Brent H

In all honesty if it does show up and it has been 10 years since the offense. You dont have to worry about it. (from my understanding).

surelybonds

No, not if it's not on your state driving record.

Like atpcliff says, get a copy of your NDR and state driving record.
NDR: National Driver Register
Nassif Building
400 7th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20590
You will need to download a PDF form and get it notarized before sending it in.
Pay the notary fee and show an ID.
For your state driving record, go to your state's DMV website and search for driving records. They might have an online PDF form to fill out and mail in. I think you mail in around $10 with the form.
You should also get a copy of your FBI record:
U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306-0001

You will have to send in an original of your fingerprints on a standard fingerprint form - and pay around $18 to have it done and certified locally.
Now you have everything the airlines will have on you and you can make intelligent decisions on what you need to answer.

atpwannabe

Choppy1:

First things first. Do you have any type of medical certificate? If so, good. Don't lose it. If not, then, when you do apply for it.....list everything. I'm currently going through "that" process with the FAA. Believe you me, they leave no stone unturned. There will be a number of psychiatric evaluations they may require you to undergo. If so, go with flow. It benefits everyone.

I'm just about to be awarded my either my 1st or 2nd Class Med Cert. I would strongly suggest that if you believe that you have a drinking problem.....get help. Not just so that you can still pursue this profession, but that it will bring inner healing to your life and offer you wholeness. Believe me...I know. Becoming a professional pilot is one of my heart's desire, however, it's not a be all to end all.

As far as having charges and/or convictions expunged, you can get it expunged. You are entitled to one expungement in your life time. If you have multiple convictions....choose wisely. Whatever is expunged at the local or state level will be expunged at the Federal level as well. I've used mine, so I know. What I had expunged didn't appear on my FBI record. It wasn't a conviction but a charge. Nonetheless, again I strongly encourage you to choose wisely if there are multiple convictions and/or charges.

Hope this helps. All the best.



atp

surelybonds

Not entirely true.

1) You do get more than one expungement in your lifetime. Maybe it depends on your state.

2) What you get expunged at the state level will still show at that level and the federal level. It will also show that it is now expunged. But it will appear in the records. It is the standard background check firm that cannot access an expunged item. Like for private industry. But some state licensing agencies and certainly any federal agency can access your complete record history. Because the airlines deal with federal security, they get the trainee's federal record - probably with the signed consent of said trainee.

And once the FBI gets ahold of anything at all, it will remain on that record. It is never expunged, ever. Why should they?
Atp, I suspect that your state record may have been expunged because it was only a charge and not a conviction. But I would think even a simple charge would remain. Lucky for you that your FBI record does not show that charge.

If you have another charge or conviction, try filling out the paperwork to get that expunged also. You never know, at least try.

atpwannabe

I can say with certainty, that, I'm almost Ivory soap sure (99.44%), that you are only allowed one expungement in your lifetime. That goes for any state in the union. Now, I am aware of "second chance" states such as Ohio and South Carolina and that business & industry, and even some governmental jobs will overlook a conviction of the misdeameanor type in those states when someone is applying for a job. Federal convictions is altogether another ball of wax. As a matter of fact, I've never heard of a federal conviction being expunged.

I contacted the FBI when I start the process for my medical certificate. It was suggested that I do. That way, I could address any issues that appeared on the record and express my regret and remorse for any and all bad decisions that I had made in the past and what I've done since to ensure that those types of decisions aren't made again.

I invoked the expungement process back in '05. When I got a copy of my FBI criminal background file, that charge did not appear. I believe that it is up to the Dept of Law Enforcement for that state in which the charge/conviction occured to report any charges or convictions to the FBI. On the other hand, they may automatically get reported....I don't know for sure.

As far as the information being expunged....per state law enforcement official and the FBI..."Once the information is expunged, it is expunged". No one....I repeat....no one can view or see what has been removed. As I was told, "It's as if it never happened".

In the state of Florida, you're entitled to only one expungement!!! Believe me...I've tried.





atp

surelybonds

It may be that only one expungement in one's lifetime is the rule now. However, I have a family friend who back in 03' successfully applied and was granted a second state expungement after a first one which had been granted years before in I think "90 or '91. So they've had two in their lifetime. And on their FBI report, both expungements do show up there. But so do the original charges and convictions. Everything also shows up on their state record. This may vary by state, I don't know. All I know is expunged does NOT mean gone. It means your state and federal record shows an entry: "expunged". This does not mean either the state nor federal agencies actually remove the history of the charge or conviction entries. (although your charge did not get recorded on your federal record). If it does, it probably remains. All the state and federal agencies do is add to one's file. But nothing gets "erased" from those records as much as the word "expunged" sounds like it does.

The people who cannot see what has been expunged is your private employer or general public. Background check firms are not allowed to report expunged items. But I think they may even be able to see it. If you look at such a report, it will state "no reportable records found". Notice the wording. That does not mean there is no record. Just no reportable record. The company I work for had a background check run on all employees 3 years ago, and this is what our background check reports came back saying.

atpwannabe

Granted....law enforcement may be able to view what has been expunged, however as you stated, private employers nor the general public can see these records. In addition, you stated that, "Background Check firms are not allowed to report expunged items". Also you said that it says "no reportable records found".

To me, that would be interpreted as "there are no offenses" and since private employers are unable to view an expunged item anyway......."it's as though it never happened".

Semantics.



atp

surelybonds

Well, you still want to be clear and specific. Semantics can make a big difference and when you get sloppy, it can lead to misunderstandings.

Anyway, that's right, private employers typically cannot see an expunged record. But this excempts state licensing agencies that grant police, fire, nursing, teaching and childcare licenses for example. This ALSO excempts the airlines, even though they are private. Airlines will get your permission to access your federal report anyway since they can. If you don't agree, you won't be hired. So for the airlines, at least the majors, it is not really "as though it never happened". They will see all expunged items.

If you read further back in this forum, maybe this thread, this point has been hashed out before. The airlines are one of those exceptions.

You can interpret that to mean "there are no offenses" if you want. But you'll still have to explain them to the interviewing panel.

atpwannabe

Most definitely one would want to be clear.....crystal clear and forthcoming about any and all law enforcement entanglements.

I guess that I can only comment then on my file. I've heard different opinions when it comes to what is viewable and what isn't. All I know is what I've been told by state & federal officials concerning my file.

By keeping a "clean" nose prior to and upon entering this profession, and having not getting into any more entanglements regardless of magnitude, then, I would think that me or anyone for that matter has a good chance of being hired by any airline. CHRC is only one determinant, however it could be the disqualifying one.



atp