(A)

1. (1) Except as provided in section 2953.61 of the Revised Code, an eligible offender may apply to the sentencing court if convicted in this state, or to a court of common pleas if convicted in another state or in a federal court, for the sealing of the record of the case that pertains to the conviction. Application may be made at the expiration of three years after the offender's final discharge if convicted of a felony, or at the expiration of one year after the offender's final discharge if convicted of a misdemeanor.
2. (2) Any person who has been arrested for any misdemeanor offense and who has effected a bail forfeiture for the offense charged may apply to the court in which the misdemeanor criminal case was pending when bail was forfeited for the sealing of the record of the case that pertains to the charge. Except as provided in section 2953.61 of the Revised Code, the application may be filed at any time after the expiration of one year from the date on which the bail forfeiture was entered upon the minutes of the court or the journal, whichever entry occurs first.

(C)

1. (1) The court shall do each of the following:

   1. (a) Determine whether the applicant is an eligible offender or whether the forfeiture of bail was agreed to by the applicant and the prosecutor in the case. If the applicant applies as an eligible offender pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section and has two or three convictions that result from the same indictment, information, or complaint, from the same plea of guilty, or from the same official proceeding, and result from related criminal acts that were committed within a three-month period but do not result from the same act or from offenses committed at the same time, in making its determination under this division, the court initially shall determine whether it is not in the public interest for the two or three convictions to be counted as one conviction. If the court determines that it is not in the public interest for the two or three convictions to be counted as one conviction, the court shall determine that the applicant is not an eligible offender; if the court does not make that determination, the court shall determine that the offender is an eligible offender.
   2. (b) Determine whether criminal proceedings are pending against the applicant;
   3. (c) If the applicant is an eligible offender who applies pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section, determine whether the applicant has been rehabilitated to the satisfaction of the court;
   4. (d) If the prosecutor has filed an objection in accordance with division (B) of this section, consider the reasons against granting the application specified by the prosecutor in the objection;
   5. (e) Weigh the interests of the applicant in having the records pertaining to the applicant's conviction or bail forfeiture sealed against the legitimate needs, if any, of the government to maintain those records.
2. (2) If the court determines, after complying with division (C)(1) of this section, that the applicant is an eligible offender or the subject of a bail forfeiture, that no criminal proceeding is pending against the applicant, that the interests of the applicant in having the records pertaining to the applicant's conviction or bail forfeiture sealed are not outweighed by any legitimate governmental needs to maintain those records, and that the rehabilitation of an applicant who is an eligible offender applying pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section has been attained to the satisfaction of the court, the court, except as provided in division (C)(4), (G), (H), or (I) of this section, shall order all official records of the case that pertain to the conviction or bail forfeiture sealed and, except as provided in division (F) of this section, all index references to the case that pertain to the conviction or bail forfeiture deleted and, in the case of bail forfeitures, shall dismiss the charges in the case. The proceedings in the case that pertain to the conviction or bail forfeiture shall be considered not to have occurred and the conviction or bail forfeiture of the person who is the subject of the proceedings shall be sealed, except that upon conviction of a subsequent offense, the sealed record of prior conviction or bail forfeiture may be considered by the court in determining the sentence or other appropriate disposition, including the relief provided for in sections 2953.31 to 2953.33 of the Revised Code.
3. (3) An applicant may request the sealing of the records of more than one case in a single application under this section. Upon the filing of an application under this section, the applicant, unless indigent, shall pay a fee of fifty dollars, regardless of the number of records the application requests to have sealed. The court shall pay thirty dollars of the fee into the state treasury. It shall pay twenty dollars of the fee into the county general revenue fund if the sealed conviction or bail forfeiture was pursuant to a state statute, or into the general revenue fund of the municipal corporation involved if the sealed conviction or bail forfeiture was pursuant to a municipal ordinance.

4. (4) If the court orders the official records pertaining to the case sealed, the court shall do one of the following:

   1. (a) If the applicant was fingerprinted at the time of arrest or under section 109.60 of the Revised Code and the record of the applicant's fingerprints was provided to the court under division (B) of this section, forward a copy of the sealing order and the record of the applicant's fingerprints to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation.
   2. (b) If the applicant was not fingerprinted at the time of arrest or under section 109.60 of the Revised Code, or the record of the applicant's fingerprints was not provided to the court under division (B) of this section, but fingerprinting was required for the offense, order the applicant to appear before a sheriff to have the applicant's fingerprints taken according to the fingerprint system of identification on the forms furnished by the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation. The sheriff shall forward the applicant's fingerprints to the court. The court shall forward the applicant's fingerprints and a copy of the sealing order to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation. Failure of the court to order fingerprints at the time of sealing does not constitute a reversible error.

