How to Remove Your Information from Mugshots.com
Mugshots.com has narrower removal eligibility than most aggregator sites, and it doesn't currently charge for removal. Here's what actually qualifies for removal versus a record update, the real process, and what to do if your case doesn't qualify.
Quick overview
- Full removal applies to sealed/expunged records, identity theft, or a deceased family member — a dismissed case gets a free update. See the distinction.
- The site doesn't currently charge for removal — demanding payment is a red flag. See the real process.
- The most common blocker is eligibility: a case that isn't sealed, expunged, or destroyed may qualify for a free update. What's realistic next.
- A dismissed case or not-guilty verdict gets a free update — listed, but corrected — while full removal needs a sealed, expunged, or identity-theft case. The difference explained.
What is Mugshots.com?
Mugshots.com is one of the best-known booking-photo aggregator sites, publishing arrest photos and records sourced from law enforcement data. Like other sites in this category, publishing public arrest information isn't illegal on its own.
It doesn't currently charge for removal, and its removal criteria are notably narrower and more strictly documented than most sites in this category — see the exact eligibility rules below.
How to remove yourself from Mugshots.com
Before starting, confirm you actually qualify: standard removal is limited to sealed, expunged, or court-ordered-destroyed records, identity theft cases, or requests made on behalf of a deceased family member. A dismissed charge or not-guilty verdict on its own qualifies for a free record update, not removal.
- 1
Find your listing and site ID
Search your name on the site, open your listing, and scroll to "External Links" to find your Mugshots.com ID number — you'll need it when you contact them.
- 2
Collect court documentation
You'll need documentation that is legible, signed by a judge, and sealed by the court — proof of the expungement, sealing order, or destruction order, or documentation supporting an identity-theft or deceased-family-member request.
- 3
Contact them through their listed removal channel
Submit your ID number and documentation through the site's official contact method for removal requests — not through any third party offering to "expedite" removal for a fee.
- 4
Allow up to about 10 days for processing
That's the general timeframe reported for a complete, properly documented request. If your case only qualifies for a record update rather than full removal, expect the listing to remain but reflect the corrected outcome.
If DIY removal doesn't work
The most common blocker is eligibility: if your case wasn't sealed, expunged, or destroyed, and doesn't involve identity theft, Mugshots.com's own criteria may not offer a path to full removal — only a record update. On top of that, the same photo is often mirrored across other aggregator sites that each require their own request.
In that situation, the realistic options are pursuing a legal expungement first (which then supports a stronger removal request), pursuing Google's own removal tools for the search result even if the source listing stays up, or handling all of the copies as part of one coordinated case. Tell us what's showing up and we'll tell you honestly what applies.
Common questions
Does Mugshots.com call itself a news outlet?
Yes — its own homepage describes it as "a news organization" that publishes thousands of stories a year, including editorials and pieces on exonerations, not just a static photo database. That self-framing matters: it's part of why the site treats publishing arrest photos as protected reporting rather than something it needs a specific legal reason to take down.
Does Mugshots.com charge for removal?
No — the free process described below is the current, documented removal path, with no payment required. If anyone contacts you demanding payment to remove a Mugshots.com listing, treat that as a red flag and verify through the site's own official channels first.
Do I qualify for removal from Mugshots.com?
Only in specific cases: your record was sealed, expunged, or ordered destroyed; you're a victim of identity theft; or you're a family member acting on behalf of someone who has died. A dismissed case or not-guilty verdict on its own typically qualifies you for a free record update, not full removal.
What's the difference between a record update and removal?
A record update corrects the listing to reflect a favorable outcome (dismissed, acquitted, not guilty) but the entry can remain visible. Removal takes the listing down entirely, and is reserved for the narrower set of cases above (sealed/expunged/identity theft/deceased).
How long does Mugshots.com removal take?
Their process is generally described as taking up to about 10 days once a complete, properly documented request is submitted through their listed contact channels.
Will removal from Mugshots.com clear it from other mugshot sites too?
No. Booking photos are frequently mirrored across multiple aggregator sites. Removing your listing from Mugshots.com only addresses that one site — other copies need their own separate removal requests.
Related
Listed on a different mugshot aggregator? See our Arrests.org removal guide. Dealing with the underlying court filing rather than the photo? See our PacerMonitor removal guide or the full Court Record Removal service.
We check eligibility honestly before filing anything — a case that only qualifies for a record update, not removal, is a different outcome, and we'd rather tell you that upfront than let a documented request get declined on criteria that never applied.
Start today
See exactly what applies to your case.
Send us the listing. We'll tell you honestly whether you qualify for removal, an update, or need a broader approach.
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