A first offender must wait 5 years after completing the sentence for a misdemeanor conviction, and 10 years after the last sentence if you have 2 to 5 misdemeanor convictions and no felonies. The waiting period under R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-1.3-2 runs from the date every part of the sentence is finished, including probation, fines, and restitution, not from the date of the plea. You must also have no new convictions and no charges pending during that time. A 1-year probation term imposed in March 2021 therefore becomes eligible in March 2027. Dismissals and not guilty findings are sealed instead, with no wait.
