Quick answer: If your case was dismissed, no-billed, or acquitted: expunction erases the arrest entirely. If you were convicted: Texas never expunges DWI convictions, but qualifying first offenses (BAC under 0.15, no injury accident) can be sealed by nondisclosure after a waiting period.
Expunction — available only for non-conviction outcomes — destroys the records and lets you lawfully deny the arrest. Nondisclosure seals qualifying convictions from private background checks (employers, landlords) while remaining visible to government agencies: for first-offense DWI, generally BAC under 0.15, no accident involving another person, completed sentence, and a two-year wait with interlock compliance or five years without.
The eligibility rules are technical and outcome-dependent — a records review answers them in minutes, and it’s worth doing even years later. Cleaning the record is the last step of a DWI defense done right.
Related questions
My case was dismissed — is the record gone?
Not until a court grants expunction. Dismissal creates eligibility; the petition makes it real.
Does sealing hide it from employers?
Nondisclosure hides the record from private employers and most background checks; government agencies and certain licensing bodies still see it.
More: Williamson County DWI defense · All locations
Free consultation — 24/7. We review your stop, explain your options, and quote a flat fee. Criminal defense in Travis, Hays, Williamson, Bexar, and Bastrop counties is provided by Stephen T. Bowling, DWI & Criminal Defense Attorneys.
General legal information for Texas — not legal advice about your specific case. Last reviewed July 2026.