IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
This guide provides general information about employment opportunities in the state or jurisdiction covered by this guide. While we strive for accuracy, hiring policies change frequently. Always verify current hiring practices directly with employers. Individual results vary based on offense type, time since conviction, and specific job requirements. This is not legal advice. Consult an attorney for guidance on your specific situation.
Felon Friendly Jobs in Indianapolis, IN
2026 Employers, Free Reentry Help and Record Clearing
November 3, 2026
Looking for felon friendly jobs in Indianapolis? Healthcare and professional services are the backbone of the Indianapolis job market: education and health services and professional and business services are the region's two largest sectors. Leisure and hospitality and construction have also been adding jobs. Indiana law lets private employers ask about criminal history, so clearing your record through expungement can matter a lot here. Hiring decisions are made case by case, so always check the current job posting for the role and location you want. Last reviewed November 2026.
Employers hiring in the Indianapolis area
The largest Indianapolis-area employers include Indiana University Health, Ascension St. Vincent and Community Health Network. Eli Lilly and Company is headquartered in Indianapolis. The national employers below hire across the metro; start with our guides, then search each careers site for openings near you.
Browse all 370+ employer guides
Free job and reentry help in Indianapolis
EmployIndy / WorkOne Indy: EmployIndy oversees WorkOne Indy, Marion County's full-service American Job Center, which offers free workshops, career navigator appointments, weekly hiring events and public computers. Call 317-798-0335.
RecycleForce: Gives people leaving incarceration a six-month transitional job plus certifications, on-the-job training, job placement, mentoring and help with housing and driver's license reinstatement. Call 317-532-1367.
PACE (Public Advocates in Community Re-Entry): Provides reentry services in Indianapolis, including employment support, for people affected by incarceration and the justice system.
Goodwill New Beginnings (Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana): A 3- to 18-month program with paid internships at Goodwill locations, coaching and case management for people with justice involvement who have no pending charges. Call 317-524-3956.
Indiana Legal Services: Indiana's largest provider of free civil legal help for eligible low-income people, including help with expunging or sealing criminal records. Call 317-631-9410.
Clearing your record in Indiana
Indiana calls its process expungement (Indiana Code 35-38-9). Misdemeanors and lower-level felonies are sealed; more serious felonies stay public but are marked as expunged. Either way, the law treats you as if you were never convicted.
Waiting periods: arrests with no conviction, 1 year. Misdemeanors (including Level 6/Class D felonies reduced to misdemeanors), 5 years. Level 6/Class D felonies, 8 years. Other felonies with no serious bodily injury, 8 years from conviction or 3 years after finishing the sentence, whichever is later. Felonies with serious bodily injury, 10 years or 5 years after the sentence, whichever is later, and the prosecutor must agree in writing.
You also need no new convictions in that period, no pending charges, and all fines, fees and restitution paid.
Not eligible for felony expungement: people who must register as sex or violent offenders, homicide offenses, felonies that caused a death, sex crimes, human or sexual trafficking, official misconduct by elected officials, and people with two or more unrelated felonies involving a deadly weapon.
You generally get only one expungement petition in your lifetime (arrest-only petitions don't count), so include every eligible case. For free help, apply with Indiana Legal Services at indianalegalservices.org/applyonline or call 317-631-9410.
Your rights when applying in Indianapolis
Private employers in Indiana may ask about criminal history. Since July 1, 2017, state law has stopped cities and counties from restricting how private employers use criminal history.
Executive Order 17-15 removed criminal history questions from Indiana state executive-branch job applications, except where a specific conviction legally bars someone from the job.
After expungement, it is unlawful under Indiana law to refuse to hire you because of an expunged or sealed record. Employers may only ask about records that have not been expunged (law enforcement and probation or community corrections employers are exceptions).
Federal Bonding Program: the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) provides free bonds to employers, in $5,000 increments up to $25,000, covering the first six months of a job.
Work Opportunity Tax Credit: DWD runs Indiana's WOTC program, and people with felony convictions are one of the target groups. Employers must submit IRS Form 8850 within 28 days of your start date. Note: Congress let this federal credit lapse for people hired after December 31, 2025, so check with your state workforce agency for its current status.
Next steps
Sources
This page is for general information and is not legal advice. Employer policies and laws change; confirm details with the employer or a legal aid organization before you rely on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can employers in Indianapolis ask about my criminal record?
Yes, private employers in Indiana may ask, and state law stops local governments from limiting that. Indiana state executive-branch agencies have removed the question from their job applications.
Does Indiana call it expungement or sealing?
Indiana calls it expungement. For misdemeanors and Level 6/Class D felonies the records are sealed; for more serious felonies they stay public but are clearly marked as expunged.
How long do I have to wait to expunge a misdemeanor in Indiana?
5 years from the conviction date, with no new convictions in that time, no pending charges, and fines, fees and restitution paid.
How long do I have to wait to expunge a felony in Indiana?
8 years for a Level 6/Class D felony. Other felonies need 8 years or 3 years after finishing the sentence (whichever is later), or 10 years or 5 years after the sentence if the offense caused serious bodily injury.
What can't be expunged in Indiana?
Felony convictions are not eligible for people who must register as sex or violent offenders. Homicide, sex crimes, trafficking, felonies that caused a death, and some official misconduct and repeat deadly-weapon convictions are also excluded.
How many times can I file for expungement in Indiana?
Generally only once in your lifetime, so include every eligible conviction. Petitions filed in different counties within 365 days count as one, and arrest-only expungements don't count toward the limit.
After my record is expunged, what do I say on a job application?
Indiana law treats you as if you were never convicted of the expunged offense. Employers may only ask about records that have not been expunged, and refusing to hire you because of an expunged record is unlawful, with exceptions for law enforcement and probation or community corrections employers.
Where can I get free help with expungement in Indianapolis?
Indiana Legal Services helps eligible low-income people with expungements. Apply online at indianalegalservices.org/applyonline or call 317-631-9410.
Where can I get job help in Indianapolis with a record?
WorkOne Indy (run under EmployIndy) offers free career services, and RecycleForce, PACE and Goodwill New Beginnings run programs for people leaving incarceration or with justice involvement.
What employer incentives exist in Indiana?
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development offers free Federal Bonding coverage (up to $25,000 for six months) and runs the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit. These help, but they don't guarantee a job. Note: Congress let this federal credit lapse for people hired after December 31, 2025, so check with your state workforce agency for its current status.