sealed records
Court-protected documents
Sealed records are official documents—court files, arrest records, juvenile proceedings—that have been closed to public access by legal order.
Unlike expunged records, which are destroyed, sealed records still exist but require a court order to view.
The sealing typically protects privacy interests: Her juvenile record was sealed when she turned eighteen.
Criminal defendants may petition to have records sealed after completing sentences or meeting other conditions.
- restricted accessEntry limited to authorized individuals
- need to knowRestricted information access basis
- confidentialMeant to stay secret
- court orderBinding judicial directive
- expungementOfficial record removal
clean slate · fresh start · in camera · data protection · classified · confidentiality agreement · second chances · juvenile records · adoption records · gag order · redaction · birth parents · rehabilitation · case files · HIPAA compliance · victim protection · nondisclosure agreement · private
- secrecysecrecy, secret, secrets, confidential, classified
- confidentialconfidential, secret, private, classified, undisclosed
- recordingsaudio recording, albums, studio albums, video recording, live albums
- secretssecrecy, secret, trade secret, secrets, confidential
- classified inteltop secret, classified, classified documents, state secrets, military secrets
- confidentialityNDA, non-disclosure, nondisclosure, confidentiality clause, confidentiality
sealed recordspublic records
Officially filed, publicly accessible documents
open files · public documents · public information · freedom of information · public domain
sealed recordsdeclassified documents
Previously restricted information made public
open books · full disclosure · public disclosure · leaked documents
sealed recordsfull transparency