How to Remove Your Mugshot From Arrests.org

For an Arrests.org removal, find every page that shows your booking photo, then use the removal or contact route listed on Arrests.org’s own site to request takedown, attaching proof of a dismissal, acquittal or expungement if you have it. Don’t pay anyone to remove it. If the page stays up, or any site asks for money, ask Google to remove it from search results, and look into expungement or record sealing, which is the most lasting fix.

An arrest is not a conviction, but a mugshot page ranking for your name can feel like one to a landlord, employer or date. This guide sets out the routes that work, in the order that tends to make sense, and what to avoid.

What Arrests.org is and where its photos come from

Arrests.org is one of many mugshot websites. These sites copy booking photos and arrest details, such as the charge, the date and the arresting agency, from public jail rosters and law enforcement websites, then publish them on pages that are easy for search engines to find.

Two points shape your removal strategy:

• The information usually starts as a public record. Booking photos are often released by sheriff’s offices and jails. Publishing them is generally legal in the US, which is why sites rarely remove them simply because you ask.
• The page usually shows the arrest, not the outcome. A later dismissal, acquittal or expungement typically isn’t reflected unless you tell the site. That gap is your strongest argument for removal.

Step 1: Find every copy of your mugshot

1. Search Google for your name in quotes, then with your city, and with words like “arrest” and “mugshot.”
2. Check Google Images for your booking photo, which can appear on several sites at once.
3. Search Arrests.org directly. You may appear on more than one page, for example a state page and a county page, or separate pages for separate bookings.
4. Save each URL in a list with a screenshot and the date. You’ll need the exact URLs for the site and for Google.

Mugshot sites often copy from each other, so expect to find the same photo elsewhere. If a copy turns up on Mugshots.com, our Mugshots.com removal guide covers that site. Our general guide to removing a mugshot from the internet covers the other types of site you might find.

Step 2: Gather your documents

Removal requests are far more likely to succeed with paperwork. Get certified or official copies from the court clerk of whichever apply:

• A dismissal or “nolle prosequi” order, or a record that no charges were filed.
• An acquittal or not-guilty verdict.
• An expungement or sealing order.
• Proof of completing a diversion program, if the case was then dismissed.

If your case ended in a conviction, you can still ask for removal, but the argument is weaker. That’s where expungement or sealing becomes important.

Step 3: Start with the official source

If the jail or sheriff’s office still shows your booking photo online, ask it to take it down. Many agencies remove booking photos after a set period, on request, or after a case is dismissed. Policies vary by agency and state, so ask the records office what it needs from you.

This won’t delete the Arrests.org copy by itself, but it removes the source that aggregators draw from and helps prevent new copies.

Step 4: Request removal from Arrests.org

Site processes change, so work from what Arrests.org shows today:

1. Look for a removal, FAQ or contact link on Arrests.org’s own pages, typically in the footer or near the record itself.
2. Follow the site’s stated process. Provide the exact URL of each page and the details it asks for.
3. Attach your court documents where the process allows it, and say plainly what they show.
4. Keep it short and factual. No threats, no long explanations of the arrest.
5. Keep copies of what you sent and the date.

A request can be as simple as this:

I am the person named on the following page(s): [URL]. The charge from this arrest was dismissed on [date], and a copy of the dismissal order is attached. I am asking you to remove the page, including my booking photo. Thank you.

Step 5: Get the page out of Google

For most people, what matters is what shows up when someone searches their name. Google offers three relevant routes.

Situation	Google route
The site, or someone it refers you to, requires payment to remove the content	Google’s removal request for content on sites with exploitative removal practices. If approved, the reported URLs stop appearing in Google Search.
The site has removed or changed the page, but Google still shows the old version	Google’s “Refresh outdated content” tool, so the result updates or drops out.
The page shows your contact details, such as a home address or phone number	Google’s “Results about you” tool may apply to results with that kind of personal information.

Google reviews only the URLs you submit, so include every page. Removing a result from Google doesn’t remove the page from Arrests.org, but it does take it out of the searches that matter most.

Step 6: Check your state’s law

Some states have passed laws aimed at mugshot websites. Depending on the state, these may restrict charging a fee to remove a booking photo, or require removal on request when a case ended in the person’s favor. Some limit when agencies can release booking photos at all.

The details differ a lot and change over time, so search your state’s name plus “mugshot law,” or ask a lawyer or legal aid office. If a law applies, mention it briefly and factually in your request.

Step 7: Seal or expunge the record

Expungement or sealing is the most lasting route. It doesn’t automatically delete copies on private websites, but it gives you a court order that makes requests to sites, agencies and news outlets much more persuasive, and it can limit what shows up on many background checks.

Eligibility depends on your state, the charge and the outcome. Many arrests that didn’t lead to a conviction are eligible, and some states now clear certain records automatically. Talk to a lawyer or your local legal aid organization about your options. Our guide to getting a record expunged explains the general process, and removing court records from Google covers the court side of your search results.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real client.

Tomás, a warehouse supervisor, was arrested after a dispute with a neighbor. The charge was dropped three weeks later. A year on, a job applicant he interviewed mentions seeing his mugshot on Arrests.org.

• He searches his name and finds two Arrests.org pages and one copy on another mugshot site.
• He gets the dismissal order from the court clerk and asks the county jail to take the booking photo off its online roster. It agrees.
• He submits a removal request through Arrests.org’s own contact route, with both URLs and the dismissal attached.
• The other site asks for a fee. He doesn’t pay, and reports its page to Google under the exploitative removal practices policy with a screenshot of the fee offer.
• Once the pages change or drop, he uses Google’s refresh tool for any stale results, then talks to a legal aid office about sealing the arrest record.

It takes some weeks and a few follow-ups. He pays no removal fees.

What not to do

• Don’t pay the site or a service it recommends.
• Don’t file a copyright (DMCA) notice for the booking photo. You generally don’t own the copyright in a photo the agency took, and false notices can create legal liability.
• Don’t send threats. Some sites publish angry messages, which can put your name in front of more people.
• Don’t hire anyone who promises certain removal. No one can promise what a site or Google will do. Ask exactly which methods they use.

If the page won’t come down

Some pages stay up despite a strong request. If Google won’t remove the result either, the remaining option is to make it less visible. Search result suppression builds accurate, stronger pages about you that rank above the mugshot. If you’d rather hand over the whole job, our content removal service handles the requests and Google reports, never pays pay-to-remove sites, and tells you upfront what’s realistic.

Frequently asked questions

Does Arrests.org charge to remove mugshots?

Check the site’s own removal information, since practices can change. Whatever you’re told, don’t pay any site or third party to remove a booking photo. If payment is demanded, report the page to Google under its policy for sites with exploitative removal practices.

Can I get my mugshot removed from Arrests.org if my charges were dropped?

That’s the strongest position to be in. Send the site a short request with a copy of the dismissal, ask the jail to remove its copy, and use Google’s tools for any search results that remain.

Will expungement remove my photo from Arrests.org automatically?

No. Private sites aren’t automatically notified. The expungement order makes your removal request much stronger, and some state laws treat expunged or sealed records differently. Talk to a lawyer or legal aid about your state.

How long does Arrests.org removal take?

There’s no reliable timeline. Site responses vary, Google usually decides removal requests within days to weeks, and expungement can take months depending on your state’s courts.