Criminal Expungement - Volunteer Lawyers Network
- Full representation, assisted pro se (brief services-forms completion) and legal advice on expunging criminal records - Assisted pro se services consist of a workshop where a paralegal and attorney draft the petition and filing materials for the client. The workshop staff takes care of the services and paperwork. - Full representation and assisted pro se: Clients must be screened by an attorney, usually by attending a seminar in the metro area
Categories
Last assured
09/23/2025
Physical Address
600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 390A, Minneapolis, MN 55402
Hours
10 am - 1 pm Monday - Thursday
Voice
Fax
(612)752-6656
Website
https://www.vlnmn.org/
Application process
- Call for intake screening - Can select option to continue in Spanish, to be connected to Spanish-speaking staff - Online Intake Form available at http://www.vlnmn.org/intake/
Fee
None except for form and records; $8 fee for BCA request form; $10 fee for each criminal record
Required documents
- If possible, obtain copies of court records and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) records ahead of time - To obtain criminal records from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, visit https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/Pages/criminal-history-search.aspx - To obtain court records from the Minnesota Court Informational Systems (MNCIS), go to any state courthouse and request records or visit website, www.mncourts.gov/caserecords. Must physically be at the courthouse when requesting records to receive complete records history. Requesting court records via the website from a location other than the courthouse will not yield complete records. If unable to pay fee, obtain the Case Records Search Results information listing all cases and case numbers. There is a $10 fee for each record - For expungement filing information, visit http://www.mncourts.gov/Help-Topics/Criminal-Expungement.aspx
Eligibility
Open to all residents of Minnesota needing legal services who meet income requirements; households up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Out of state clients with criminal cases in Minnesota may be eligible for advice.
Service area
MN
Agency info
Volunteer Lawyers Network
Volunteer-based nonprofit that provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals. Services provided range from free legal advice to free full representation, depending on eligibility and issue type. VLN does not handle any cases in which an attorney may recover fees, including contingency fees, business transactions, business litigation, employment discrimination, government benefits, wills and probate, workers' compensation, or criminal matters.