5. (5) At the time an applicant files an application under division (A) of this section, the following shall apply:

   1. (a) The clerk of court shall notify the applicant in writing that the court will send notice of any order under division (C)(2) of this section to the qualified third party selected by the attorney general under section 109.38 of the Revised Code and shall inform the applicant of the procedures under section 109.381 of the Revised Code.
   2. (b) The applicant shall then notify the clerk if the applicant wishes to opt out of receiving the benefits of having the court send notice of its order under division (C)(2) of this section to the qualified third party and having the procedures under section 109.381 of the Revised Code apply to the records that are subject to the order.
   3. (c) If the applicant does not opt out under division (C)(5)(b) of this section, the applicant shall pay to the clerk of court the fee provided in the contract between the attorney general and the qualified third party under division (D)(2)(b) of section 109.38 of the Revised Code.

6. (6)

   1. (a) Upon the issuance of an order under division (C)(2) of this section, and unless the applicant opts out under division (C)(5)(b) of this section, the clerk shall remit the fee paid by the applicant under division (C)(5)(c) of this section to the qualified third party. The court shall send notice of the order under division (C)(2) of this section to the qualified third party.
   2. (b) If the applicant's application under division (A) of this section is denied for any reason or if the applicant informs the clerk of court in writing, before the issuance of the order under division (C)(2) of this section, that the applicant wishes to opt out of having the court send notice of its order under division (C)(2) of this section to the qualified third party, the clerk shall remit the fee paid by the applicant under division (C)(5)(c) of this section that is intended for the qualified third party back to the applicant.

(D) Inspection of the sealed records included in the order may be made only by the following persons or for the following purposes:

1. (1) By a law enforcement officer or prosecutor, or the assistants of either, to determine whether the nature and character of the offense with which a person is to be charged would be affected by virtue of the person's previously having been convicted of a crime;
2. (2) By the parole or probation officer of the person who is the subject of the records, for the exclusive use of the officer in supervising the person while on parole or under a community control sanction or a post-release control sanction, and in making inquiries and written reports as requested by the court or adult parole authority;
3. (3) Upon application by the person who is the subject of the records, by the persons named in the application;
4. (4) By a law enforcement officer who was involved in the case, for use in the officer's defense of a civil action arising out of the officer's involvement in that case;
5. (5) By a prosecuting attorney or the prosecuting attorney's assistants, to determine a defendant's eligibility to enter a pre-trial diversion program established pursuant to section 2935.36 of the Revised Code;
6. (6) By any law enforcement agency or any authorized employee of a law enforcement agency or by the department of rehabilitation and correction or department of youth services as part of a background investigation of a person who applies for employment with the agency or with the department;
7. (7) By any law enforcement agency or any authorized employee of a law enforcement agency, for the purposes set forth in, and in the manner provided in, section 2953.321 of the Revised Code;
8. (8) By the bureau of criminal identification and investigation or any authorized employee of the bureau for the purpose of providing information to a board or person pursuant to division (F) or (G) of section 109.57 of the Revised Code;
9. (9) By the bureau of criminal identification and investigation or any authorized employee of the bureau for the purpose of performing a criminal history records check on a person to whom a certificate as prescribed in section 109.77 of the Revised Code is to be awarded;
10. (10) By the bureau of criminal identification and investigation or any authorized employee of the bureau for the purpose of conducting a criminal records check of an individual pursuant to division (B) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code that was requested pursuant to any of the sections identified in division (B)(1) of that section;
11. (11) By the bureau of criminal identification and investigation, an authorized employee of the bureau, a sheriff, or an authorized employee of a sheriff in connection with a criminal records check described in section 311.41 of the Revised Code;
12. (12) By the attorney general or an authorized employee of the attorney general or a court for purposes of determining a person's classification pursuant to Chapter 2950. of the Revised Code;
13. (13) By a court, the registrar of motor vehicles, a prosecuting attorney or the prosecuting attorney's assistants, or a law enforcement officer for the purpose of assessing points against a person under section 4510.036 of the Revised Code or for taking action with regard to points assessed. When the nature and character of the offense with which a person is to be charged would be affected by the information, it may be used for the purpose of charging the person with an offense.