How to Remove Mugshots from Google: The Complete 2026 Guide

You were arrested. Maybe charges were dropped, maybe you were acquitted, maybe it was years ago. Regardless, your mugshot is now on a dedicated website, indexed by Google, and showing up when anyone searches your name. This isn’t an accident — it’s a business model. And it’s one that can be disrupted if you know where to push.

Why Mugshot Sites Exist (And Why They’re So Hard to Deal With)

Mugshot aggregator sites scrape publicly available arrest records from county jails, police departments, and court databases. Arrest records are public record in the United States, which gives these sites a legal foundation for publishing them. Their business model has two revenue streams: advertising shown to people searching for names, and paid removal services — charging individuals $100–$400 to have their own information taken down.

This extortion-adjacent model attracted significant legal scrutiny between 2013 and 2020. Several states — including California, Georgia, Oregon, and Utah — passed laws making it illegal to charge for mugshot removal. Many major credit card processors stopped working with mugshot sites following advocacy campaigns. As a result, the largest sites have either shut down or significantly changed their policies. But smaller, less scrupulous sites continue to operate, and Google still indexes many of them.

Step 1: Check Which Sites Have Your Mugshot

Before you start any removal process, map where your information is published. Search for your full name plus “mugshot,” “arrest,” and “booking photo” in Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. Note every URL. You’ll want this list to track your progress and ensure you’re not leaving any results active after addressing the primary ones.

Step 2: Free Removal Requests at Each Site

Many mugshot sites now offer free removal options following legal pressure and payment processor restrictions. Each site has different requirements:

• Mugshots.com — Has a removal request form. Requires documentation (case dismissal, expungement records, or a statement that charges were not filed). Processing takes 2–4 weeks.
• BustedMugshots.com — Offers free removal for dismissed charges, acquittals, and expunged records. Submit via their removal form with supporting court documents.
• JustMugshots.com — Free removal available; email their support team with your URL and documentation.
• Arrested.org — Free removal for those with expunged records or where charges were dropped.

Always provide court documentation if you have it — dismissal orders, expungement certificates, or a letter from your attorney confirming the outcome. Sites process documented requests faster and with less friction.

Step 3: Get an Expungement (If You Don’t Have One)

An expungement is the single most powerful tool for mugshot removal. Once your record is expunged, most mugshot sites are legally required to remove your information — and Google will respond to removal requests citing the expungement. In states like California (AB 1475), mugshot sites must remove listings within 30 days of receiving expungement documentation.

Expungement eligibility varies by state and the nature of the charges. Many first-time offences, minor drug charges, and dismissed cases are eligible. Contact a criminal defence attorney in your state to assess your eligibility — the cost of an expungement petition is almost always lower than the combined cost of paid removal services across multiple sites.

Step 4: Request Google De-index the Pages

Once a mugshot site removes your listing, Google still has the page in its cache and index. You need to separately request that Google remove it from search results. Use Google’s removal tools:

1. Go to support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/9685456
2. Select “I want to remove content from Google Search”
3. Choose the appropriate category — for mugshots, the best fit is usually “Personal information” or “Outdated content”
4. Submit the URL of the now-removed page along with your screenshots showing it’s been taken down

Google processes these requests within 2–6 weeks. The page must be actually removed or returning a 404 error for the de-indexing to stick.

Step 5: Legal Action Against Non-Compliant Sites

If a site refuses to remove your listing after receiving expungement documentation, or if you’re in a state with mandatory removal laws, you have legal options:

• State consumer protection complaints — file with your state attorney general if the site violates your state’s mugshot removal law
• DMCA takedowns — if you own the copyright to your image (complex, but sometimes applicable), a DMCA notice can compel removal
• Defamation claims — if the listing suggests guilt for charges you were acquitted of or that were never filed, the framing may be defamatory
• Privacy tort claims — several states recognise a right of publicity or false light invasion of privacy that may apply

Our content removal specialists have experience navigating the legal landscape around mugshot sites across all major US states and can advise on the most efficient path for your specific situation.

What If the Mugshot Is on a News Site, Not a Dedicated Mugshot Site?

Local news archives frequently include booking photos as part of crime reporting. These are editorial content — protected by press freedom — and significantly harder to remove. Your options are:

• Contact the editor and explain that the charges were dropped or you were acquitted — many local papers will update the article or add a follow-up
• Request anonymisation (removal of your name from the article while the photo remains)
• Submit a Right to Be Forgotten request to Google if you’re an EU/UK resident
• Use suppression — build enough positive content that the news archive stops ranking on page one for your name

How Long Does Mugshot Removal Take?

Site removal: 1–6 weeks depending on the site and your documentation. Google de-indexing after site removal: 2–6 weeks. Legal expungement + forced removal: 3–6 months. For complex cases involving multiple sites and partial legal options, a comprehensive Google suppression strategy running in parallel will typically show results within 90 days.

When to Get Professional Help

Handle it yourself if your mugshot is on one or two sites, the charges were clearly dismissed, and you have court documentation. Get professional help when:

• Your mugshot appears on 5+ sites
• The listing is on a news site as well as mugshot aggregators
• Sites are ignoring your removal requests
• The arrest affected your professional reputation and you need results quickly
• You’re not sure about your legal options given the charges involved

At Online Reputation Guru, we’ve handled hundreds of mugshot and arrest record removal cases. We know which sites respond to which approaches, have existing relationships with some platform compliance teams, and can run legal escalation and suppression in parallel to maximise speed.