How to Receive a Certificate of Innocence

If you are seeking a Certificate of Innocence for an adult felony conviction pursuant to the Unjust Conviction and Imprisonment Compensation Amendment Act of 2017 (D.C. Code § 2-241, et seq.), you are required to file:

• A Motion to Seal on the Grounds of Actual Innocence pursuant to D.C. Code § 16-802, or
• A Motion to Vacate Conviction on the Grounds of Actual Innocence pursuant to D.C. Code § 22-4135.

If a judicial officer grants your Motion to Seal or Vacate on the Grounds of Actual Innocence, the court will issue a signed order that you may use as a Certificate of Innocence.

If you have questions about this process, please refer to How to File a Motion to Seal or contact the following:

• Criminal Motion Seal Team at CriminalMotionSealTeam [at] dcsc.gov or 202-879-1362 (if seeking a Certificate of Innocence pursuant to D.C. Code § 16-802), or
• CriminalCustomerService [at] dcsc.gov (if seeking a Certificate of Innocence pursuant to D.C. Code § 22-4135).