effect of such order shall be to restore such person in the contemplation of the law to the status the person occupied before such arrest or indictment or information. No person as to whom such order was entered shall be held thereafter under any provision of any law to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of the person's failures to recite or acknowledge such arrest, or indictment or information, or trial in response to any inquiry made of him or her for any purpose.
The court shall also order that all records of the proceeding be expunged from the records of the court and direct all law enforcement agencies bearing records of the same to expunge their records of the proceeding. The clerk shall notify State and local agencies of the court's order as provided in G.S. 15A‑15.
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(c)	Whenever any person who has not previously been convicted of an offense under Article 5 or 5A of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes or under any statute of the United States or any state relating to controlled substances included in any schedule of Article 5 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes or to that paraphernalia included in Article 5B of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes pleads guilty to or has been found guilty of a misdemeanor under Article 5A of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, the court may, upon application of the person not sooner than 12 months after conviction, order cancellation of the judgment of conviction and expunction of the records of the person's arrest, indictment or information, trial, and conviction. A conviction in which the judgment of conviction has been cancelled and the records expunged pursuant to this subsection shall not be thereafter deemed a conviction for purposes of this subsection or for purposes of disqualifications or liabilities imposed by law upon conviction of a crime, including the additional penalties imposed for second or subsequent convictions of violation of Article 5A of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes. Cancellation and expunction under this subsection may occur only once with respect to any person. Disposition of a case under this subsection at the district court division of the General Court of Justice shall be final for the purpose of appeal.
The granting of an application filed under this subsection shall cause the issue of an order to expunge from all official records, other than the confidential files retained under G.S. 15A‑151, all recordation relating to the person's arrest, indictment or information, trial, finding of guilty, judgment of conviction, cancellation of the judgment, and expunction of records pursuant to this subsection.
The judge to whom the petition is presented is authorized to call upon a probation officer for additional investigation or verification of the petitioner's conduct since conviction. If the court determines that the petitioner was convicted of a misdemeanor under Article 5A of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, or for possessing drug paraphernalia as prohibited by G.S. 90‑113.22, that the petitioner was not over 21 years of age at the time of the offense, that the petitioner has been of good behavior since his or her conviction, that the petitioner has successfully completed a drug education program approved for this purpose by the Department of Health and Human Services, and that the petitioner has not been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of this State at any time prior to or since the conviction for the misdemeanor in question, it shall enter an order of expunction of the petitioner's court record. The effect of such order shall be to restore the petitioner in the contemplation of the law to the status he occupied before such arrest or indictment or information or conviction. No person as to whom such order was entered shall be held thereafter under any provision of any law to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of the person's failures to recite or acknowledge such arrest, or indictment or information, or conviction, or trial in response to any inquiry made of him or her for any purpose. The judge may waive the condition that the petitioner attend the drug education school if the judge makes a specific finding that there was no drug education school within a reasonable distance of the defendant's residence or that there were specific extenuating circumstances which made it likely that the petitioner would not benefit from the program of instruction.
The clerk shall notify State and local agencies of the court's order as provided in G.S. 15A‑150.
…."
SECTION 6.  G.S. 15A‑145.4 reads as rewritten:
"§ 15A‑145.4.  Expunction of records for first offenders who are under 18 years of age at the time of the commission of a nonviolent felony.
(a)	For purposes of this section, the term "nonviolent felony" means any felony except the following:
(1)	A Class A through G felony.
(2)	A felony that includes assault as an essential element of the offense.
(3)	A felony that is an offense requiring registration pursuant to Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes, whether or not the person is currently required to register.
(4)	Repealed by Session Laws 2012‑191, s. 2, effective December 1, 2012.
(5)	Any felony offense under the following sex‑related or stalking offenses: G.S. 14‑27.7A(b), 14‑190.7, 14‑190.8, 14‑202, 14‑208.11A, 14‑208.18, 14‑277.3, 14‑277.3A, 14‑321.1.
(6)	Any felony offense in Chapter 90 of the General Statutes where the offense involves methamphetamines, heroin, or possession with intent to sell or deliver or sell and deliver cocaine; except that if a prayer for judgment continued has been entered for an offense classified as either a Class G, H, or I felony, the prayer for judgment continued shall be subject to expunction under the procedures in this section.
