Do I Have to Disclose My Juvenile Record to My Employer?

Having juvenile convictions on your record can cause confusion. Who are you obligated to inform of your criminal past? Your school? Your employer? How will the conviction affect your future life? Will you have a criminal record forever? Must you always write down on a job application that you have been convicted of a crime? These are all valid questions that you should consider if you have a juvenile record.

Sealed to the Public

In normal circumstances, juvenile records are sealed. This means that your juvenile record will not be open to the public and therefore most people will not know about your conviction. The only people who are authorized to see your juvenile file are certain employees of state and federal agencies, members of the judicial branch who request the information, your attorney, and in some cases the victims involved in the crime. These people can see your record, but they are not allowed to release information concerning your file to anyone.
Furthermore, because most juvenile records can be erased if certain criteria are met, there is usually no record to see even if people go looking for it. If your criminal record is expunged, your arrests and convictions will be erased from the criminal database and you will be given a fresh start.
Even if your juvenile record has not been expunged yet, the police are not allowed to release your juvenile arrest data to any employers. They are not authorized to do this due to the fact that all juvenile records are supposed to be sealed. In the state of Connecticut, you will not be obligated to write down on a job application that you have a juvenile record.
It is important to remember that even though having a juvenile record can be stressful and confusing, your file will be sealed to the public and only a select number of people will have access to it. The public will not know of your crimes so long as they were committed when you were a minor. This includes employees and future employees. You do not have to inform your boss or any future employers of a juvenile infraction or violation, as these are not criminal in nature. If eligible for erasure, you should take steps to make sure your juvenile record is erased.