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Why Are Public Arrest Records Online in 2025?

Posted on January 8, 2025April 13, 2025 by Adam

In this article, we’ll answer the question, “Why are public arrest records online?” and offer advice about how to remove arrest records, court records, mugshot images and other sensitive information from search engines.

Most people have some sort of experience with an arrest, whether it’s happened to them or someone they know. Sometimes, this results in the person having criminal records in the public record, but other times, it doesn’t.

Often, an arrest is a one-time incident for the individual involved. Unfortunately, though, no matter what the reason for the arrest was or how long ago it occurred, arrest records often become part of the individual’s public record.

This has long been the case. However, for many years pre-internet, arrest records were not as easily accessible as they are today. In the past, to find public records, the average person had to go to the courthouse in the county where the arrest occurred and conduct a search.

Back then, finding out whether another person had legal trouble anywhere in the United States would have been a time-consuming and potentially expensive process. Those days are long gone now that public records like court records, case files and criminal records are available online.

Court Records and More Are Easily Accessible

Today, it is easy for anyone to run an online search to see whether another person has been arrested anywhere in the United States.

From the privacy of their home, a user can complete an online search for arrest records, court records, case files or criminal records in mere minutes.

The two main sources responsible for this modern ease of access are the U.S. government and private companies, such as mugshot sites.

Government Records

Finding public records the “old fashioned” way by going to the place where the record was stored was difficult for the searcher. Plus, it was also troublesome for the governmental entity that held criminal records and court records.

The entity had to dedicate employees and other resources to help individuals locate, copy, and process payment for the records.

Today, information technology allows the government to largely automate that process. By transferring the records online, users have search, download, and easy payment capabilities at their fingertips.

For these and other reasons, government entities are increasingly publishing their public records, including arrest records, court records and criminal records, online. Typically, to search government-posted records, you still have to go to the individual government’s site and perform the search. That’s still much easier than showing up in person, though.

Additionally, this means that researching someone’s arrest record or case files could mean visiting multiple county websites to get the full scope of information.

Private Companies

Private companies like mugshot websites and other data brokers, spotting an opportunity to profit, have stepped in. Taking over where the government left off, these sites make it even easier to access arrest records.

Private companies use technology to pull arrest information, case files and more from multiple government sites and people search databases, then aggregate that data. This way, all records belonging to an individual combine into a single profile.

Furthermore, some of these companies only disclose the arrest records upon payment by an interested individual. Other companies, however, use aggregated data to disseminate mugshots and basic arrest information. This provides open access through search engine queries.

Obviously, the publication of an individual’s mugshot, criminal records, case files or arrest record is professionally and socially harmful. EraseMugshots.com works to minimize this harm by deleting mugshots and arrest records from search results.

Professional Mugshot Removal

We offer removal services to get rid of criminal records, case files and other damaging information online. Whether you have arrest records, mugshots or court records online, we’ll work on your behalf to remove or suppress them from search results.

Do you need help removing your arrest records, case files or mugshots from search results?

Get a free mugshot removal analysis today. Sign up for a consultation with one of our experts. Learn more here.

How to Remove Public Mugshots Online in 2022

Posted on October 21, 2022October 4, 2023 by Adam

Time to delete that unflattering arrest record from the web? We show you how to remove public mugshots online and rebuild your reputation.

In this digital era information is everything. While most find it interesting and humorous when they see their favorite celebrity get arrested, with article after article published online for the world to see. It is all fun in games until it happens to them.

Public mugshots are unflattering, embarrassing and in certain situations, completely misleading. Unfortunately, the United States classifies public mugshots and booking information as “public knowledge”. Moreso, this means you have the ability to obtain anybody’s arrest record by simply going online.

Google has become a double-edged sword when it comes to handling your online reputation management. Say goodbye to “first-impressions”, Google has become a stalker’s paradise.

Learn why that mugshot is haunting you in search results and what you can to remove public mugshots online in 2022.

How Long Does it Take for Mugshots to Appear Online?

