(a) (1) Whenever a person is diverted pursuant to a drug diversion program administered by a superior court pursuant to Section 1000.5 or is admitted to a deferred entry of judgment program pursuant to Section 1000 or 1000.8, and the person successfully completes the program, the judge may order those records pertaining to the arrest to be sealed as described in Section 851.92, upon the written or oral motion of any party in the case, or upon the court’s own motion, and with notice to all parties in the case.

(2) If the order is made, the court shall give a copy of the order to the defendant and inform the defendant that he or she may thereafter state that he or she was not arrested for the charge.

(3) The defendant may, except as specified in subdivisions (b) and (c), indicate in response to any question concerning the defendant’s prior criminal record that the defendant was not arrested or granted statutorily authorized drug diversion or deferred entry of judgment for the offense.

(4) Subject to subdivisions (b) and (c), a record pertaining to an arrest resulting in the successful completion of a statutorily authorized drug diversion or deferred entry of judgment program shall not, without the defendant’s permission, be used in any way that could result in the denial of any employment, benefit, or certificate.

(b) The defendant shall be advised that, regardless of the defendant’s successful completion of a statutorily authorized drug diversion or deferred entry of judgment program, the arrest upon which the case was based shall be disclosed by the Department of Justice in response to any peace officer application request, and that, notwithstanding subdivision (a), this section does not relieve the defendant of the obligation to disclose the arrest in response to any direct question contained in any questionnaire or application for a position as a peace officer, as defined in Section 830.

(c) The defendant shall be advised that, regardless of the defendant’s successful completion of a statutorily authorized drug diversion or deferred entry of judgment program, an order to seal records pertaining to an arrest made pursuant to this section has no effect on a criminal justice agency’s ability to access and use those sealed records and information regarding sealed arrests, as described in Section 851.92.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 680, Sec. 2. (SB 393) Effective January 1, 2018.)