Last year, Governor Sisolak signed Assembly Bill 192 – the retroactive Nevada Second Chance Act to make it possible for decriminalized offenses to be sealed.

If you have a criminal record, it can adversely affect your ability to secure a job and a rental property. Your options are limited: you don’t get to enjoy or benefit from the same opportunities as someone without a record.

Record sealing doesn’t erase the conviction completely, but it can give people a chance to put the past behind them. It offers a fresh start. If you apply for a job, private employers cannot access your files through a background check. Likewise, if you want to rent a property, your prospective landlord doesn’t get to look into your file. You’re free to travel, work and live without a past mistake holding you back.

Seal your criminal record and you can vote, serve on a jury, hold office and enjoy the reinstatement of your civil rights. Even under oath, you will be able to lawfully deny having a criminal record. One point to note here: record sealing does not restore the right to own firearms, unless a specific exoneration from the Nevada Pardons Board has been handed down.

There are exclusions: anyone with a criminal record for felony DUI/DUIDs, crimes against children or sexual offenses cannot have their records sealed.

Otherwise, the process is straightforward: if you have been previously convicted of a crime that has been decriminalized, you can petition the court where you were convicted to have your record sealed.