Oklahoma Passes Bill to Enhance State’s Clean Slate Act

Oklahoma City, OK — The Clean Slate Initiative applauds the passage of SB 2030 in the Oklahoma Legislature — a bill that will amend the state’s Clean Slate Act and make the process for automated record sealing more streamlined and efficient. The bill builds upon Oklahoma’s original Clean Slate Act that was passed in 2022, and now heads to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt for his signature.

25 percent of adults in Oklahoma have a past arrest or conviction record, most often for old arrests, acquittals, or lower-level convictions. In 2022, Oklahoma made a promise that a past mistake wouldn’t stand in the way of someone building a better life for themselves and their family by passing the Clean Slate Act with bipartisan support — a measure that would benefit an estimated 354,000 Oklahomans. However, the path to fully implementing the law has met some technical roadblocks, leaving many people waiting for the second chance they have earned. SB 2030 aims to rectify this, removing process elements that added complexity and required manual work.

“SB 2030 will help Clean Slate deliver on the promise of a meaningful second chance,” said Sarah Fajardo, Implementation Manager at The Clean Slate Initiative, who worked closely on SB 2030 with Oklahoma stakeholders. “We appreciate the consistent commitment from Oklahoma’s leaders to make Clean’s Slate’s promise a reality. This bill will finally put opportunities within reach for thousands of Oklahomans who were previously denied meaningful opportunities due to their arrest or conviction record.”

This legislation maintains public safety by ensuring sealed records remain accessible to law enforcement and prosecutors. Oklahoma is also putting firm deadlines in place for the first time to start sealing records and to eliminate the current backlog. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) must begin sealing records through the Clean Slate process by November 2027 and records that were eligible for Clean Slate as of November 2027 must be sealed by November 2029. Along with the legislation’s new reporting requirements, these deadlines were designed to keep agencies accountable every step of the way and will ensure that thousands of eligible residents aren’t left waiting years for relief.

"This is meaningful progress for Oklahoma, and I want to thank the authors of SB 2030 and the lawmakers who came together to pass this important legislation, said Mike Shelton, Executive Director of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform. “I also want to recognize the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and all of the partners who did the heavy lifting to move this work forward. At its core, this is about people, breaking down barriers, reducing stigma, and creating a clear path forward for individuals and families. Out of the hundreds of pieces of legislation signed into law each year, this is one that will have a real impact on day one. Hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans will have the opportunity to enter the workforce without carrying the weight of a record that no longer reflects who they are. Today is a win for Oklahoma, and especially for those families who have been waiting for a fair chance to move forward."

The Oklahoma Clean Slate Act removes red tape by sealing arrest and conviction records after five years if people meet the requirements, which include completing their sentences and remaining crime-free. SB 2030 will also codify OSBI’s self-initiated project of building an online request system for Clean Slate-eligible records. OSBI began building this free request portal in 2025 and expects to be ready to launch in 2026. This will help fill in the gap while OSBI prepares for Clean Slate automated sealing in 2027.

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About The Clean Slate Initiative

The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) is a national, bipartisan nonprofit organization that works to pass and implement automated record sealing legislation at the state and federal levels. More information about The Clean Slate Initiative is available at cleanslateinitiative.org.

Media Contact: Morgan Kelly, CSI, press@cleanslateinitiative.org