As soon as an arrest is made (prior to any conviction), an individual is booked and processed at a police station. Next, his or her mugshot photos are then uploaded into county records. Within hours, news stations can obtain this information and write a story online for their readers.

The purpose of the police capturing a mugshot of the arrestee is to confirm identity with a photographic record. Many police departments have their own websites with a well-kept database for anyone to browse through. If your county does not, you can always venture into town and ask for that individuals’ records face-to-face at the clerk of court’s office.

Seeing as public mugshots can hinder the success of those individuals’ not convicted, websites like BustedMugshots.com or Mugshots.com (along with county offices) are free to publish. As long as the websites do not report a conviction or verdict, the fact that an arrested did occur will never change.

What are the Laws on Public Mugshots?

What is said online can have prolonged effects, even commenting on a post on Facebook negatively could haunt you for years to come. Everyday arrest records are published online for anyone with a computer or smartphone to see. There are about 300 websites, spread throughout the nation, that publish mugshots online. As unethical as this may seem, many sites feel as if they are doing a service for the community.

Yes, from the opposing perspective they appear to be extortionists set up to ruin your life. When in reality, their goal is transparency. Think of it this way, if you have small children that play outside every day wouldn’t you like to know if anyone in your neighborhood has a criminal record? There have been many state statutes implemented over the past year, none of which have been successful.

Protected by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) these websites are completely within the legal confines to display mugshots without the consent of the arrestee. The rights to each mugshot belong to the county offices. Once that information is shared publicly it may be distributed as pleased. This means if your ex-spouse decides to post your mugshot on Facebook (as long as they do not talk negatively) they are allowed to do so.

– The Freedom of Information Act Allows These Sites to Operate –

Furthermore, some states like Georgia have established a 30-day removal policy when it comes to handling mugshots online. Not complying with this removal policy will result in a violation of the law. Most of these websites are located within the borders of the United States, however many are not. This means these statutes are not relevant as no state can enforce a law if the “offender” is located in Belize or Guatemala. With limited censorship online, people are at the mercy of these mugshot websites.

Many websites will remove if the case is closed, dismissed, or expunged. If you are struggling to remove public mugshots online and would like assistance, please call us directly at 866-601-6803 , or click here to visit our contact page.

Check out our process in the bio

A post shared by Mugshot Professionals (@mugshotremovers) on Feb 12, 2018 at 10:43am PST

Do Public Mugshots Show on Google?

Unfortunately yes. Google is a neutral and unbias search engine, this means they cannot pick and choose what appears in the results. In addition, if you are an individual with a very minimal presence online you will end up suffering the most. When a mugshot website decides to publish public mugshots they will include your name several times in the article. By not having a lot of information online in reference to you, this information is more likely to appear on the first page of Google.

While states are still working to establish laws to eliminate these mugshot sites for good there are many merchants such as PayPal that are working to combat these sites themselves. So if you attempt to pay an individual and write “mugshot removal” in the description, PayPal may not approve your transaction. There have been some efforts from Google, Yahoo, and Bing as well. This included a severe decrease in traffic for the keywords like, “mugshot” or “arrest removal” a few years back. Making it almost impossible to locate an arrest if you were not familiar with that particular website (i.e. BustedNewspaper.com, Mugshots.com, etc). Nowadays you can simply visit Google and type in your first and last name, along with the word “arrest” to uncover any arrest records.

How to Remove Public Mugshots Online in 2021

If you or someone you know is experiencing a negative post online such as a public mugshot you do have options. For starters, the owners of these websites know they are within the legal confines to publish an arrest record so sending threatening emails will get you nowhere. By providing each website will the legal documents falsifying their post, they will most likely terminate the publication. Sending your legal documents of dismissal will greatly assist. The only issue here is locating an address as many sites do not publicly display their location for obvious reasons.

A simple WHOIS search (Domaintools.com) can assist you with tracking any phone numbers or addresses down that you will need. Here are some additional ways that you can attempt to remove arrest records online on your own before contacting us here at EraseMugshots.com.

