(a) Upon the disposition of any criminal case, except a case in which a felony or a capital felony conviction resulted, or any motor vehicle case, including any matter brought pursuant to the commission of an infraction or a violation, the file may be stripped of all papers except (1) the executed arrest warrant and original affidavit in support of probable cause, the misdemeanor/motor vehicle summons, prosecutorial summons or the complaint ticket, (2) the uniform arrest report, (3) the information or indictment and any substitute information, (4) a written plea of nolo contendere, (5) documents relating to programs for adjudication and treatment as a youthful offender, programs relating to family violence education, community service labor, accelerated pretrial rehabilitation, pretrial drug education, pretrial alcohol education and treatment, determination of competency to stand trial or suspension of prosecution or any other programs for adjudication or treatment which may be created from time to time, (6) any official receipts, (7) the judgment mittimus, (8) any written notices of rights, (9) orders regarding probation, (10) any exhibits on file, (11) any transcripts on file of proceedings held in the matter, and (12) the transaction sheet.
Section 7-13.—Criminal/Motor Vehicle Files and Records
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceThis section sets detailed rules for stripping, retaining, and destroying criminal and motor vehicle case files, with retention periods ranging from ninety days to permanent depending on the outcome and offense level.
Full Text of Section 7-13
(b) Unless otherwise ordered by the court, the copy of the application for a search warrant and affidavits filed pursuant to General Statutes § 54-33c shall be destroyed upon the expiration of three years from the filing of the copy of the application and affidavits with the clerk.
(c) Except as otherwise provided, the papers stripped from the court file may be destroyed upon the expiration of ninety days from the date of disposition of the case.
(d) Upon the disposition of any criminal or motor vehicle case in which the defendant has been released pursuant to a bond, the clerk shall remove the bond form from the file and maintain it in the clerk’s office for such periods as determined by the chief court administrator.
(e) Upon the disposition of any criminal or motor vehicle case in which property is seized, whether pursuant to a search warrant, an arrest, an in rem proceeding or otherwise, the clerk shall remove the executed search warrant, if any, papers relating to any in rem proceedings, if any, and the inventory of the seized property from the court file and maintain them in the clerk’s office during the pendency of proceedings to dispose of the property and for such further periods as determined by the chief court administrator.
(f) In cases in which there has been neither a conviction nor the payment of a fine on any charge, the file shall be destroyed upon the expiration of three years from the date of disposition.
(g) In cases in which a fine has been paid pursuant to an infraction or a violation, the file shall be destroyed upon the expiration of five years from the date of disposition.
(h) In cases in which there has been a conviction of a misdemeanor charge but not a conviction of a felony charge, the file shall be destroyed upon the expiration of ten years from the date of disposition.
(i) In cases in which there has been a conviction of a felony charge but not a conviction of a capital felony charge, the file, all exhibits and the transcripts of all proceedings held in the matter shall be destroyed upon the expiration of twenty years from the date of disposition or upon the expiration of the sentence, whichever is later.
(j) In cases in which there has been a conviction of a capital felony charge, the file, all exhibits and the transcripts of all proceedings held in the matter shall be destroyed upon the expiration of seventyfive years from such conviction.
(k) The file and records in any case in which an individual is adjudged a youthful offender shall be retained for ten years. ( l ) The file in any case in which the disposition is not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect shall be retained for seventy-five years. (m) Investigatory grand jury records shall be retained permanently.
Amendment History
(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 403E.) (Amended June 29, 1998, to take effect Jan. 1, 1999; amended June 30, 2003, to take effect Jan. 1, 2004; amended June 29, 2007, to take effect Jan. 1, 2008; amended June 22, 2009, to take effect Jan. 1, 2010.)
Plain-English Summary
When a criminal or motor vehicle case is resolved — other than a felony or capital felony conviction — the file may be stripped down to a defined list of documents: the arrest warrant and supporting affidavit, the summons or complaint ticket, the arrest report, the information or indictment, any plea of nolo contendere, records of diversionary or treatment programs, official receipts, the judgment mittimus, notices of rights, probation orders, exhibits, transcripts, and the transaction sheet. Everything else stripped from the file may be destroyed ninety days after disposition, unless another rule says otherwise.
Search warrant applications and supporting affidavits are destroyed three years after filing unless the court orders otherwise. Bond forms and property seized under a search warrant or arrest are pulled from the file and kept separately by the clerk for periods the chief court administrator sets.
Full case files follow their own retention schedule: three years if there was no conviction and no fine paid; five years if a fine was paid on an infraction or violation; ten years for a misdemeanor conviction; twenty years (or until the sentence expires, if later) for a felony conviction short of capital felony; seventy-five years after a capital felony conviction. Youthful offender files and not-guilty-by-reason-of-mental-disease-or-defect files are each retained for ten and seventy-five years respectively. Investigatory grand jury records are kept permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long are Connecticut criminal case files kept?
It depends on the outcome: three years with no conviction or fine, five years for a paid infraction or violation fine, ten years for a misdemeanor conviction, twenty years (or until the sentence ends) for a felony conviction, and seventy-five years for a capital felony conviction.
What documents survive when a criminal file is stripped?
The section lists items such as the arrest warrant and affidavit, the summons or complaint, the information or indictment, any plea of nolo contendere, program records, receipts, the judgment mittimus, notices of rights, probation orders, exhibits, transcripts, and the transaction sheet.
How long are search warrant applications kept?
Three years from the filing of the copy of the application and affidavits with the clerk, unless the court orders otherwise.
Are grand jury records ever destroyed?
No — investigatory grand jury records are retained permanently.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 7-13). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
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