felony · 5 years to file · Rules v2026.2, current through July 1, 2026

Sealing felony in Colorado

Colorado treats felony as a felony for sealing purposes. That sets your waiting period, and it is shorter than most people assume.

Two clocks run on your case, and they are years apart. The one you control is the shorter one.

The two dates that matter

You can file by motion after: 5 years, under C.R.S. § 24-72-706
The state reaches it after: 10 years, under C.R.S. § 13-3-117
The Gap: 5 years you do not have to wait
The clock starts at: the later of your final disposition or your release from probation, parole or jail

Those are the felony periods. If you are past the first date, you can file now, and waiting for the second one buys you nothing.

What this covers

class 4, 5 or 6 felony
level 3 or level 4 drug felony
a felony reduced to a misdemeanor at sentencing

Lower-class felonies — class 4, 5 and 6, and level 3 and 4 drug felonies — are commonly sealable after the waiting period. The most serious classes are excluded by statute, or need the district attorney's agreement. The Check names which side of that line your case falls on and cites the subsection.

What can still stop it

A conviction after this case.
A criminal case open right now.
Restitution, fines or court costs still owed. Pay them first; $224 of filing fee is wasted otherwise.
A plea agreement in which you gave up the right to seal.

The Check below applies these rules to your own dates and gives you the two dates for your case, free, without asking who you are.

Common questions

How long after felony can I seal it in Colorado?

5 years from the later of your final disposition or your release from supervision, under C.R.S. § 24-72-706. The state's own automatic route takes 10 years.

What if I am not sure of the class?

Order your criminal history from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation; the class is printed on it. The Check also accepts "I am not sure" and widens the answer instead of refusing it.

Unburdened is not a law firm. This is legal information, not legal advice.