Updated September 1, 2026

A felony conviction in Nevada can remain on your criminal record indefinitely unless the record becomes eligible for sealing and is successfully sealed. A felony record can affect employment, housing, professional opportunities, firearm rights, and other areas of your life long after you complete your sentence.

Nevada law allows many felony records to be sealed after a required waiting period. How long you must wait depends largely on the category and nature of the offense. Some offenses, however, are not eligible for sealing, no matter how much time has passed.

Understanding these rules can help you determine whether your Nevada felony may qualify for record sealing and when you may be able to begin the process.

How Long a Felony Can Remain on Your Nevada Record

A felony conviction does not automatically disappear from your Nevada criminal record after a certain number of years.

If an eligible conviction is not sealed, it can remain on your record indefinitely. Nevada instead provides a process that allows people with certain convictions to petition the court to seal their criminal records after satisfying applicable waiting periods and other requirements.

Once a qualifying record is sealed, Nevada law generally treats the proceedings recounted in the record as though they never occurred, subject to specific statutory exceptions.

What Is a Felony in Nevada?

Nevada divides felony offenses into five categories: A, B, C, D, and E.

Category A generally includes the most serious felony offenses, while Category E is the lowest felony classification. Categories B, C, and D fall between them and encompass a wide range of criminal offenses.

The felony category affects more than the possible sentence. It can also determine how long a person must wait before petitioning to have the record sealed.

However, the category alone does not always determine eligibility. The specific offense matters because Nevada law applies different rules to certain crimes and prohibits sealing some convictions entirely.

How a Felony Conviction Can Affect Your Life

A felony conviction can continue to create consequences after incarceration, probation, or parole ends. Potential effects may include:

• Employment: criminal background checks can affect hiring decisions in some circumstances.
• Housing: a criminal history may be considered by some landlords or housing providers.
• Professional licensing: certain convictions may affect eligibility for particular licenses or occupations.
• Firearm rights: a felony conviction generally prohibits firearm possession unless firearm rights are restored through an applicable legal process.
• Immigration: certain criminal convictions can have serious immigration consequences for noncitizens.
• Public records: unless sealed or otherwise protected by law, criminal case information may remain available through court and criminal-history records.

The exact consequences vary considerably depending on the offense and the person's circumstances.

Nevada Felony Record Sealing Waiting Periods

NRS 179.245 establishes waiting periods for many Nevada convictions. For felony convictions, the general waiting periods are:

Felony Conviction	General Waiting Period
Category A felony	10 years
Crime of violence	10 years
Residential burglary under NRS 205.060	10 years
Category B felony	5 years
Category C felony	5 years
Category D felony	5 years
Category E felony	2 years

For purposes of these general waiting periods, the time is measured from the date the person is released from actual custody or discharged from parole or probation, whichever occurs later.

This means completing a prison sentence does not necessarily start the eligibility period if the person remains on parole. Likewise, a person sentenced to probation generally must complete probation before the applicable waiting period begins.

The specific offense must still be eligible for sealing. Falling within one of these timeframes does not automatically guarantee that a court will seal the record.

Are All Nevada Felonies Eligible for Record Sealing?

No. Some felony convictions cannot be sealed under Nevada law.

Nevada imposes restrictions on sealing records involving certain offenses, including specified crimes against children, sexual offenses, and certain serious driving offenses, such as felony DUI causing substantial bodily harm or death.

Because eligibility can depend on the exact statute of conviction rather than simply whether the offense was classified as Category A, B, C, D, or E, it is important to identify the precise conviction before calculating a record-sealing date.

A person should not assume that a conviction automatically becomes eligible merely because 2, 5, or 10 years have passed.

What If You Have More Than One Criminal Case?

Having multiple arrests or convictions can make the record-sealing process more complicated, but it is too broad to say that Nevada always requires every criminal case on a person's record to become eligible before any record can be sealed.

