Collin County Offense Guide
Expunging Burglary of a Vehicle in Collin County
How a burglary of a vehicle charge gets erased through the McKinney courts — eligibility, local filing practice, and why it's worth doing.
Statute
Tex. Penal Code § 30.04
Offense level
Class A misdemeanor in most cases
About the charge
Burglary of a motor vehicle — breaking into or entering a vehicle with intent to commit theft or a felony — is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense, despite the serious-sounding name. It's one of the most commonly charged property offenses in Texas cities.
BMV cases frequently rest on circumstantial identification — someone seen near cars at night — and are dismissed or reduced when the evidence doesn't hold up, or resolved through deferred adjudication for first-timers.
Where your case gets cleared in Collin County
Collin County expunctions are filed in the district courts at the county courthouse in McKinney. Felonies are heard in the district courts; misdemeanors in the County Courts at Law, serving Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, and the county's fast-growing suburbs.
Arrest records here typically involve Plano, Frisco, McKinney, or Allen police departments alongside the Sheriff's Office, clerks, and DPS.
Local practice notes
Collin County prosecutes comparatively aggressively, and its courts expect strict statutory compliance in expunction petitions — this is not a county where a thin petition slides through. That said, first-offender resolutions and pretrial diversion outcomes that end in dismissal are regularly expunged. With the county's white-collar workforce, we see many clients here clearing decade-old records ahead of promotions, licensures, and financial-industry background checks.
Can a burglary of a vehicle 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
A dismissed, no-billed, or acquitted BMV charge follows the standard Class A rules: expungable after a one-year wait for never-charged arrests, or once limitations run for dismissals — earlier where the dismissal shows the charge lacked probable cause. Diversion-program dismissals qualify as well.
If expunction isn't available: sealing
Completed deferred adjudication for burglary of a vehicle can generally be sealed with a nondisclosure order after the two-year waiting period. Learn how orders of nondisclosure work →
Why clearing this record matters
The word 'burglary' does the damage: background screeners and employers rarely register that vehicle burglary is a misdemeanor, and the record reads as a serious property crime. That mismatch between the label and the offense level makes clearing an eligible BMV record one of the highest-impact expunctions relative to the underlying charge.
Common questions
Is burglary of a vehicle a felony in Texas?
No — a first offense is a Class A misdemeanor, though the name leads many people (and some employers) to assume otherwise. Repeat offenses can be enhanced.
My BMV case was dismissed for weak identification. When can I expunge it?
Generally after the two-year misdemeanor limitations period, or potentially sooner if the dismissal reflects lack of probable cause — which identification-failure dismissals often support.
Will expunction remove the mugshot from the internet?
The expunction order reaches government agencies and licensed background check companies. Private mugshot sites require follow-up — many honor expunction orders on request, and we advise on the takedown process.
Is it harder to win an expunction in Collin County?
The eligibility rules are the same statewide, but Collin County reviews petitions rigorously — accuracy in dates, agencies, and statutory grounds matters. A properly drafted petition for an eligible case succeeds here like anywhere else.
I work in finance in Plano. Will an expunction clear my FINRA background check?
Expunction erases the Texas records that feed most checks. Industry-specific disclosure rules (like FINRA's) have their own definitions, which we'll review against your situation.
Statewide guide
Burglary of a Vehicle expunction in Texas →
County guide
All Collin 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 a burglary of a vehicle charge in Collin County
Free, confidential review of your McKinney-area case. Flat fee quoted before we start.