In mugshots, criminals usually hold a placard that lists identifying details such as their name, booking ID, and sometimes physical information like height and weight.

If you want to understand what appears on a mugshot, how the booking process works, whether photos online of arrested individuals are public records, or what options exist for removing a mugshot from public websites, this guide explains the basics clearly.

You may have seen images in news stories or social media of arrested people holding these placards. People call these mugshots, and they matter because they become part of official arrest records, shape public perception, and can affect a person’s reputation long after an arrest. Please learn more about mugshots, their importance, the booking process, their legal status and public accessibility, and how mugshot removal works.

What Are Mug Shots? Photographing Criminals Explained

Mugshots refer to photographs the police take of an arrested individual before the criminal trial and as part of the booking process.

The term “mugshot” comes from the slang “mug,” which means face. Hence, a mugshot is a photo of an arrested person’s face and other features. After the arrest, the criminal suspect undergoes booking, fingerprint collection, and photographing. All of these serve identification purposes.

What Does A Mug Shot Typically Include?

To capture the full face, a mugshot typically includes a straight-on shot and a side profile shot of the arrested person, often presented alongside profile shots used for identification. Officers usually instruct subjects to keep a neutral expression so the photo is standardized for identification. In these portraits, the subject also carries a placard containing mugshot information that helps police, investigators, and other law enforcement agencies identify the person. This information may include:

  • Name
  • Booking ID
  • Additional relevant information (height, weight, etc.), and in some cases a height chart for a quick visual height reference

Police include such mugshot portraits in their booking and arrest records as part of the booking process.

Now, when someone asks, “What do criminals hold in mugshots?” you can tell them all about the unique features and roles of the modern booking photo.

The Police Department Booking Process

Photographing criminals and suspects is part of the overall booking process that each suspect must undergo. This process is important because it creates the suspected individual’s official arrest records. In most cases, officers cannot release those resisting arrest until the booking process is complete.

For those unfamiliar with the booking process, here are the usual steps the officer and the alleged person must undergo.

  1. Record the suspect’s name and alleged crime.
  2. Photograph the suspect (mugshots).
  3. Take custody of the suspect’s personal property and clothing.
  4. Capture fingerprints.
  5. Conduct a full-body search.
  6. Check for any outstanding warrants.
  7. Screen the suspect’s health.
  8. Gather information relevant to charges (ex., gang involvement).
  9. Collect a DNA sample.

While things can vary between states, this is the typical process that people arrested and the police go through to create a criminal record for the arrested person. Officers complete these procedures before sending the person to jail.

Why Are Mugshots Important For The Criminal Justice System?

As mentioned earlier, mugshots are important because they help the police and other law enforcement agencies identify people. Photographs of arrested people make it easier for criminal victims, the public, and investigators to identify them. People can refer to the person’s photographic record instead of using descriptive adjectives to describe the person’s physical appearance.

Mugshots Capture the Small Physical Details

The camera that takes mugshots also captures small identifying details of alleged persons, such as moles or facial scars. People tend to overlook these details, so mugshots can come in handy in pointing them out.

Mugshots also capture a person’s physical condition. Because these photos allow investigators to see if the alleged person had any injuries or wounds during the booking, these small details could be important when the police use unlawful force or if the suspect had a quarrel before the arrest and booking.

Mugshots Are Important Parts of the Arrest Records

Once the booking process is complete, the mug shot becomes part of the police and booking records. The master record needs to contain a photographic record so that law enforcement agencies would have an easier time when they need to use it.

Is Everyone With A Mug Shot Considered Guilty?

Police take mugshots as part of the booking process before the actual trial. This fact is important because it means that the law still presumes all arrested people innocent unless and until a court proves them guilty.

Thus, not all persons in the mugshot have been found guilty. A court can later find the alleged person innocent. However, the criminal and booking records will remain because the person was arrested. This distinction matters because mug shots can negatively influence jury perceptions of defendants.

Are Mugshots Public Records?