Eligibility depends on the records involved, the disposition of each case, the applicable Nevada statutes, and the circumstances of the petition. That said, in Clark County specifically, the District Attorney's office generally requires that all of a petitioner's eligible cases within the county be sealed together in a single filing, which is a local practice rather than a statewide statutory mandate.

Nevada law also addresses how prior proceedings and previously sealed records may be treated when a court considers another sealing request.

Because multiple cases can involve different waiting periods and eligibility rules, each conviction or case should be evaluated individually rather than assuming the entire criminal history follows a single waiting period.

What If Your Case Was Dismissed or You Were Acquitted?

Cases that end without a conviction are treated differently from felony convictions.

Under Nevada law, a person whose charges were dismissed or who was acquitted may seek sealing of records relating to the arrest and criminal proceedings without waiting through the multi-year periods that generally apply to convictions.

If prosecutors declined to pursue charges, different timing requirements may apply depending on the circumstances.

This distinction is important because someone who was arrested for a felony but never convicted should not assume that the 2-year, 5-year, or 10-year felony waiting periods apply to that case.

How to Seal a Felony Record in Nevada

The record-sealing process depends on the court and circumstances involved, but it generally requires determining whether the conviction is eligible and whether the applicable waiting period has been satisfied. The process may include:

1. Identify the conviction and confirm eligibility. Determine the exact offense, felony category, disposition, and whether Nevada law permits the record to be sealed.
2. Determine whether the waiting period has passed. Calculate the applicable period from release from actual custody or discharge from parole or probation, whichever occurred later.
3. Obtain current criminal-history records. A petition under NRS 179.245 generally requires current, verified records from the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History.
4. Prepare the petition and supporting information. The petition must properly identify the conviction and records the person wants sealed.
5. Submit the petition through the appropriate court process. Additional procedures can vary depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances.
6. Obtain and distribute the sealing order if granted. The appropriate agencies and record custodians identified in the order must process the sealing of qualifying records.

Eligibility for record sealing does not necessarily mean the process happens automatically. The applicable statutory procedure must be followed unless another Nevada law provides for automatic sealing in the particular circumstances.

What Happens After a Nevada Criminal Record Is Sealed?

Record sealing provides substantial legal protections.

Under NRS 179.285, when a court orders qualifying records sealed, the proceedings recounted in those records are generally deemed never to have occurred. Subject to statutory exceptions, the person may generally answer accordingly when asked about the arrest, conviction, acquittal, or related proceedings. This can be particularly important when applying for employment or housing.

However, sealing should not be understood as physically destroying every record or making the information inaccessible under every possible circumstance. Nevada law contains specific exceptions governing when certain sealed records may be inspected or used.

Will a Sealed Felony Appear on a Background Check?

A properly sealed Nevada criminal record generally should not appear as an ordinary public criminal record.

Because NRS 179.285 generally treats the proceedings described in a sealed record as though they never occurred, a person can generally respond accordingly to questions about the sealed arrest or conviction, subject to exceptions established by law.

However, Nevada statutes permit access to or use of certain sealed records in specific circumstances. For that reason, it is more accurate to say that sealing removes a qualifying record from ordinary public access rather than claiming that the information can never be accessed again.

Does Sealing a Felony Restore Your Civil Rights?

Record sealing and restoration of civil rights are related issues, but they are not the same legal process.

Voting Rights

Nevada generally provides for automatic restoration of voting rights for people convicted of felonies.

Under Nevada law, a person convicted of a felony who is placed on probation, granted parole, or granted a pardon is immediately restored to the right to vote. A person who serves a prison sentence is also restored to the right to vote upon release.

This means a person generally does not need to wait for a felony record to be sealed before becoming eligible to vote again. Separately, when a record is later sealed under NRS 179.285, the person is also restored to the right to hold office and serve on a jury, if those rights have not already been restored.

Firearm Rights

Firearm rights are different.

