About the Project
Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Second Chance Project offers assistance with expunction and driver’s license restoration, helping individuals gain financial stability and reducing recidivism.
Find Help
Call the Helpline
If you are a potential client who is looking for help from the Second Chance Project, you can apply via phone during one week each month. For the first quarter of 2025, we will be opening new expunction and driver’s license files during the following weeks: February 3-7, March 3-7 or April 7-11. You must call during these weeks to be considered.
Legal Aid NC Helpline
If you wish to contact Legal Aid NC for disaster-related legal issues, call our Helpline:
Toll-Free: 1 (866) 219-LANC (5262)
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday – Friday
For all other calls, our helpline is open:
8:30 AM – 1:30 PM, Monday – Friday
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM, Monday & Thursday
Apply for free help with civil (non-criminal) legal issues.
New Hanover County Residents
Thanks to funding from New Hanover County and the New Hanover Community Endowment, we have a satellite office in Wilmington, dedicated to providing expunction and driver’s license restoration services to New Hanover County residents. The Second Chance Wilmington office is on the 5th floor of The Harrelson Center, located at 20 N. 4th St., Wilmington, NC. In addition to applying through the Helpline (detailed above), New Hanover County residents can apply in-person in our Second Chance Wilmington office.
Wake County Residents
Thanks to funding from the Capital Area Workforce Development, we are offering monthly workshops at Wake County NCWorks about how to expunge dismissed charges from your record. Preregistration is required. If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please contact Shanae Artis at shanae.artis@wake.gov or Dennis Gaddy at 919-614-2369.
Durham County Residents
Thanks to funding from Durham County, the Durham Expunction & Restoration Program (DEAR) program provides expunction and driver’s license restoration services to Durham County residents. Durham County residents must apply in-person in the DEAR office, located in the Durham Courthouse.
Community Organizations
If you are a community organization who is interested in partnering with the Second Chance Project for an expunction event in your area, please reach out directly to our Project Director, Emily Mistr, at emilym2@legalaidnc.org.