Review the privacy policies on each website, most will disclose how you can remove your record.
Send dismissal or expungement paperwork via certified mail to each distinct website.
Contact an Online Reputation Management company for tips, we offer a 100% guarantee for all removals.

We never discourage any individual from attempting removals on their own. We do advise that you are cautious and understanding of the requests these sites make, as frustrating as it can be. If you are struggling to obtain contact information please call today and we can assist with all your removal questions.

How Long Do Mugshots Stay Online?

As the saying goes, once something is online, it is there forever. In most situations this is true, your arrest records (unless expunged) will always remain at the county offices. The mugshot(s) will remain online indefinitely unless the post is deleted by the website owner. If you are seeing a mugshot online, doing nothing and expecting it to eventually disappear will never happen. You need to be proactive in fighting against these publications. Furthermore, you can assist in suppressing your own negative information online by creating positive content! Create social media accounts and stay active on them, over time you will see some results.

In most cases, the removal process can take years. Here at EraseMugshots.com, we can have a public mugshot removed from Google in sometimes 72-hours! Many removal cases take in upwards of 30-days and all backed with a money-back guarantee. There are ZERO risks with our solution. If we fail you see the money back in your account the next day. What do you have to lose? It is time you take control of your future and finally land that dream job you deserve. Stop letting your past hold you back from accomplishing your goals in life. Be proactive, call EraseMugshots today.

Instant Checkmate Removal

Posted on October 17, 2022June 23, 2023 by Adam

Instant Checkmate Removal – For help with Instant Checkmate Removal, contact us today!

Instant Checkmate removal methods can be tricky for those who are less tech-savvy. Learn how to locate your personal records online Instant Checkmate and how you can work to remove them from the public eye.

Erasemugshots.com is a business that focuses on helping businesses and individuals get rid of listings that negatively affect their reputation and privacy. They have experienced huge successes with this, and are now the go-to source for people who find defamatory information is listed about them online.

The company is proud to announce that they now have a new privacy solution in place that enables them to remove Instant Checkmate profiles.

Adam from EraseMugshots.com says: “We launched to give people the ability to remove mugshots and remove arrest records from the internet. Arrest records will always be accessible at the government records depot and local courthouses, but that does not mean they have to be accessible through a basic Google search.”

After an Instant Checkmate review, individuals are more likely to remove the content based on how personal it is. Everything from your email address, place of residence, relatives’ information, and your criminal history are all readily available. Anyone with $15 and an internet connection can find out exactly where you live. Consumer reports such as these are useful but often misused for the wrong purposes.

If you live in the United States and care about your online reputation, removing yourself from Instant Checkmate is a must-do. Cancel your accounts, remove your personal information to regain control of your personal privacy.

Millions of public records are made easily available within a few clicks of your mouse. Make sure you are hiding your information and monitoring your online presence to ensure your information does not fall into the wrong hands.

Instant Checkmate Cancel Your Account By Contacting Them Directly

Adam from EraseMugshots.com says: “We launched to give people the ability to remove criminal records and remove arrest records from the internet. Arrest records will always be accessible at the government records depot and local court houses, but that does not mean they have to be accessible through a basic Google search.” – Adam

Instant Checkmate, meanwhile, is an online service that allows people to instantly perform criminal background reports. They claim to offer this service in order to empower people to protect themselves, enabling them to ensure that the people they associate with do not have a history of sexual or violent offenses.

The company searches a variety of public databases in order to expose arrests, charges, prison times, misdemeanors, and felony offenses. Instant Checkmate also aims to give people the opportunity to learn more about new people on their block, enabling them to be protected from sex offenders, for instance.

Another representative from EraseMugshots adds, “On the face of it, Instant Checkmate is offering an important service. However, just from the name of the company, you can see that they are quite aggressive. And, while their site instantly provides a disclaimer on how the information provided is not FCRA compliant, people use it to make decisions.

What is worrisome, however, is that there have been thousands of complaints against Instant Checkmate, with many people saying the information provided is incorrect, and that the company is engaged in clickbait, essentially encouraging people to satisfy their curiosity by looking up random people after paying a fee.”

