Are Mugshot Websites Illegal?

September 22, 2025

Are mugshot websites illegal? That’s a common question that we get asked often. Learn more about the complicated legislation behind these sites.

Are you struggling to remove your arrest photos from the internet and wondering whether mugshot websites are illegal or not? In today’s post, we’ll discuss the legal aspects of mugshot websites and what people can do to prevent arrest data from ruining their lives.

If you’ve ever been arrested and had to deal with a law enforcement agency, your booking photograph — also known as a mugshot — was likely published as a public record on the local police department’s website. Sometimes, it may be online for just a little while. Other times, it can stay there forever. But from that moment on, it’s just a matter of weeks until your booking information ends up spreading all over the internet. 

And if having your arrest photo accessible to everyone online wasn’t bad enough, you should know that mugshots include more than just your photo.

Most commonly, together with your pictures, there will also be some sort of identification information. This can include your name, height, and other data related to your arrest or crime.

Arrest information can be hard to remove from the internet. In this article, we’ll share advice on how to prevent your personal records from tarnishing your online reputation.

Our mugshot removal services will remove your online arrest records and mugshot images fast. Contact us today at 866-601-6803 to learn more.

Online Mugshots Can Have Serious Consequences

Mugshots aren’t only reserved for dangerous criminals and serious felonies. People from all walks of life can end up having mugshots online, oftentimes for something as small as a minor car accident. 

Maybe you have a friend who is dealing with this problem, or maybe it’s someone in your family who just got arrested. It can even be you who is facing this issue.

Amongst all those who have their mugshots online, some are guilty, while others have been wrongfully convicted. No matter the situation, in both instances, their criminal record information will become readily accessible to anyone with just a click.

With the internet taking over our lives, more and more Americans are dealing with mugshots damaging their reputation, and sometimes even ruining their lives. That’s because, nowadays, whether you want to get hired, join a dating website, start a business, or move into a new building, you can be sure that someone, somewhere, will be looking for your name online. 

For example, Avast found that 50% of all daters who use online dating apps or sites search for someone they met online. Moreover, 30% of people who use online dating services and Google someone they meet online either find something objectionable or find nothing at all and opt not to meet up in person.

Our mugshot removal experts will analyze search engine results to find and remove your personal information and mugshots online. Call us at 866-601-6803 for more information.

Why It’s So Important To Remove Mugshots From Search Results

Knowing that an individual has a mugshot or criminal record makes many people reject them from the start, most of the time without a second thought. In reality, though, many people never end up in court or even in a jail cell after being arrested.

To exemplify the psychological impact a booking photo can have on a person’s life, here’s the story of Sheena Foley. At 28 years old, this South Burlington, VT, woman watched her reputation crumble after her mugshot appeared online. 

In 2015, Sheena had rolled through a stop sign while driving without a license. What followed turned into more than an arrest. 

A local police department published her arrest photo on their Facebook page. This turned her small car accident into public shame. According to her own words, having her picture accessible to all her neighbors, friends, and work colleagues made her feel like a murderer or a drug dealer.

We work on behalf of our clients to erase mugshots, arrest records, police reports and other sensitive information from the internet. Give us a call at 866-601-6803 to learn more.

Are Mugshot Sites Legal?

Unfortunately, yes, sites that post mugshots are legal. In the U.S., publishing booking photographs on mugshot websites is not illegal because they’re public records. Therefore, any mugshot site out there can publish them freely.  

Often, when a person is arrested, the police department or law enforcement agency posts information about the arrest on their public website. From there, it’s easy for mugshot websites to crawl the internet, find this new information and add it to their own databases. 

The online mugshot industry first appeared in the early 2000s when the internet was booming. Since then, it has turned into an extremely lucrative business.  

Today, many people struggle to remove mugshots from the web. They wish they could move on with their lives without repercussions from past mistakes.

Do you need help removing your arrest records and mugshots from search results? Get a free mugshot removal analysis today and sign up for a consultation with one of our experts. Learn more here.

Law Enforcement Agencies and the Legislation Behind Mugshot Websites

During the last few years, the mugshot industry has been getting more attention from legislators and courts due to mugshot extortion and monetization.

There have even been cases where mugshot website owners got into trouble for identity theft, money laundering, or mugshot extortion.

Although on the border between legal and illegal, mugshot websites typically operate under First Amendment rights when posting arrest records online. These websites are also protected under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The act has no restrictions against a site publishing people’s mugshots. 

Luckily, some states have passed laws that make it illegal for these sites to charge a fee to remove information. Most of the time, though, there’s no compelling reason for site owners to remove your booking photos, so they choose not to.

What Are My Options for Removing My Image From Search Results?

Once your booking photo is online, is there any way to have it removed?  

Fortunately, yes!

Thanks to companies like EraseMugshots.com, anyone has the chance to get rid of harmful mugshots on search engines and move on with their lives.

While you can handle the removal process yourself, it’s long, frustrating and complicated. There are an infinite number of websites that may post your arrest records. Plus, many of these websites won’t agree to remove your booking photo even in the case of criminal record expungement or sealing. Others will only agree to remove your mugshot in exchange for a fee.

Worst of all, your arrest information may be showing up at the top of Google results when someone searches for your name. In addition to contacting websites to request removal, you’ll need to repair your online reputation with SEO tactics. 

Our Reputation Experts Are Here to Help

At Erase Mugshots, we’ll remove your arrest records, monitor online mentions of your name and rebuild your reputation. 

It doesn’t matter if your charges were expunged, dismissed or dropped, or even if you were found guilty, either. Our strategies will remove or suppress negative content from showing up on mugshot websites and in Google search results.

To find out more about what we can do for you, get in touch today!

Free Mugshot Removal Analysis