How to remove mugshots from the internet & Google

Whenever a celebrity scandal involves a police arrest, people flock to check out pictures from the incident, including mugshot images. It’s all fun and games until you’re the one with a mugshot online. Then, things can become dicey. Especially given that, over the last few years, several websites have popped up to profit from people’s criminal records.

Dorota Martin

Updated on: February 28, 2024

In short, to get a mugshot removed from the internet, contact the websites where the mugshot appears and ask them to take it down. In most cases, you will need a legal document confirming that the charges have been dropped or the case sealed.

If that does not work, try the following:

1. Find all the websites that post your mugshots.
2. Remove your mugshots from the main mugshot sites like Mugshots.com, Arrests.org, JailBase.com, and Boca Busted Mugshots.
3. Remove your mugshots from local police department websites.
4. Contact Google directly and submit an image removal request. 
5. Use a mugshot removal service.
6. Hire an online reputation company.

Let’s look at each of these, one by one.

1) Find all the websites that post your mugshots

Whether you’ve been acquitted or convicted, you don’t want your mugshot or arrest record to appear in search results. Before you can erase it, you’ll have to find all the places where your mugshot appears.

Start by performing a search on Google and other search engines. Type your name into the search bar with and without the word “arrest.” If your name is common, you can also type in your middle name, middle initial, and state in different combinations. Go through the results and make a list of websites to contact. 

It’s best to avoid performing this search repeatedly. Search engines show results higher on their result pages based on how often they have been searched.

With your list of search engine results ready, go to each website on your list and find the contact information. These mightn’t always be easy to find, so check the terms and conditions or the privacy policy. Sometimes, the company email can be found there. 

Reach out to the website owner or admin, and politely ask them to take your booking photo down. In the best-case scenario, they’ll agree to remove it voluntarily. Some may ask you for additional information, such as, for example, a document confirming that you’ve had your record expunged.

Unfortunately, an additional fee may be required to erase your mugshot from so-called mugshot websites.

2) Remove your mugshot from the main mugshot sites

Here’s how to have your mugshot removed from the most popular mugshot sites. 

Mugshots.com

This mugshot site will remove or update your record free of charge, provided you send legal documents to support your request. Follow these steps to remove your mugshot or update your record on mugshots.com:

1. Go to mugshots.com
2. Search for your record using the bar in the top-right corner. Note the record number.
3. Return to the main page and click “record removals/updates.” 
4. Copy the correct email address based on the nature of your request.
5. Send your request from your mailbox with the correct documents attached.

The removal can take up to 10 business days.

Arrests.org

Arrests.org publishes booking photos only, without any criminal records. They do have a mugshot removal process, but it’s hidden and you won’t be able to find a button leading to it on their page.

To remove your mugshot from arrests.org, and follow these steps:

1. Find your listing using the search bar.
2. Select your listing and click on your name or picture.
3. Copy your record ID from the browser address bar.
4. Open a new browser window and type: https://arrests.org/remove/?id= followed by your Record ID.
   (For example: https://arrests.org/remove/?id=58550662)
5. Choose a reason for removal.
6. Attach any required documents such as a copy of order.
7. Provide your email address, where you will be sent an opt-out conformation.
8. Click “submit opt-out.”

For a more detailed explanation of this process, read our arrests.org opt-out guide.

JailBase.com

JailBase requires 90 days to update a record, but they do have a mugshot removal process on their page. Follow these steps to remove a mugshot image from JailBase:

1. Go to jailbase.com.
2. Search for your arrest information using the search box on the right-hand side.
3. You will be taken to a new page. Fill out the information on state and county in the box on the left-hand side under “arrest search.”
4. Click “search” and scroll down to see the results.
5. Find and click on your record. Scroll down and click “opt out” under “details.”
6. Fill out your email address and telephone number (required) to request an opt-out.
7. You’ll receive a verification code via SMS.

Boca Busted Mugshots

BocaPost is a news website that publishes arrest records, mugshots, obituaries, and camera footage from Palm Beach and Broward counties in Florida. While they do not have a clear mugshot removal procedure, you can check their privacy policy to contact them.

Here is how to remove mugshots from BocaPost:

1. Go to bocapost.com.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “privacy policy.”
3. Go to the section entitled “what rights you have over your data.”
4. Click “contact us form” or copy the email address next to it.
5. Send an email requesting that your mugshots be removed from the site.

Requests can take up to one month to process.

3) Remove your mugshot from local police department websites

If a mugshot has been published online on a local police website, you’ll need to contact them using the contact form or email on their page. You can also usually enquire by phone or postal mail. There’s no centralized procedure for public record removal, so you will have to contact the county directly and make your case.

4) Remove your mugshot from Google

Here is what to do to get your mugshot off Google:

• Ask the website owner to remove it.
• Once they do, ask Google to refresh their results page.
• If this doesn’t work, use the Google image removal process (link to the Google tool)

That said, it’s difficult to have mugshots removed this way because of Google’s strict content removal policy. Google will take down images of minors, explicit and pornographic images, remove personally identifiable information, and doxxing content. Content qualifies for removal from search results for legal reasons such as copyright infringement, trademark violations, or court order. 

Keep in mind that even if you managed to get a mugshot removed from Google Search in this way, the image will still exist on the website where it was first published and may be discoverable by other search engines.  

5) Use a mugshot removal service

When nothing else works, some people turn to a mugshot removal service like removemymugshot.org.

Mugshot removal websites promise to erase mugshots from the internet for a fee. Services like this can help you remove a booking photo from a particular website, but they don’t have agreements with all mugshot sites, so many will refuse their requests. Lastly, a mugshot remains part of the public record, so it may reappear on the same or other websites soon after being removed.

6) Hire an online reputation company as a last resort

Some companies advertise a slightly different solution: manipulating search engine results so your mugshot image gets buried under other search results. This way, they aren’t technically removing the mugshots from a search engine but making them less likely to be seen. The downside is that mugshots might still appear on the first page of search results for your name and will appear if someone searches your name plus the word “mugshot.”

Why it’s dangerous to have your mugshot online

A mugshot can make people think you’ve been involved in a crime, even if you weren’t found guilty of criminal offenses or the charges were dropped. What’s more, mugshots can remain online indefinitely. Even taking legal steps to have your records sealed or expunged—which theoretically makes your case confidential and should prompt companies to delete any record of your arrest—doesn’t guarantee the removal of a mugshot from the internet. 

Like with any other personal information online, it’s best to proactively take care of your image online before it has further consequences for your relationships, career, reputation, and safety.

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