EraseMugshots is referring to a Facebook advertisement showing a photograph of a CCTV camera and that of a young woman, with the statement “Search a name on this website… then brace yourself”.

Indeed, a common complaint against Instant Checkmate is that they are almost voyeuristic in nature and that they cross-reference their information rather than checking it for accuracy. The result is that many people have been listed on their website due to simple errors online.

Instant Checkmate Privacy Solution

The new privacy solution developed by EraseMugshots.com aims to address such errors. Their system starts by completing a thorough analysis of all the arrest records that are available online. So that it becomes clear what needs to be removed and where from. The company then takes just 72 hours to erase those records from the different websites that have published them. Offering a total removal solution.

After that, they also clean up Google, Yahoo!, and Bing, so that the information can no longer be found through the search engines. Uniquely, Erase Mugshots does not consider their job as completed until their clients are 100% satisfied

Meanwhile, Instant Checkmate has come under significant attack as of late. Some people have, in fact, accused the company of committing criminal offenses themselves. Particularly in relation to their pricing and billing policies. “Essentially, it seems that Instant Checkmate dangles a carrot of having information on an individual. Then requiring further payments to reveal this. Naturally, this is an awful practice.

However, what matters for us is that the company will almost always say that they do have information. That is enough to damage someone’s reputation. Although most databases do not list decisions about consumer credit or consumer credit employment insurance. These databases do house a ton of useful information.

Thanks to our new privacy solution, people no longer have to worry about this. Or about being listed on the site. You are able to quickly remove your criminal records and email address. As well as links to your social media and much more in as little as a few weeks!

People search websites such as Instant Checkmate offer low-cost background reports for employers. It is also useful for credit advisors, business associates, and anyone who has $10-15 and a stable internet connection. Cancel your account today before your information is stolen on the dark web.

Removing Content From Instant Checkmate with EraseMugshots

People who have worked with EraseMugshots, by and large, are people who have been arrested in the past. What they are looking for is a chance to rebuild their lives, having served their debt to the community. While they have the opportunity to approach each individual website, this is a time-consuming activity.

This method is also a very expensive one as well. Removing your information for credit, employment, insurance, tenant, or even online dating is a smart decision for anyone. Completed the hard work for you, EraseMugshots has been rated #1 in mugshot removals online. The company checks and removes listings from all the different websites that hold criminal records.

Other such information, for a simple, easy to manage, payment. Listing all the websites you can remove from. Showing the extent of the work that they have accomplished. Instant Checkmate is a public record search service home to millions of public records. Eliminate yours from their database by contacting us today. Cancel your account today to keep your private and personal information out of the hands of cybercriminals.

Remove Court Records in 2022

Posted on October 15, 2022October 17, 2022 by Adam

Remove Court Data online can cause serious reputation harm

Be honest, being involved with a court case generally isn’t much fun for anyone or anyone involved.

Regardless of the legal outcome of the case, the court record of your involvement in the court case is public record and can chase your reputation around for years, if not a lifetime if you do not do something about it.

Dozens of data-aggregate sites are collecting and publishing public court records on the Web, only to publish that data in ways that greatly increase is easier to read and search.

Court records create a negative association with whomever they’re tied to. If you’ve ever been involved in a court case, no matter how many years ago, your online reputation could be suffering every day it exists online. Court records can be removed from the internet and we can restore your privacy and protect you and your family’s reputation.

Remove Court Records fast and effectively, allowing you to regain control over your online image and regain privacy as soon as possible.

Public Records Are Here To Stay… Or Are They?

Public records are nothing new, however, the amount of accessibility and volume of knowledge aggregators online present modern issues.

In the past, a person would physically visit an office and/or submit a proper request to access this sort of knowledge.

In all chance there would be multiple offices, buildings and requests concerned.

Online “personal info brokerages” of these days, take away all of the bureaucratic procedure and legwork accustomed to producing a natural barrier. Currently, with the press of a button, anyone will access all of this information instantly without leaving home.

This is what typically makes individuals most uncomfortable. It’s additionally what makes understanding the way to take away public records off the internet.