Unfortunately, there is no process by which the sealing or expunging of your Florida criminal record can be expedited. You cannot pay for expedited processing time (although I wish you could, and so do many of my clients). You cannot ask the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for a precise time in which the processing of your application will be completed.
Sealing or expunging a record in Florida requires the assistance of several government agencies. To say the least, the Clerk of Courts, FDLE, and State Attorney's Office all have a hand in processing your application and subsequently your petition to seal or expunge. While your attorney will undoubtedly work quickly to help you reach your goal of having a clean criminal record, we cannot - as badly as we'd like - demand the same from government agencies that are systemically slow due to being overworked and understaffed.
Patience is a necessary skill when sealing or expunging your record. The process can take up to one year. But there is no point in waiting.
If you're going to have to wait anyway, why not start now? At least this time next year, the process will be over and your record could be clean.
Eric Matheny is a sealing and expungement attorney assisting clients with the sealing and expungement of criminal records throughout the State of Florida. Eric Matheny seals and expunges records in all of Florida's 67 counties. He is one of the few attorneys in the State of Florida to do so.