Starting Over After Incarceration in St. Louis: Reentry Help & Clearing Your Record
Revised July 16, 2026
How do I expunge my record in Missouri?
To start over after incarceration in St. Louis, get a state ID first (the Missouri State ID Access Coalition helps with document costs), then connect with a reentry program for jobs and housing — Concordance (314-396-6001), Employment Connection (314-333-5627), MERS Goodwill (314-241-3464), or St. Patrick Center (314-802-0700). Missouri law also lets many people expunge certain past offenses after a waiting period — roughly a year for most misdemeanors, about three years for many felonies — with free legal help from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (314-534-4200) and ArchCity Defenders (314-361-8834). Dial 2-1-1.
Keep reading ↓Coming home after prison or jail should be a fresh start, but it can feel like the door only opened halfway. A record follows you onto every job and apartment application. You may not even have a photo ID yet. The people who love you are rooting for you, and the system seems built to trip you up. It’s the reality for people returning to a South City block, a North County street, a small town out in Franklin County, a neighborhood across the river in the Metro East — and it is absolutely possible to get through it, with the right help.
St. Louis has organizations dedicated entirely to reentry: getting you a job, a place to live, an ID, and, when you qualify, a clean record. Much of it is free. The work is real and it takes patience, but thousands of people have walked this exact road and rebuilt good lives — and there are people here whose whole job is to walk it with you.
This guide lays out the first steps, how to clear an old record in Missouri, and where to turn for jobs, housing, and support. Whether it’s for you or someone you love who’s coming home, it’s written for you.
To start over after incarceration in St. Louis, tackle first things first: get a state ID (the Missouri State ID Access Coalition can help pay for documents), then connect with a reentry program for jobs and housing — Concordance (314-396-6001), Employment Connection (314-333-5627), MERS Goodwill (314-241-3464), and St. Patrick Center (314-802-0700) all help. Missouri law also lets many people clear certain past offenses through expungement after a waiting period — roughly a year for most misdemeanors and about three years for many felonies — and free legal help is available from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (314-534-4200) and ArchCity Defenders (314-361-8834). Dial 2-1-1 to get connected.
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First Things First: Get Your ID
It sounds small, but a missing ID blocks almost everything — you can’t easily get a job, sign a lease, or open a bank account without one. Start here: track down your Social Security card and birth certificate, then apply in person for a Missouri non-driver ID (roughly $12–$18). A birth certificate runs about $15. If paying for those documents is a barrier, the Missouri State ID Access Coalition (moidaccess.org) helps people get the IDs and vital records they need. Think of it as the first rung on the ladder: ID first, then the job and the apartment become possible.
Clearing Your Record: Missouri Expungement
An old conviction doesn’t have to follow you forever. Under Missouri law (RSMo 610.140), many people can petition a court to expunge — seal — certain past offenses, which then no longer show up on most background checks. The basics, in plain terms:
- You file a petition in the court where the case happened.
- There’s a waiting period after you complete your sentence — roughly one year for most misdemeanors and about three years for many felonies.
- Not everything qualifies. Serious and violent felonies, sex offenses, DWI/intoxication offenses, and certain assault and firearms offenses generally can’t be expunged, and there are lifetime limits (about two felonies and three misdemeanors).
- There’s a filing fee (around $250), which a judge can waive if you can’t afford it.
The rules depend on the specifics of your record, so don’t guess — have a legal aid group or lawyer check what you’re eligible for before you file. The next section is exactly where to get that help, for free.
Free Legal Help to Clear Your Record
- Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSEM) — 314-534-4200 (or 800-444-0514). Free civil legal aid for people with low income, including expungement help through its Volunteer Lawyers Program, plus a free monthly legal clinic.
- ArchCity Defenders — 314-361-8834. Runs a free expungement program and clinics that help people clear eligible records.
- Missouri Courts self-help — the official expungement petition form and instructions are free at courts.mo.gov, and volunteer “Clean Slate” expungement clinics are held around the metro.
A tip that matters: the legitimate legal-aid nonprofit is Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (lsem.org) — a similarly named for-profit company is not the same thing. Start with the free, accredited help above.
Jobs After a Record
A record does not mean you can’t work — St. Louis has programs built specifically to help people with records find good jobs:
- Employment Connection (314-333-5627) — job readiness training, placement, and even work clothing, with long experience serving people returning from incarceration.
- MERS Goodwill (314-241-3464) — a dedicated ex-offender reentry program with career exploration, paid work experience, and job placement.
- Concordance (314-396-6001) — a holistic program that combines employment with behavioral health, education, and support, often starting before release.
For a full rundown of second-chance employers and job boards, see our guide to finding felon-friendly jobs in St. Louis.
A Place to Live
Housing is often the hardest piece, since many landlords screen out records — but there are programs built for exactly this:
- St. Patrick Center (314-802-0700) — housing (including Housing First), employment services, and behavioral health, with walk-in intake.
- Criminal Justice Ministry — Release to Rent — provides supportive housing (including fully-paid apartments for a period) for people leaving incarceration; find current intake at cjmstlouis.org.