(7)	A felony offense under G.S. 14‑12.12(b), 14‑12.13, or 14‑12.14, or any felony offense for which punishment was determined pursuant to G.S. 14‑3(c).
(8)	A felony offense under G.S. 14‑401.16.
(9)	Any felony offense in which a commercial motor vehicle was used in the commission of the offense.
(10)	An offense involving impaired driving as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01(24a).
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(c)	Whenever any person who had not yet attained the age of 18 years at the time of the commission of the offense and has not previously been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state pleads guilty to or is guilty of a nonviolent felony, the person may file a petition in the court where the person was convicted for expunction of the nonviolent felony from the person's criminal record. The petition shall not be filed earlier than four years after the date of the conviction or when any active sentence, period of probation, and post‑release supervision has been served, whichever occurs later. The person shall also perform at least 100 hours of community service, preferably related to the conviction, before filing a petition for expunction under this section. The petition shall contain the following:
(1)	An affidavit by the petitioner that the petitioner has been of good moral character since the date of conviction of the nonviolent felony in question and has not been convicted of any other felony or any misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state.
(2)	Verified affidavits of two persons who are not related to the petitioner or to each other by blood or marriage, that they know the character and reputation of the petitioner in the community in which the petitioner lives and that the petitioner's character and reputation are good.
(3)	A statement that the petition is a motion in the cause in the case wherein the petitioner was convicted.
(4)	An application on a form approved by the Administrative Office of the Courts requesting and authorizing (i) a State and national criminal history record check by the Department of Public Safety using any information required by the Administrative Office of the Courts to identify the individual; (ii) a search by the Department of Public Safety for any outstanding warrants or pending criminal cases; and (iii) a search of the confidential record of expunctions maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The application shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which shall conduct the searches and report their findings to the court.
(5)	An affidavit by the petitioner that no restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner are outstanding.
(6)	An affidavit by the petitioner that the petitioner has performed at least 100 hours of community service since the conviction for the nonviolent felony. The affidavit shall include a list of the community services performed, a list of the recipients of the services, and a detailed description of those services.
(7)	An affidavit by the petitioner that the petitioner possesses a high school diploma, a high school graduation equivalency certificate, or a General Education Development degree.
The petition shall be served upon the district attorney of the court wherein the case was tried resulting in conviction. The district attorney shall have 30 days thereafter in which to file any objection thereto and shall be duly notified as to the date of the hearing of the petition. The district attorney shall make his or her best efforts to contact the victim, if any, to notify the victim of the request for expunction prior to the date of the hearing.
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(e)	The court may order that the person be restored, in the contemplation of the law, to the status the person occupied before the arrest or indictment or information if the court finds all of the following after a hearing:
(1)	The petitioner has remained of good moral character and has been free of conviction of any felony or misdemeanor, other than a traffic or boating violation, for four years from the date of conviction of the nonviolent felony in question or any active sentence, period of probation, or post‑release supervision has been served, whichever is later.
(2)	The petitioner has not previously been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state.
(3)	The petitioner has no outstanding warrants or pending criminal cases.
(4)	The petitioner has no outstanding restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner.
(5)	The petitioner was less than 18 years old at the time of the commission of the offense in question.
(6)	The petitioner has performed at least 100 hours of community service since the time of the conviction and possesses a high school diploma, a high school graduation equivalency certificate, or a General Education Development degree.
(7)	The search of the confidential records of expunctions conducted by the Administrative Office of the Courts shows that the petitioner has not been previously granted an expunction.
…."
SECTION 7.  G.S. 15A‑145.6(f) reads as rewritten:
"(f)	The court shall order that the person be restored, in the contemplation of the law, to the status the person occupied before the arrest or indictment or information if the court finds all of the following after a hearing:
(1)	The criteria set out in subsection (b) of this section are satisfied.
(2)	The petitioner has remained of good moral character and has been free of conviction of any felony or misdemeanor, other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation, since the date of conviction of the prostitution offense in question.
