Second Chance Project - Legal Aid of North Carolina

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. You must call during the weeks listed below to be considered.

Legal Aid NC Helpline

Toll-Free: 1 (866) 219-LANC (5262)

8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday – Friday

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. These workshops include a brief presentation about expunction followed by in-person intake for expunction and driver’s license restoration files. If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please contact Shanae Artis at shanae.artis@wake.gov.

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.

Learn more about DEAR here.

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.