The police and other law enforcement entities use mugshots for various purposes. However, the general public may have stumbled upon a mug shot once or twice on specific sites because law enforcement agencies and police departments often publish these images online as public records. Does this mean that mug shots are considered public records?

Though public records are visible, there is more to what makes a record public. In legal terms, public records are records that the government or public agencies keep. Their public availability also allows the public to monitor police activity.

Because public agencies hold mugshots, they qualify as public records. This reality means that mugshots are public records.

Where Can You Find Mug Shots Online?

Both government agencies and private companies have made mugshots and criminal records available and accessible online.

The California government, for example, offers a public inmate locator online that shows prisoners and their criminal charges. While this service does not include a mugshot of their face and details, it resembles a specialized mugshot website, though some states, including California, have passed laws to curb mugshot publication practices. In 2020, San Francisco Police stopped publishing mugshots.

Other states, such as South Carolina, also have similar services. Government agencies operate all of these services publicly.

Mug Shot Websites

Private companies operate mugshot websites as part of the online mug shot industry that emerged in the early 2010s. They are specialized sites that scrape information from the public (arrest and criminal records, specifically) and publicly offer it in their database.

Critics often describe this common practice as an “extortion racket.”

Because the content of mugshot websites focuses explicitly on crimes, you may see drug charges, felony charges, and other criminal charges included on these sites. Besides this description is the mugshot of the person that the police took, often displayed on a dedicated page. Removal fees can range from $19.90 to more than $1,000.

To navigate through a mugshot website, you only need to search through their platform and scroll through the search results. You can find accused conspirators and other arrested people. These listings can also hurt employment opportunities for the person shown.

Are Mugshot Websites Legal?

Considering the sensitivity of this information, you may wonder if mug shot sites are legal. Posting someone’s criminal records, publicizing mug shots, and garnering several profile views may sound like a privacy compromise.

While this seems to be the case, mug shot sites are legal. You can conclude this because these sites aggregate information from public records. Hence, mug shots do not exactly breach any privacy laws. This adherence to the law makes them legal entities.

What If My Mugshot Is Included In A Mugshot Website?

If you or someone you know had a mugshot photograph taken as part of the booking process, you might find your mugshot posted publicly on a mugshot website.

Seeing your photos and details posted on a mugshot website may not sit well with you. This publicity could add more fuel to the fire, especially when authorities have already cleared your charges.

Have Your Mugshot Removed

If this is the case, you can have your mugshot removed from these mugshot sites. Unless you do something about it, your mugshot may remain on the site indefinitely.

You have a few options for doing so.

  • File a court petition. You can directly file a petition and ask for your records to be sealed or expunged. If successful, you may send the expungement record to the mugshot sites that posted your mugshot.
  • Follow the removal process for mugshots. Some mugshot sites have a concrete mugshot removal process that individuals can undergo. However, the costs may depend on several factors. These factors include the severity of the charges, the verdict made, whether you had the charges expunged or dropped, and when the incident occurred.
  • Consult a lawyer. You can also go directly to a lawyer or law firm and ask for legal help. The lawyer can give you concrete legal advice on how to deal with the matter. This could be less hassle because the lawyer can serve as your legal representative.
  • Opt for mugshot removal services. One of the most straightforward fixes you can try is to use mugshot removal services. By partnering with a third-party service to remove your mugshot, you can rest assured that your mugshot removal partner will handle the nitty-gritty tasks effectively and conveniently.

An Arrested Person Is Not Always A Convicted Person

While mugshots can be deceiving, you must remember that not everyone who has a mugshot taken is a criminal. A court can later find the person innocent. Getting photographed by the police is simply part of the booking process. Police and law enforcement agencies need booking photos for crime records and future reference.

Mugshots do not make a person guilty. You can have a mugshot and still walk away with a not-guilty verdict and cleared charges. Ultimately, the court, not the mugshot, gives the final verdict.

Contact EraseMugshots Today

Having your name and information appear online as a mugshot can be more than embarrassing; it can also ruin your digital reputation. Need help with getting your mugshots removed from the web? Contact us now! Learn more about mugshot removal and negative content suppression by calling 866-601-6803