Howard County Offense Guide
Expunging Evading Arrest or Detention in Howard County
How an evading arrest charge gets erased through the Big Spring courts — eligibility, local filing practice, and why it's worth doing.
Statute
Tex. Penal Code § 38.04
Offense level
Class A misdemeanor; state jail felony or higher with a vehicle
About the charge
Evading arrest — intentionally fleeing from someone you know is a peace officer — is a Class A misdemeanor on foot and a felony when a vehicle is involved. The charge turns on intent: did the person know they were being detained and deliberately flee?
That intent element makes these cases contestable. Confusion, fear, not hearing commands, or simply walking away before detention was clear all undermine the charge, and dismissals and reductions are common.
Where your case gets cleared in Howard County
Clearing a Howard County record starts with a petition in the district court that serves the county, filed at the courthouse in Big Spring. Filing happens at the county seat regardless of where in the county the arrest occurred.
The records themselves typically sit with the Howard County Sheriff's Office, any municipal police department involved, the district and county clerks, the prosecutor's office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin — each of which must be named and served for the expunction order to reach it.
Local practice notes
Howard County's courts run a moderate docket — busier than rural counties, far lighter than the metros — and eligible expunctions generally proceed at a steady pace from filing to order. This is oil and gas country: Permian Basin operators and oilfield service companies screen every hire and every badge, so a cleared record has direct paycheck value in the region's best-paying work.
Can an evading arrest charge be expunged?
Like nearly every Texas offense, eligibility turns on how the case ended. An arrest for this charge is generally expungable under Chapter 55A of the Code of Criminal Procedure if:
- The charge was dismissed and the applicable waiting or limitations period has passed
- You were acquitted at trial
- A grand jury declined to indict (felony no-bill)
- You were arrested but never charged, once the waiting period runs
- You completed a Class C deferred disposition and the charge was dismissed
Dismissed, no-billed, or acquitted evading charges follow the standard expunction rules — one-year waiting period for a never-charged misdemeanor arrest, three years for a felony, or after limitations for dismissed cases. Evading charges dismissed as part of a plea to another offense require a careful look at the plea papers, since a conviction arising from the same arrest can block expunction of that arrest.
If expunction isn't available: sealing
Deferred adjudication for misdemeanor evading can generally be sealed after two years; felony evading deferred adjudication after five. Learn how orders of nondisclosure work →
Why clearing this record matters
Evading reads as 'ran from the police' to every employer and licensing board that sees it — a character inference far worse than most misdemeanors carry. It's especially damaging for jobs requiring trust, security clearances, or driving. Erasing a dismissed evading arrest removes one of the most negatively-coded entries a record can hold.
Common questions
I didn't know the officer was trying to stop me and the case was dismissed. Can it be erased?
Yes — a dismissed evading charge leaves an expungable arrest record once the waiting or limitations period passes.
My evading charge was a felony because a car was involved, but it was no-billed. What's my timeline?
A grand jury no-bill makes the arrest expungable — for never-indicted felony arrests the general waiting period is three years from arrest, and dismissal-specific rules may allow earlier relief.
Does an evading record affect professional licenses?
Licensing boards treat flight from law enforcement as a character issue, so it draws questions in nursing, education, security, and commercial driving applications until cleared.
How long does an expunction take in Howard County?
Typically a few months from filing to signed order, subject to the court's schedule.
My Howard County arrest was years ago. Is it too late to expunge it?
No — eligibility doesn't expire. Older arrests are often the simplest expunctions because every waiting period has long since run.
Statewide guide
Evading Arrest or Detention expunction in Texas →
County guide
All Howard County expunctions →
Disclaimer: This page is general legal information about Texas law, not legal advice about your case, and reading it does not create an attorney‑client relationship. Eligibility depends on the complete details of your criminal history — get a free case review for a definitive answer.
Clear an evading arrest charge in Howard County
Free, confidential review of your Big Spring-area case. Flat fee quoted before we start.