- Keyway Center for Diversion and Reentry (314-771-5207) — transitional and permanent supportive housing and case management, serving justice-involved women and transgender and nonbinary people.
Our guides to low-income housing and emergency shelter can help while you get settled.
Cover the Rest of the Basics
Coming home means rebuilding several things at once, and you don’t have to do it in a vacuum. Many people returning qualify for SNAP food benefits and MO HealthNet health coverage, and our help and assistance hub pulls together food, rent, mental health, and more. One steady step at a time is how this gets done.
What Expungement Does — and Doesn’t
It helps to know what clearing a record actually means. When an offense is expunged in Missouri, it’s sealed — for most everyday purposes, like job and housing applications, you can legally answer that you were not convicted, and it won’t appear on most background checks. That can reopen doors that were shut for years. But expungement isn’t magic: certain employers (like law enforcement or jobs requiring specific licenses) and the courts can still see sealed records in limited circumstances, and not every offense is eligible. Still, for a great many people, clearing an old mistake is genuinely life-changing — and it’s worth finding out if you qualify.
Rebuilding the Whole Picture
A fresh start is more than a job and an address. Coming home often means reconnecting with family, getting mental-health or substance-use support (see our guide to free counseling and recovery help), reinstating a driver’s license, and dealing with old debt or child-support arrears. Reentry case managers at the programs above can help untangle these one at a time — you don’t have to solve everything in the first week. Progress, not perfection, is the goal, and every step forward makes the next one easier.
A Word to Families
If someone you love is coming home, your steadiness matters more than you know. Help them line up the basics before release if you can — an ID, a place to stay, a first appointment with a reentry program. Expect hard days, celebrate small wins, and try not to be their caseworker, counselor, and bank all at once; connect them to the free programs here so the load is shared. Your belief in them, paired with real community support, is what makes a lasting fresh start possible.
Take It One Step at a Time
The list of things to rebuild after incarceration can feel crushing — ID, job, housing, record, family, health, money, all at once. Don’t try to do it all in week one. Pick the first domino: usually the ID, then a call to one reentry program that can help with the rest. Let a case manager carry some of the weight; that’s literally their job, and it’s free. Setbacks will happen, and they don’t erase your progress. Thousands of St. Louisans have walked exactly this path and built stable, meaningful lives — with work, homes, families, and clean records. If you’re not sure where to begin, dialing 2-1-1 or calling Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (314-534-4200) is a fine first move. The help laid out here is real, and so is the fresh start it leads to — make the first call today, and take the next step tomorrow.
Ready to take the next step? Call a reentry program like Concordance (314-396-6001) or Employment Connection (314-333-5627), get free expungement help from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (314-534-4200), or dial 2-1-1. See all St. Louis help resources.
Run a reentry program, second-chance employer, or supportive-housing nonprofit? List it on St Louis Near Me Directory so the people rebuilding their lives can find you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies for expungement in Missouri?
Missouri law lets many people expunge certain past offenses, but not all. Serious and violent felonies, sex offenses that require registration, DWI and other intoxication-related offenses, and certain assault and firearms offenses generally can’t be expunged, and there are lifetime limits (roughly two felonies and three misdemeanors). You also must have completed your sentence and waited out the required period. Because eligibility turns on the specifics of your record, have a legal aid group check yours before filing.
How long do I have to wait to expunge a felony in Missouri?
For many felonies, the waiting period is about three years after you complete your sentence — including probation or parole — and roughly one year for most misdemeanors, ordinance violations, and infractions. You also can’t have new charges or convictions during that time. These timelines and the list of eligible offenses are specific, so confirm your situation with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri or another legal aid provider rather than relying on a general rule.
Where can I get free legal help to clear my record in St. Louis?
Free expungement help is available from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (314-534-4200), which runs a Volunteer Lawyers Program and free legal clinics, and from ArchCity Defenders (314-361-8834), which has a dedicated expungement program. Volunteer “Clean Slate” clinics are also held around the metro, and the official petition forms are free at courts.mo.gov. Make sure you’re working with the nonprofit Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (lsem.org), not a similarly named for-profit company.
What reentry programs are in St. Louis for people leaving prison?
Several St. Louis organizations specialize in reentry: Concordance (314-396-6001) offers a holistic program spanning jobs, behavioral health, and support; Employment Connection (314-333-5627) and MERS Goodwill (314-241-3464) focus on job readiness and placement; St. Patrick Center (314-802-0700) provides housing and employment help; and Criminal Justice Ministry’s Release to Rent and the Keyway Center offer supportive housing. Dial 2-1-1 to be matched to the right program for your needs.
How do I get a Missouri ID after being released from prison?
Start by gathering your Social Security card and birth certificate, then apply in person for a Missouri non-driver ID (about $12–$18). A replacement birth certificate costs around $15. Because a missing ID blocks jobs, housing, and bank accounts, this is usually the first step. If the document fees are a barrier, the Missouri State ID Access Coalition (moidaccess.org) helps people cover the cost of getting their IDs and vital records.
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