Frequently Asked Questions

All Rising Scholars – currently enrolled or not – are eligible to have TAP check their records for free to see if they have convictions that can be reduced or dismissed. TAP won’t know if your convictions can be addressed without seeing your record. Some applicants will need to complete a waiting period before they are eligible.

First, register online here.

Next, you’ll attend to an on-campus meeting where we will introduce the program. A Live Scan operator will be onsite and will submit your fingerprints to the California Department of Justice. Within a few weeks, you will receive a copy of your record (RAP sheet) in the mail. The Access Project will also receive a copy.

Then, pro bono volunteers (lawyers at major law firms around the state working for you at no cost) will review your RAP sheet to see what convictions can be reduced or expunged. They will prepare all the forms that you will need to file with the court. If there are no eligible convictions, we will contact you to discuss your situation.

Most applicants will need to support their petition with evidence, called a “declaration.” The declaration consists of a personal statement along with supporting letters of reference and documents such as transcripts and certificates. We will let you know whether you will need to write a personal statement and gather supporting materials. Trained volunteers will be available to assist you. For more information, see the Declarations page.

Once your petitions are complete, we will contact you to review them and have you sign them.  Then The Access Project will file them with the appropriate court on your behalf.

Some courts schedule a hearing for clean slate cases; others decide them based on the
paperwork we submit. If you have a hearing, we can assist you with preparation, but you will need to attend the hearing yourself. For courts in large cities or which hold Zoom hearings, we may be able to assign a volunteer to represent you at the hearing.

We plan to file all petitions by the end of the semester. The timing of the court’s decision depends on the backlog at the court. Some petitions are decided immediately; others take months.

For more information, please review the timeline.

All costs for reviewing your record and preparing petitions including Live Scan fees, copying and printing costs, will be covered by The Access Project; however if you don't attend your school's Live Scan meeting, you may need to pay out-of-pocket for your fingerprinting.  We will let you know.

In a few counties, after a successful petition, the court may charge a fee of $60-$240 that The Access Project cannot cover. We will help you file a fee waiver to try to avoid this cost.

Click here to register now!