Record Sealing: What It Means for Sex Workers and How It Affects Your Future

When you think about record sealing, the legal process of hiding or restricting access to a criminal record so it doesn’t show up in routine background checks. Also known as expungement, it doesn’t erase the past—but it can stop it from ruining your future. For people who’ve been arrested for sex work, even if charges were dropped or never filed, that record can haunt you for years. Landlords deny rentals. Employers pull applications. Even applying for a bank account can trigger a red flag. Record sealing isn’t about hiding something shameful—it’s about giving people a fair shot after they’ve paid their debt to society, or after the law itself changed.

Many of the arrests tied to sex work happened under laws that are now widely seen as harmful or outdated. The decriminalization, the removal of criminal penalties for consensual adult sex work, often supported by human rights organizations like the UN and WHO movement has grown strong in recent years, but the legal system moves slowly. Even in places where sex work is no longer prosecuted, old records still exist. That’s where criminal record clearance, the umbrella term for processes like sealing, expungement, or set-aside orders that limit access to past arrests or convictions comes in. It’s not automatic. You usually have to file paperwork, pay fees, and sometimes appear in court. But for someone trying to get a job as a nurse, a teacher, or even just a rental apartment, it’s worth it.

And it’s not just about employment. A sealed record can mean the difference between getting help for mental health or being turned away because of a past arrest. Medical escort services, for example, often require background checks. So do volunteer programs, housing assistance, and even some online platforms that let you work remotely. Record sealing doesn’t fix everything—but it removes one of the biggest legal barriers. It lets you move forward without constantly looking over your shoulder.

Below, you’ll find real guides from people who’ve navigated this system. Some fought to seal their own records. Others helped clients do the same. You’ll read about how police encounters, solicitation laws, and platform censorship all tie into why these records exist—and why clearing them matters now more than ever. These aren’t abstract legal theories. They’re stories of people who got stuck because of a past that no longer defines them—and how they found a way out.