Sealing a felony record does not automatically restore the right to possess firearms. Nevada generally prohibits a person convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm unless the person's firearm rights have been restored through an applicable legal process.

A Nevada pardon may restore firearm rights if the pardon does not restrict the person's right to bear arms.

Anyone with a felony conviction should determine their legal firearm status before attempting to purchase or possess a firearm, even if the criminal record has been sealed.

Is Record Sealing the Same as Expungement?

The terms "sealing" and "expungement" are sometimes used interchangeably in everyday conversation, but they should not automatically be treated as identical legal concepts.

Nevada's statutes provide a process for sealing criminal records. When qualifying records are sealed, NRS 179.285 generally treats the proceedings recounted in them as though they never occurred, subject to statutory exceptions.

For someone researching how to clear a Nevada felony record, "record sealing" is therefore the more accurate term to use.

Facing a Felony Record in Nevada?

A felony conviction can remain on your Nevada criminal record indefinitely if no action is taken to seal an eligible record. Depending on the conviction, Nevada's general felony waiting periods range from two years for eligible Category E felonies to ten years for Category A felonies, crimes of violence, and residential burglary under NRS 205.060.

However, the waiting period is only one part of determining eligibility. The specific offense, how the case was resolved, when custody, probation, or parole ended, and other aspects of your criminal history can affect whether and when a record may be sealed.

If you have a felony conviction and want to determine whether your record is eligible for sealing, Gallo Criminal Defense Las Vegas can review your criminal history and explain the options available under Nevada law.

Contact Gallo Criminal Defense Las Vegas today for a free consultation about Nevada record sealing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does a felony ever automatically fall off your record in Nevada?
A: A felony conviction should not be assumed to disappear simply because a certain number of years have passed. Many eligible Nevada felony records can be sealed after statutory waiting periods, but you must meet the applicable sealing process and eligibility requirements.

Q: How long do you have to wait to seal a Category B felony in Nevada?
A: Most eligible Category B felony convictions have a five-year waiting period. However, certain offenses, including crimes subject to different statutory rules, may require a longer period or may not qualify for sealing.

Q: How long do you have to wait to seal a Category E felony in Nevada?
A: An eligible Category E felony generally has a two-year waiting period measured from release from actual custody or discharge from parole or probation, whichever occurs later.

Q: Can I seal a felony if I only received probation?
A: Potentially, yes. Receiving probation instead of serving a prison sentence does not automatically prevent an otherwise eligible felony from being sealed. The applicable waiting period generally runs from discharge from probation.

Q: Can I seal a felony conviction from another state in Nevada?
A: Nevada's record-sealing statutes govern Nevada criminal records. If you were convicted in another state, you generally need to look to that state's laws and procedures for relief from that conviction.

Q: Do I need a lawyer to seal my felony record?
A: Nevada law does not universally require a person to hire an attorney to petition for record sealing. However, determining eligibility and preparing the necessary records and court documents can become complicated, particularly when a person has multiple cases or convictions.

Q: Will sealing my record help with background checks?
A: Sealing can significantly limit ordinary public access to qualifying criminal records. Under Nevada law, proceedings recounted in properly sealed records are generally deemed never to have occurred, subject to specific statutory exceptions.

Q: Does sealing a felony restore my gun rights?
A: No. Sealing a Nevada felony record does not automatically restore firearm rights. Firearm-right restoration is a separate legal issue.

Q: Can a dismissed felony charge be sealed?
A: Nevada law provides a process for sealing records when charges are dismissed, or a person is acquitted, without requiring the same multi-year waiting periods that generally apply to felony convictions. Different rules can apply when prosecutors decline to file charges.

Q: What if I get another conviction before I can seal my felony?
A: It can affect the timeline. Nevada law generally requires a petitioner to remain conviction-free throughout the applicable waiting period, so a new conviction can prevent an older case from becoming sealable until the new case is also resolved and eligible. Each conviction and its applicable waiting period should still be reviewed individually rather than assumed.