How Long Do Mugshots Stay Online?

How long do mugshots stay online? In most cases, indefinitely. They sit on mugshot websites, people-finder sites, and public records databases until you take action to remove them. In the guide below, you will learn how mugshots end up online, why they stay there, and how to remove them once and for all.

If police have ever arrested you, even for a crime you did not commit, an officer probably took your photo. Law enforcement agencies document every arrest this way. Most people call these images booking photos or, more commonly, mugshots.

Once an officer takes your mugshot, that photo can take on a life of its own. It may appear on dozens of mugshot websites and so-called “people finder” sites. If your photo already sits online and you want to know how long it will stay there, this guide is for you.

Online mugshots damage your reputation. They also limit personal, professional, and career opportunities. So knowing how to protect your privacy and restore your name matters. Below, we cover why arrest photos reach the web, why they resist removal, what public mugshots do to your reputation, and how to choose a mugshot removal service.

Police booking photos do not have to rule your life. If you feel ready to protect your privacy and rebuild your reputation, let’s look at how mugshot removal actually works.

Law Enforcement Agencies and Mugshots

When police arrest someone, they take arrest photos for a clear law enforcement purpose. Every mugshot helps officers identify people in custody. Each image also becomes part of the public record of that police interaction.

Most agencies must record and share every arrest photo they take. As a result, police departments and county sheriff offices generally treat booking photos as public records. However, some jurisdictions now limit or end publication of arrest records to protect privacy.

If prosecutors have charged you with a crime, your own mugshot may surface in Google search results. Some local law enforcement websites drop daily arrest logs after roughly 30 to 90 days. Even then, the underlying records often remain available elsewhere.

Mugshots Posted Publicly Can Damage Your Reputation

People use the web every day to learn about the people and places around them. Google, Bing, and Yahoo also serve as informal background check tools.

Think about what happens if you apply for a job, a loan, or school admission. Someone runs a quick search and finds your mugshot. That person may associate you with criminal behavior, even if a court never found you guilty, prosecutors cleared you, or officers arrested you by mistake. These images can quietly wreck the opportunities you need in life and career.

Published mugshots have ruined many people’s chances of reaching their goals. A dismissed case can strengthen a later removal effort, but the reputational damage often lands first. With an embarrassing arrest photo floating around, you may lose out on the job offers and second chances you deserve.

So can you afford to let mugshots stay online forever? Probably not. We cover removal in detail further down.

A Chilling Example of How Mugshots Can Do Damage

Do you doubt that mugshot websites harm real people? Then consider the following story.

In 2020, Maricopa County resident Julie Levitch drove to her boyfriend’s house to return his cellphone. His doorbell did not work, so she knocked on the glass and broke it.

A neighbor heard the glass break and called police to report a crime in progress. Phoenix officers arrived and arrested Levitch. She spent the night in jail and left right after that overnight detention. During those hours, she faced harassment and solitary confinement. Eventually, the court dropped her criminal mischief charges.

Levitch then sued the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Her lawsuit alleges that the county jail published photos of her arrest. Local news outlets also posted her booking photos online. In pending litigation, the jail and the Sheriff’s Office deny any wrongdoing. They argue that state laws required them to publish the mugshots.

Like many agencies, that jail publishes mugshots taken during booking. No court ever convicted Levitch, and prosecutors dismissed her charges. Still, those images did irreparable harm to her reputation.

How Did My Criminal Records and Mugshots Get Posted to the Web?

Three primary sources post mugshots online.

Public Records

Government offices publish court records, arrest reports, criminal records, and mugshots because the law requires them to share these records. Each record typically includes identifying details such as the arrest date and the booking date. Lawyers often call these obligations “open records” laws. The arresting agency may publish your image as soon as staff book and process you.

Any time you deal with a government agency, official records of that interaction can enter the public record. Federal, state, and local agencies collect civil and arrest records and share them under public records laws. Nearly every agency that processes arrests posts arrest photos online.

Some government booking databases do remove a mugshot after a court dismisses charges or expunges records. However, practices vary widely by arresting agency and by date.

Data Brokers and Data Aggregators

Once agencies publish court records online, that information spreads fast. “People finder” websites drive most of that spread. The industry also refers to them as data brokers or data aggregators.

Data brokers run automated tools that scrape publicly available records from government databases. They then republish everything on their own websites. Hundreds of these third-party sites exist, and some people do use them to look up someone they met in person or online.

Certain brokers give away public information for free. Others charge a fee for access. Either way, a potential employer running a background check can find your past, including arrest information, mugshots, and criminal history, even if officers arrested you wrongfully.

