How To Find Mugshots and Remove Them From the Internet

August 23, 2025 Arrest Records | information removal | Mugshot Removal | remove mugshot

In this article, you’ll learn how to find mugshots online and steps you can take to remove them from access by the general public, whether or not you have a court order.

When police officers arrest and book suspects, a mugshot (also called a booking photo) is taken. The mugshot typically shows the criminal from two angles — the side and the front. It may also highlight notable details like scars or tattoos.

Mugshots are commonly used by law enforcement agencies to keep records of criminals’ appearances. This makes it easier to identify criminals, issue warrants and warn the public. It’s also useful for people who want to know if there are any registered sex offenders in their area and what they look like.

Today, anyone with an internet connection can easily find the mugshot of someone who’s been arrested. A quick search of a mugshot online database or perusing official websites of law enforcement agencies can lead to up-to-date information and images regarding arrests.

At RemoveMugshots.com, our public records removal services will erase your online arrest records, court records, mugshot images and more from the internet fast. Contact us today at 844-935-1118 to learn more.

Are Mugshots and Arrest Records Public Records?

The Freedom of Information Act allows citizens to access public records, including birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates.

The law dates back to 1966, and since then, government offices have made vital records available to the public. That includes court records, mugshots, information about registered sex offenders and more.

In the past, you’d have to physically go to a courthouse or jailhouse to access criminal records and mugshots. Today, technology makes court records, information about registered sex offenders, and other up-to-date information readily available online for anyone with internet access.

Why Are Mugshots and Arrest Records Online?

As mentioned, after an arrest, the individual’s mugshot is taken during the booking process. Often, law enforcement agencies have to make arrest information, including mugshots, available to the public.

Since mugshots are part of the public record, it’s easy for mugshot databases and other types of data brokers to pick up the photos once they’re online. Then, as mugshots show up on arrest information search sites, even more mugshot websites pick them up and add them to their databases. 

This continues to spread your mugshot online, making it more and more available to anyone searching for information about you.

Do you need help removing information about recent arrests from the internet? Get a free court records and mugshot removal analysis today and sign up for a consultation with an expert. Learn more here.

Who Wants My Mugshot and Public Records?

People who live in your area, who meet you on a dating site or who work with you may want to find out more information about you. Whether or not they know if you’ve been arrested, they could conduct a search for your name. This is even easier to do if they have additional personal information about you, like your date of birth.

It’s also common for potential employers or landlords to search for information about you online. Using your name, date of birth and other identifying information, people may see what’s in your past before deciding to hire you or let you rent an apartment.

Since mugshot databases post information that ranges from minor offenses to serious criminal records, even a small mistake from your past can come back to haunt you.

How Do You Locate Mugshots and Arrest Records?

It’s easy to find a mugshot of yourself, registered sex offenders or any arrested person with a simple online search. Google and other search engines often show images for searches like “John Doe mugshot.” 

When it comes to criminal charges, many of them end up on the internet somehow, whether that’s by the police station, a local newspaper, a mugshot database or even a disgruntled personal connection who shares it on social media.

Another way of finding a person’s mugshot is by contacting the local law enforcement station and asking them for arrest records. The county clerk may also have this information. It’s helpful to know the individual’s date of birth, which can make finding their records easier.

You can also go deeper by paying for a background check on an individual, which will likely uncover their court records, financial information, property records and much more.

If you’re having difficulty finding mugshots online — maybe a court order suppressed or expunged them, for example — you could hire a private investigator to see if they can track down information for you.

Information Needed To Discover Mugshots and Public Records

As long as you have some key pieces of information about the person you’re trying to find — like their name, date of birth, or other identifying information like their Social Security number or driver’s license number — looking up someone’s mugshot is easy.

If possible, try inputting information related to the date, place, and nature of the crime that led to the arrest. This will make it easier to narrow down results for a person with a common name.

The removal experts at RemoveMugshots.com will analyze search engine results to find and remove your personal information, including booking photos, court records, police reports and other public records online. Call us at 844-935-1118 for more information.

What Other Information Can I Find?

In addition to finding someone’s mugshot online, all sorts of personal information and sensitive data may be available, including:

• – The individual’s alleged charges and bond amount
• – Information about people transferring between facilities
• – Contact information for the facility where the individual is being held
• – A person’s date of incarceration and discharge date
• – An individual’s case number and other such information
• – Additional personal information, such as date of birth, addresses, etc.

One big benefit of conducting online searches to find this information is that it eliminates the need to visit law enforcement buildings in person, which can be time-consuming.

How To Remove Mugshots and Arrest Records

There are a number of ways to remove or hide your mugshot and related information online. Some strategies are more difficult than others, which is why it’s smart to work with a professional removal company.

We work on behalf of our clients to find recent arrests and erase mugshots, arrest records, police reports and other personal information online. Give us a call at 844-935-1118 to get started.

Contact Website Owners 

To remove your image and arrest records from a mugshot website or online database, your first step is to contact the website owner. 

Some websites have an opt-out process to follow for content removal. Otherwise, you’ll have to contact the website owner directly, if you can find contact information for them.

You may have to prove that you’re the person in the mugshot. Provide your name, date of birth and any identifying information you can.

