Mugshot websites are some of the most predatory operations on the internet. They scrape booking photos from county jail and police department websites, republish them with your full name and arrest details, and then rank prominently in Google. Some of these sites then charge hundreds of dollars to "remove" the photo. We do not believe anyone should have to pay extortion money to protect their reputation, and we never recommend paying these sites. There is a better way.
How the Mugshot Site Model Works
The business model is simple and exploitative. Mugshot sites collect booking photos that are published as public records by law enforcement agencies. They repost these photos on their own websites, optimize the pages for Google, and wait. When the person in the photo inevitably discovers it and wants it removed, some sites charge "removal fees" ranging from $100 to $500 or more. Others have shifted their model after legal crackdowns but still operate in a gray area.
The fact that you were arrested does not mean you were guilty of anything. Many people whose mugshots end up on these sites were never convicted. Charges may have been dropped, cases dismissed, or the person may have completed a diversion program. None of that context appears on the mugshot site. Just your face, your name, and the arrest charge.
Do Not Pay the Removal Fee
We are firm on this. Paying a mugshot site to remove your photo rewards the predatory business model and does not actually solve the problem. Many sites that accept payment simply repost the photo on a different domain, or other mugshot sites pick it up and publish it themselves. You end up in an endless cycle of paying for removal.
How to Get Your Mugshot Removed
Step one: document every site that has your mugshot. Search your name in Google, and specifically check Google Images. Save the full URL of each page.
Step two: check your state's mugshot removal laws. Over 18 states have passed laws that either prohibit mugshot sites from charging removal fees or require them to remove photos within a set timeframe upon request. If your state has one of these laws, cite it in your removal request. This carries legal weight and most sites will comply rather than face litigation.
Step three: if your arrest did not lead to a conviction, pursue expungement through the court system. An expungement order gives you the strongest legal basis for demanding removal from any website. Many states allow expungement for dismissed charges, acquittals, and completed pretrial programs.
Step four: submit removal requests directly to each mugshot site. Reference your state's law if applicable, include your expungement order if you have one, and be direct about what you want removed. Do not pay any fees.
Step five: submit Google removal requests for any mugshot pages that still appear in search results after the source site has removed them. Google also has specific policies about removing certain types of personal information from search results that may apply to your situation.
Step six: address the court record databases that index the underlying case. Mugshot sites are only one part of the problem. Sites like CourtListener, Justia, Trellis, UniCourt, PacerMonitor, DocketBird, and Casemine may also have your case information. Our complete court record removal guide covers those platforms in detail.
Our Approach
We handle mugshot removals without paying extortion fees. We use a combination of legal frameworks, state laws, direct platform outreach, Google removal tools, and content suppression to clean up your search results. For arrest-related records beyond just the mugshot, see our guide on removing arrest records from Google.
If you have tried these steps and are still stuck, or if you just do not have the time, we can help. Book a consultation or book court record removal services and we will take it from here.