How to remove a mugshot from the Internet

Having a mugshot on the Internet can have long-lasting consequences, even if you were not convicted of any crime. These images may be accessible to the public, including potential employers, landlords, or even acquaintances, when they look you up online.

A mugshot can negatively impact your professional reputation, hinder job opportunities, or complicate your ability to secure housing or loans. Although it’s not always straightforward to remove a mugshot from the Internet, it’s a crucial step to protect your privacy and minimize potential damage to your personal and professional life.

In this guide, I’ll explain how to remove a mugshot from the Internet and control your online presence.

How to remove a mugshot from the Internet:

1. Find all the websites that your mugshots appear online.
2. Contact the websites with a request to take down your mugshot and supporting documentation, such as proof that the charges have been dropped or the case is sealed.
3. Check your local police websites to see if your record is public. If it is, contact the police through email or phone to request removal of your records.
4. Send an image removal request to Google.
5. Monitor and follow up on the progress of your mugshot removal.
6. Alternatively, you can use a data removal service like Incogni to scrub your personal information from the Internet.

How do mugshots end up online?

Mugshots end up online when law enforcement agencies or third-party websites post them after an arrest. Arrest records are generally considered to be public information in the United States. This means that your criminal record can usually be accessed and shared online by anybody, particularly online databases or websites that collect and display such information.

Once online, your mugshots can appear in search results when someone looks you up. Even if the charges are dropped, these images will remain online unless you actively take steps to remove them.

However, removing your mugshot from the Internet is not so simple because of how information spreads online. Many third-party sites charge fees to remove mugshots, capitalizing on people's desire to clear their online image.

Why you should consider removing your mugshot from the Internet

There are many important reasons to learn how to get a mugshot removed from the Internet. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the top reasons to consider.

• Association with criminal activity: A mugshot can make people assume you were involved in a crime, even if the charges against you were dropped or dismissed. This can tarnish your reputation and lead to unfair judgment from others who don’t know the full story.
• Impact on employment opportunities: Most employers conduct thorough online background checks before hiring a person. A mugshot can raise concerns about your character, potentially costing you job offers or promotions. It may also hinder networking opportunities, as professional contacts will judge you based on your mugshot.
• Impact on potential housing and loans: Just like employers, landlords and financial institutions such as banks also perform background checks. So, having your mugshot available online can make it more difficult to secure housing or get a loan because it suggests instability, unreliability, or even potential danger.
• Impact on personal relationships and social stigma: Friends, family, potential romantic partners, and acquaintances who come across your mugshot online might make negative assumptions, which can strain personal relationships or lead to embarrassment and discrimination in social situations.
• Impact on mental well-being: Having your mugshot publicly available online can cause stress or anxiety, knowing that anyone can access it with a simple online search.

Considering all this, removing your mugshot can help restore your reputation and protect your prospects.

How to get a mugshot removed from the Internet

Here are a few ways to remove a mugshot from the Internet:

1. Find all the websites where your mugshots appear

The most straightforward way to get your mugshot removed from the Internet is to contact all the websites where your mugshot appears and request they take it down. Before doing this, it’s important to find all the websites that have posted your mugshot. Search for your name along with the word “arrest” on Google and other search engines. You can also include your middle name and location for comprehensive results.

Go through the search results and create a list of all the websites where you see your mugshot. Take care not to perform this search repeatedly because search engines tend to rank websites higher in search results based on how often they are visited.

Now, go through each of the websites on your list and look for their contact information. If you can’t find it, check the terms and conditions or the privacy policy to get the company’s email address.

Reach out to the websites and ask them to take down your mugshot, providing additional information, such as a legal document showing that the charges against you have been dropped or that the case is sealed.

Some websites may charge you a fee to have your mugshot removed. But the price is worth it, given the risk to your reputation.

In the next step, we’ll explain how to remove your mugshot from the three top mugshot websites.

2. Remove your mugshot from the main mugshot sites

Some of the most popular mugshot websites have specific processes you need to follow to get your mugshot removed. We’ll detail these steps for three of the top mugshot websites below.

