How to get a mugshot removed from the internet

A mugshot outranks almost everything else for your name, and it stays up regardless of whether the charge was dropped. The industry is built on that asymmetry. The first rule is: do not pay a mugshot site.

Difficulty

◷Hard

Time

Weeks to months

Cost

Free to do yourself

Steps

7

1. 01Do not pay for removalPaying marks you as someone who pays, and the image frequently reappears on a sister site with a fresh removal fee. Several states have made charging for mugshot removal illegal, and payment processors have restricted the trade.
2. 02Check your state's lawA number of states now prohibit charging a fee for mugshot removal, and some require removal on request when charges were dropped, dismissed or expunged. Citing that statute in writing is far more effective than a polite request.
3. 03Get the underlying case disposition documentedIf the charge was dismissed, dropped or expunged, obtain a certified copy of the disposition or order. That document is your leverage everywhere else in this process.
4. 04Write to the site with the disposition attachedState the outcome of the case, attach the documentation, cite your state's mugshot statute if it has one, and request removal. Keep a copy.
5. 05Ask the source agency to stop publishingMany sheriff and police departments publish booking photos online and are the upstream source. Some will remove or restrict on request, particularly for dismissed cases. That stops the re-scraping.
6. 06Request Google delistingEven where the page survives, delisting cuts off how people find it. Use Google's removal tools and submit each URL.
7. 07Dispute it with the screening companies separatelyA mugshot site is not a consumer reporting agency, but background-check companies are — and if they are reporting a dismissed or expunged charge, that is a formal FCRA dispute with a 30-day deadline.