Mugshot Websites

A mugshot site works much like a data broker. It reposts publicly available information, such as your criminal, court, or arrest records, from government databases. These sites have grown enormously popular. Many launched by posting celebrity mugshots, then expanded to cover the criminal charges of ordinary people.

Some sites publish only mugshots. Others add a person’s criminal history, arrest and court records, or private details. Once one site grabs your booking photo, that image can suddenly appear on multiple websites.

The internet loves crime stories, so these sites attract heavy traffic. Because of that traffic, they often rank at or near the top of search results. Google Ads and other advertisements on those pages generate real revenue. As a result, commercial sites frequently keep arrest images online indefinitely to drive clicks, and some pressure people into paying a removal fee.

So how long does a mugshot stay online? The answer varies from one publishing website to another.

One mugshot can start the ball rolling. Before long, other mugshot websites pick up the same embarrassing photo. Your reputation takes the hit, and you may struggle to rebuild trust. Fortunately, many states now prohibit removal fees when a person avoided conviction or otherwise qualifies for removal.

A Word About Other Mugshot Sources

Beyond those three primary sources, a few other channels deserve mention.

Many news outlets publish mugshots during the evening news. Newsrooms love a juicy crime story, so arrest photos help pull in viewers.

Social media creates a buzz whenever police arrest someone famous. Even when the evidence stays circumstantial, executives and celebrities face the justice system in public. Their images then spread across platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram.

You can argue that published mugshots undermine basic privacy protections. Someone charged with a minor offense, even a misdemeanor such as criminal damage, still faces a “trial of the public” in search engines and other online sources.

Mugshot Online? It Will Stay Online Until You Do Something About It

So how long do mugshots stay online? Often indefinitely, unless you take action to remove them.

You have probably heard the saying, “if it’s on the web, it’s permanent.” Once a site posts a mugshot, that image stays up until you invest the time and effort to remove it. Mugshot websites earn money from advertising, so they welcome the traffic that embarrassing photos bring.

Even after you clear your photo from one site, dozens or hundreds of other sites may still host it. State laws control your removal rights. In some states, private mugshot publishers must honor removal requests within set deadlines. In simple terms, your mugshot sticks around for a long time unless you push back.

Removing a Mugshot Online

Your mugshot stays online until you start the removal process, because removal almost always requires direct action from you. You can handle it yourself or work with an attorney or a removal service.

You have three main paths to a takedown.

Reach Out to Mugshot Websites

First, identify which website publishes your mugshot. Then submit that site’s opt-out or removal form when one exists.

Some private sites still demand a formal written request, even after a court expunges your record. In Florida, for example, you can send a written request under Florida law, and the statute gives the publisher 10 days to remove the image. Georgia law, under O.C.G.A. § 10-1-393.5, outlines eight circumstances for removal and requires publishers to handle qualifying requests within 30 days. If a site ignores that deadline, you can file a complaint under the state’s Fair Business Practices Act.

Expunge Your Criminal History

Expungement, also called expunction, is the court-ordered process that removes a person’s arrest report, criminal record, or mugshot from public records. In essence, expungement sets aside a criminal conviction.

Keep one limit in mind. Sealing or expunging an arrest record does not automatically erase copies on private websites.

You or your attorney can apply to expunge or seal your case. Typically, you file that request through a court order with the Clerk of Courts. Websites and agencies then ask for proof of expungement or dismissal before they remove a mugshot. After the court grants your request, public records databases can drop your online mugshot. From there, the law requires mugshot websites to comply or face civil penalties such as fines or loss of service.

Hire a Mugshot Removal Company

Hundreds of companies advertise mugshot removal, and some promise a courtesy removal. The leading firms, however, use proven strategies to take booking photos down for good.

These services rely on several tools:

• Formal removal requests
• Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices
• Terms of Service (ToS) violation notices sent to internet service providers

After a publisher removes the source page, you can ask Google and other search engines to de-index the photo.

The strongest providers go further. Firms like NetReputation pair removal work with full online reputation management, so clients not only clear mugshots but also rebuild what those images damaged. With that combination, a person can reclaim their name and feel proud of their digital footprint again.

If you plan to hire a professional, review the price of mugshot removal services first. A good service removes your mugshot from source sites, then handles cleanup in search results.

Contact OnlineReputation Today

OnlineReputation leads the way in information resources for the online reputation management industry. Our guides give you the details you need to choose the right services for your situation, including mugshot removal.

Wiping a mugshot from the internet gets complex and frustrating fast. Because state laws differ, our guides to mugshot removal by state, including procedures under Florida and Georgia law, make your options easy to understand. With that clarity, you can make smart decisions about your next step.

To learn more about your mugshot removal options, contact our office today at 844-230-3803 for a free consultation.