众所周知，大多数犯罪记录（包括轻罪和重罪定罪）都会出现在背景调查中。谈到少年记录，许多人不确定背景筛选过程会发生什么。青少年犯罪记录是否会像任何其他犯罪活动一样出现在犯罪背景调查中？或者青少年记录是否被密封并防止出现在背景调查中？
简单来说，少年记录 就是 犯罪记录。如果您有少年记录并且工作申请询问您是否曾被定罪，唯一诚实的答案是“是”。虽然被审判和定罪的少年 是 不是被审判和定罪为不同的成人大多是关于惩罚，这两种情况下有资格作为犯罪记录。正确的背景调查也可以找到。
然而，简单的答案并不是完整的答案。对于少年犯罪记录，每个州都有不同的法律来管理这些记录的处理方式。
一些州允许在犯罪者年满 18 岁后自动清除轻微的少年犯罪。其他州没有针对少年记录的自动清除法。 被删除的记录不会出现在背景调查中。更严重的青少年犯罪更有可能在您的记录中保留更长的时间。
即使您所在的州不会自动删除您的少年记录，这并不意味着您无法 密封或删除记录。有少年记录且没有其他犯罪记录的个人通常非常适合清除。法官承认大多数少年犯是在他们年轻时犯过错误并且现在（希望）从这些错误中吸取教训的人。
与其他清除案件一样，如果您的定罪是最近一次或您是惯犯，您的索赔将不会有效。如果您从 17 岁起就有少年记录并试图在 19 或 20 岁时将其删除，那么您将比 25 岁的人从 15 岁开始删除犯罪记录更麻烦。在大多数情况下，您需要等待定罪后至少五年才有资格删除。如果您因类似指控而有多项青少年犯罪记录——或者如果您在 18 岁后被判犯有类似罪行——您的清除之路将更加漫长。
罪行的严重程度也很重要。性犯罪即使是青少年记录也很难消除，暴力犯罪也是如此。任何升级为成人定罪的指控也将受到法官更严格的审查。
In the simplest terms, juvenile records are criminal records. If you have a juvenile record and a job application asks whether you have ever been convicted of a crime, the only honest answer is, “Yes.” While being tried and convicted as a juvenile is different than being tried and convicted as an adult—mostly regarding punishment—both situations qualify as criminal records. The right background check can find either.
The simple answer isn’t the full answer, though. For juvenile criminal records, there are different laws in each state that govern how these records are handled.
Some states permit minor juvenile offenses to be automatically expunged once the perpetrator turns 18. Other states don’t have automatic expungement laws for juvenile records. Expunged records don’t show up on background checks. More severe juvenile offenses are more likely to stay on your record for a longer period.
Even if your state doesn’t automatically expunge your juvenile record, that doesn’t mean you can’t get the record sealed or expunged. Individuals with juvenile records and no other criminal records are typically very good candidates for expungement. Judges recognize most juvenile offenders as people who made mistakes while they were young and have now (hopefully) learned lessons from those mistakes.
As with other expungement cases, your claim will be less effective if your conviction was very recent or you are a repeat offender. If you have a juvenile record from when you were 17 and try to expunge it at 19 or 20, you will have more trouble than a 25-year-old expunging an offense from when they were 15. In most cases, you need to wait at least five years after conviction to be eligible for expungement. If you have multiple juvenile criminal records for similar charges—or if you were convicted of a similar offense after you turned 18—your road to expungement will be lengthier.
The severity of the offense also matters. Sex crimes are difficult to expunge even if they are juvenile records, as are violent offenses. Any charge upgraded to an adult conviction will also be viewed more critically by a judge.