(3)	The petitioner has no outstanding warrants or pending criminal cases.
(4)	The petitioner has no outstanding restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner.
(5)	The search of the confidential records of expunctions conducted by the Administrative Office of the Courts shows that the petitioner has not been previously granted an expunction, other than an expunction for a prostitution offense."
SECTION 8.  G.S. 14‑50.30 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14‑50.30.  Expunction of records.
Any person who has not previously been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor other than a traffic violation or a misdemeanor boating violation under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state, may, if the offense was committed before the person attained the age of 18 years, be eligible to apply for expunction of certain offenses under this Article pursuant to G.S. 15A‑145.1."
SECTION 9.  Article 5 of Chapter 15A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 15A‑145.7.  Expunction of certain youth drug offenses.
(a)	The following definitions apply to this section:
(1)	Drug free. – Free from drug dependency and any unlawful use of controlled substances.
(2)	Youthful drug offense. – A conviction of any violation of G.S. 90‑95(a)(3) or G.S. 90‑113.22 where the defendant had not yet attained the age of 25 years at the time of the commission of the offense.
(b)	Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the person is convicted of more than one youthful drug offense in the same session of court, then the multiple youthful drug offense convictions shall be treated as one youthful drug offense conviction under this section, and the expunction order issued under this section shall provide that the multiple youthful drug offense convictions shall be expunged from the person's record in accordance with this section.
(c)	A person may file a petition in the court where the person was convicted for expunction of up to two youthful drug offense convictions from the person's criminal record if the person has no misdemeanor or felony convictions, other than a traffic or a misdemeanor boating violation, for a period of at least 10 years prior to the date that the petition is filed; convicted of a youthful drug offense that is eligible pursuant to subsection (a) of this section; and provides proof pursuant to subsection (d) of this section that the person is drug free and has been drug free for a period of at least one year prior to the date that the petition is filed. The petition shall not be filed earlier than (i) 10 years after the date of the conviction or (ii) when any active sentence, period of probation, and post‑release supervision has been served, whichever occurs later. If the petition is to expunge two youthful drug offense convictions, the petition shall not be filed earlier than 10 years after the date of the last conviction or when any active sentence, period of probation, and post‑release supervision has been served for the last conviction, whichever occurs later.
(d)	To establish that a person is drug free and has been drug free for a period of at least one year prior to the date that the petition is filed, a person shall provide proof that the person has been tested for drugs every 30 days for a period of at least one year immediately preceding the date that the petition is filed and tested drug free at each testing, and shall also provide a drug evaluation for review by the court. The Administrative Office of the Courts, in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services, shall determine what type of documentation must be provided to the court regarding the required drug testing and evaluation and the format in which the documentation shall be presented to the court for review.
(e)	The petition shall contain, but not be limited to, the following:
(1)	An affidavit by the petitioner that the petitioner is of good moral character and has not been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor, other than a traffic or boating violation, under the laws of the United States or the laws of this State or any other state for a period of at least 10 years prior to the date that the petition is filed.
(2)	Verified affidavits of two persons who are not related to the petitioner or to each other by blood or marriage, that they know the character and reputation of the petitioner in the community in which the petitioner lives, and that the petitioner's character and reputation are good.
(3)	A statement that the petition is a motion in the cause in the case wherein the petitioner was convicted.
(4)	An application on a form approved by the Administrative Office of the Courts requesting and authorizing a name‑based State and national criminal history record check by the Department of Public Safety using any information required by the Administrative Office of the Courts to identify the individual, a search by the Department of Public Safety for any outstanding warrants on pending criminal cases, and a search of the confidential record of expunctions maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts. The application shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which shall conduct the searches and report their findings to the court.
(5)	An affidavit by the petitioner that no restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner are outstanding.
(6)	Documentation in a format approved by the Administrative Office of the Courts establishing that the petitioner is drug free and has been drug free for a period of at least one year prior to the date of the filing of the petition.
