An "expungement" is a procedure by which a criminal arrest or conviction may be erased from a person's record. Most criminal records can be expunged, but there are exceptions. Convictions for murder, rape, and for most sex crimes cannot be expunged.

More and more, employers are conducting background searches of their current and prospective
employees. Often time, employers will either refuse to hire candidates with a criminal
background or will terminate current employees if they discover a blemish on their record.
Employers may even refuse to hire applicants who have simply been arrested for an offense,
even if the applicant’s case is dismissed or if he or she is found not guilty.

Expunging or erasing a criminal record can remove such challenges.