In South Africa, having more than one entry on your criminal record does not mean you are permanently barred from a clean slate. You can expunge multiple convictions simultaneously in a single process, provided that each individual offence meets the specific legal requirements for removal.
To successfully clear multiple convictions at once, the following eligibility criteria must be met for each entry on your record:
• The 10-Year Waiting Period: At least 10 years must have passed since the date of each conviction. (Note: If the offences were committed when you were under 18, this period may be reduced to 5 years for certain offences).
• The "Clean Decade" Rule: During the 10-year waiting period, you must not have been convicted of any other offence that resulted in imprisonment without the option of a fine.
• Qualifying Sentences: Each conviction must have resulted in a minor sentence, such as a fine not exceeding R20,000, a suspended sentence, correctional supervision, or being "cautioned and discharged".
• No Serious Crimes: Serious offences, such as murder, rape, or armed robbery (Schedule 3 offences), are generally ineligible for administrative expungement.
• Register Clearances: If any of the convictions led to your name being placed on the National Register for Sex Offenders or the National Child Protection Register, you must prove your name has been removed from those registers before the convictions can be expunged.
How the Simultaneous Process Works
Because a single Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) lists all convictions currently on your record, a legal expert can assess your entire history at once. If all listed offences qualify, they are processed together, saving you the time and frustration of multiple separate applications.However, if one conviction in your history is "too recent" (less than 10 years old) or too serious (direct imprisonment), it may block the expungement of your other older, minor convictions until the criteria for the entire record are met.