In some cases, website owners will honor your removal request. If you have supporting documentation, like a court order that shows your records have been sealed or expunged, they may be more willing to work with you.

Request Google Removal

If you’re able to have website owners remove your mugshot but those old links are still showing up in Google Search, you can contact Google to ask that they remove them.

You can start your removal request on this page. Google will then look into your request and determine if the search results fit the criteria for removal. 

While this doesn’t guarantee that Google will delete the link from the search engine results page (SERP), it is a smart step to take toward cleaning up your online reputation.

Use a Professional Removal Service

If you’re not able to get website owners or Google to comply with your requests, you may want to hire a professional.

First, we’ll find every instance of your mugshot online. Then, we’ll contact website managers and Google to pressure them to remove it. Additionally, removal companies know how to suppress search results regarding your arrests and prison time.

When you’re unable to get your mugshot removed from the internet, content suppression is the next best option. With this strategy, positive and neutral content is created, optimized and published on a regular basis. This pushes down negative content in search results. With time, your mugshot and related information could be so far from the top search results that few people will ever find it.

FAQ

Why are my mugshots online?

When booking photos show up on public databases run by law enforcement agencies, third-party websites find them and add them to their databases. Mugshot websites get a lot of traffic and ad revenue from booking photos, adding to their popularity online.

Is it legal for websites to post mugshots and arrest records?

Yes, it’s legal for websites to post mugshots in most states. Typically, mugshots are considered part of the public record. This allows websites to legally republish them. In some states, there, there are stricter rules for managing these websites. For example, mugshot websites aren’t always allowed to charge for content removal.

Can I have my mugshot and arrest records removed from the internet?

In some cases, you can have your mugshot removed from the internet. However, note that there’s no central repository of mugshots, and you’ll have to tackle each instance of your mugshot to have them all removed.

Your options for removal are based on the website, state law and the outcome of your case. Additionally, you can always request removal, as some website owners may comply. If the website violates the law in some way, you may also want to pursue it legally.

Will a website remove my mugshot and arrest records if I ask nicely?

In some cases, a website owner may opt to remove your mugshot image upon request. If your charges were dismissed, sealed or expunged — and you have a court order showing that — they’re most likely to comply with your request.

Other times, website owners won’t honor your request under any conditions. For example, registered sex offenders can’t typically have their mugshot removed. It can be difficult to have your mugshot removed from some databases even if you present a court order that proves it’s been sealed or expunged.

It’s helpful to check with state law. Some states require mugshot sites to comply with removal requests within a certain timeframe. If they don’t remove your mugshot during this time, you may be able to pursue them legally.

How long does it take to remove public records?

How long it takes to remove a mugshot depends on several factors. For example, some websites will remove the content within a few days following the request. Others will take weeks to remove it.

In some cases, the website may never remove the content, even if its policies state that it will within a certain amount of time.

On top of that, you have to consider search engine results. Search engines may continue to show links long after the content’s been removed. In this case, you’ll need to contact Google to let them know there are outdated search results being shown.

What should I do if the mugshot website won’t remove my photo?

If you’re not able to get the website owner to remove your booking photo, you have a few other options.

You can hire an attorney who will enforce state laws that apply to your case. You can also file a complaint with your state’s attorney general or the Better Business Bureau. This may get some website owners to take action to avoid the negative publicity. 

You can also suppress negative content, like mugshots, with a content suppression strategy. Content suppression requires the creation and publication of optimized content. By climbing in search rankings for your name and related queries, negative content can be pushed down, making it more difficult for the public to find.

Will Google remove my mugshot and arrest records if I ask?

No, Google will not remove your mugshot or police reports from the websites that have posted them. Google doesn’t have control over the content that websites post. It’s not a central repository of all the content that’s online. Instead, Google simply aggregates search results to give users what they’re looking for.

However, if the mugshot has been removed from its source but it’s still appearing in Google search results, you can ask that Google update the links to reflect new or removed content.

Can mugshots and public records reappear online after being removed?

Unfortunately, yes, mugshots can reappear online after being removed. Mugshot databases scrape the internet for new content and up-to-date information. If your mugshot is removed from one site but continues to exist on other sites, it could be picked up again by the same website that removed it.

Unfortunately, there’s no central repository of mugshots, allowing you to deal only with one site and update every other one at the same time.

This is why it’s important to find all instances of your mugshot online and work to have them all removed. It’s also why content suppression is a smart strategy, even if you’re able to have some or all of your mugshots removed from the internet.

With a savvy content strategy, you can continually influence Google Search to only show the most flattering information about you or your business. This will continue to benefit you even if negative content pops up online in the future, whether it’s in three days, three months or three years.

Don’t Wait — Secure Your Future Today

Removing your mugshot and other sensitive information from online sources is a time-consuming and often frustrating process.

At RemoveMugshots.com, we offer removal services to get rid of damaging information online. That includes official records from law enforcement agencies, court records, and other sensitive public information. We can help you rebuild your personal or professional reputation online.

It doesn’t matter if you were found guilty or if your charges were expunged, dismissed or dropped, either. Our removal strategies will erase or suppress negative content from showing up online.

Speak with an expert by calling 844-935-1118 today.