• Mugshots.com

This website will remove mugshots for free if you send an official request with supporting legal documents.

Here’s what to do:

1. Open your browser and go to mugshots.com.
2. Click in the search bar at the top-right corner of the screen, type your name, and click “SEARCH.”
3. Click on your record, scroll down, and make a note of the record number.
4. Now, scroll back up and click “RECORD REMOVAL/UPDATES.”
5. Read the instructions and then send your request with the required supporting documents to the appropriate email address ones mentioned on this page. Make sure to include your record number in the request.

The removal can take up to 10 business days.

• Arrests.org

This mugshots website allows you to request the removal of your record. Follow the steps below to do so:

1. Go to arrests.com and look for your listing by entering your first name, last name, and location.
2. After you click “Search,” a results page will appear.
3. Click on your listing and then click the box that says “Record Removal.”
4. Select your reasons for requesting removal and upload any supporting documentation.
5. You can provide your email address to receive confirmation when your record is removed.
6. Click the “Submit Opt-Out” button.

• Boca Post

This news website publishes mugshots and arrest records from Palm Beach and Broward counties in Florida. If you find your mugshot on this site, follow the steps below to have it removed:

1. Go to bocapost.com and scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click on “Privacy Policy.”
2. Scroll to the section titled “WHAT RIGHTS YOU HAVE OVER YOUR DATA.”
3. Click “contact us form” or copy the email address next to it.
4. Send a request for your records to be removed from the site. Remember to include a link to your record and supporting documentation.

Note: These websites can decide whether to accept your request or not. They may take up to one month to process the request.

3. Remove your mugshot from local police department websites

Most police departments make arrest records public. So, if your mugshot has been published on a local police website, you can contact them to try to have it removed. Unfortunately, there’s no standardized procedure to remove such records from the Internet. But it’s worth contacting the police directly through their website, email, or by phone.

4. Remove your mugshot from Google

After a website deletes your mugshot, the image will eventually be removed from Google Search results. However, you can also request to have the image removed from Google Search through the instructions on this Google Help page.

Note: Google does not remove personal information simply because you ask. For instance, it won’t remove information that may be useful to the public, such as reports on news, government, or educational websites. That’s why it’s important to first contact the websites directly with requests to have your information removed.

5. Use a data removal service

Removing mugshots from the Internet can be a long and tricky process. You can get professional help by signing up for a data removal service like Incogni to do the heavy lifting. Data removal services scan the Internet for your personal information, send removal requests on your behalf, and keep you informed of the progress. This can save you a lot of time and energy.

Try Incogni now

6. Monitoring and follow-up

As explained above, getting your mugshot removed from the Internet can take weeks or even up to a month. It’s important to monitor the status of your removal requests and follow up as needed. You can do this by being patient yet persistent. If mugshot websites do not respond, send a follow-up message with your request.

Also, you can routinely check search results for new mentions or updates to existing information about you. Be cautious about the personal information you share online on social media platforms or with the apps and websites you use.

Protect your privacy with Incogni

What are mugshot websites?

Mugshot websites are online platforms that gather mugshots and other public arrest records. Under the guise of promoting public safety and alerting people about potential criminals, mugshot websites create databases of public arrest records. However, these companies profit by making you pay if you want them to delete your photo and remove your mugshot from the Internet.

Mugshot websites claim their actions are legal under the First Amendment (freedom of speech). In response, many states have enacted mugshot removal laws that prevent these businesses from making money through such services. States with these laws include Georgia, Illinois, Oregon, Texas, Utah, California, Colorado, Missouri, Wyoming, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and more.

Conclusion

While removing a mugshot from the Internet can be challenging and time-consuming, it's worth the effort to protect your reputation and privacy. Mugshots can impact different aspects of your life, from job prospects to personal relationships. Getting them removed from the web helps you regain control of your online presence.

Although some websites may charge fees for removal or make the process difficult, persistence pays off. Using data removal services like Incogni can simplify the process. These services actively work to take down unwanted personal information from various sites, saving you time and ensuring your data stays private.

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