Upon filing of the petition, the petition shall be served upon the district attorney of the court wherein the case resulting in conviction was heard. The district attorney shall have 30 days thereafter in which to file any objection thereto and shall be duly notified as to the date of the hearing of the petition. Upon good cause shown, the court may grant the district attorney an additional 30 days to file objection to the petition. The district attorney shall make his or her best efforts to contact the victim, if any, to notify the victim of the request for expunction prior to the date of the hearing.
The presiding judge may call upon a probation officer for any additional investigation or verification of the petitioner's conduct since the conviction. The court shall review any other information the court deems relevant, including, but not limited to, affidavits or other testimony provided by law enforcement officers, district attorneys, and victims of crimes committed by the petitioner.
(f)	If the court after hearing finds that the petitioner has not previously been granted an expunction, the petitioner is drug free; the petitioner is of good moral character; the petitioner has no outstanding warrants or pending criminal cases; the petitioner has no felony or misdemeanor convictions other than a traffic violation, for a period of 10 years prior to the filing of the petition; the petitioner has no outstanding restitution orders or civil judgments representing amounts ordered for restitution entered against the petitioner; the petition for expunction of a youthful drug offense conviction was filed at least 10 years after the date of conviction or, if the petition for expunction is for two youthful drug offense convictions, the petition was filed at least 10 years after the date of the later conviction; and the petitioner has completed any sentence received for the conviction, it may order that such person be restored, in the contemplation of the law, to the status the person occupied before such arrest or indictment or information. If the court denies the petition, the order shall include a finding as to the reason for the denial.
(g)	No person as to whom an order has been entered pursuant to this section shall be held thereafter under any provision of any law to be guilty of perjury or otherwise giving a false statement by reason of that person's failure to recite or acknowledge the arrest, indictment, information, trial, or conviction. Persons pursuing certification under the provisions of Chapter 17C or 17E of the General Statutes, however, shall disclose any and all convictions to the certifying Commission, regardless of whether or not the convictions were expunged pursuant to the provisions of this section. Persons required by State law to obtain a criminal history record check on a prospective employee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any convictions expunged under this section.
(h)	The court shall also order that the conviction be expunged from the records of the court and direct all law enforcement agencies bearing record of the same to expunge their records of the conviction. The clerk shall notify State and local agencies of the court's order, as provided in G.S. 15A‑150.
(i)	Any other applicable State or local government agency shall expunge from its records entries made as a result of the conviction ordered expunged under this section upon receipt from the petitioner of an order entered pursuant to this section. The agency shall also vacate and reconsider any administrative actions taken against a person whose record is expunged under this section as a result of the charges or convictions expunged.
(j)	A person who files a petition for expunction of a criminal record under this section must pay the clerk of superior court a fee of one hundred seventy‑five dollars ($175.00) at the time the petition is filed. Fees collected under this subsection are payable to the Administrative Office of the Courts. The clerk of superior court shall remit one hundred twenty‑two dollars and fifty cents ($122.50) of each fee to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for the costs of criminal record checks performed in connection with processing petitions for expunctions under this section. The remaining fifty‑two dollars and fifty cents ($52.50) of each fee shall be retained by the Administrative Office of the Courts and used to pay the costs of processing petitions for expunctions under this section. This subsection does not apply to petitions filed by an indigent."
SECTION 10.  G.S. 15A‑146 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(a2)	Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a person who has previously been granted an expunction under this section and is subsequently found not guilty or not responsible, may apply to have the subsequent finding expunged. The court shall hold a hearing on the application. If the court finds (i) that the person had not previously received an expungement under this subsection, (ii) that the person had not previously received an expungement under G.S. 15A‑145, 15A‑145.1, 15A‑145.2, 15A‑145.3, 15A‑145.4, or 15A‑145.5, and (iii) that the person had not previously been convicted of any felony under the laws of the United States, this State, or any other state, the court shall order the expunction of the finding of not guilty or not responsible. No person as to whom such an order has been entered shall be held thereafter under any provision of any law to be guilty of perjury, or to be guilty of otherwise giving a false statement or response to any inquiry made for any purpose, by reason of his failure to recite or acknowledge any expunged entries concerning apprehension or trial."
SECTION 11.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2015, and applies to petitions for expunction filed on or after that date.