How to get a Mugshot Removed from Google Images

Have you ever been arrested? Chances are that if you were, your mugshot is still circling somewhere on Google. Many employers care a lot about their reputation and won't hire you if they see your mugshot on Google Images, even if it was just for a small violation.

A mugshot showing up in a Google search can be a major red flag, especially during the hiring process. It's unfair, but it's the reality these days. It doesn't even matter if you were convicted or not; that image can negatively impact your chances of getting hired, so your best bet is to get rid of it.

In this article, we'll walk you through what to do when you find your mugshot on Google. While the process of removing your mugshot from google images isn't exactly easy, it's possible using the methods we will show you.

How Google Search results work

Before we can effectively get rid of your mugshot, it's important to know how Google Search Results work. Google Search or just about any other search engine, like Bing, Edge, and other engines, are not randomly deciding what to show and what not, but they are following algorithms, which is why you see relevant content from reputable sources more often than not.

1. Search engines use algorithms for ranking content.

This means that Google Search and other engines use things like page authority, traffic, and trust to determine which results are shown at the top of search results and whatnot. Whenever you search for something, search engines reference this with keywords used in your prompt and find the result that matches these keywords the best.

2. Sites won't just remove your mugshot

You have to understand that many mugshot websites are not just gonna remove your mugshot because you don't like having your mugshot on the internet, as does everyone else whose mugshot is posted online. They will only help you if you are able to show them real proof that you are innocent, which is often a very cumbersome process.

Thankfully, some services can help you remove your mugshot. It may take a few steps, but with the help of our mugshot removal experts, you can have it removed right in time before your job interview.

Understanding mugshot sites

Just like any other business, mugshot sites exist for the money, and they have turned public records into a lucrative industry. These websites scrape arrest records from law enforcement databases and publish them online, often within hours of a booking. These mugshot sites make money in 2 ways:

1. Advertising revenue

   They get a lot of traffic from publishing these mugshots, especially if they publish records from celebrities. The more mugshots, the more visitors, thus more ad revenue.

   
   

2. Removal Fees

   Many of these sites, especially those with large amounts of visitors, charge fees up to hundreds of dollars to take down your picture. However, this is a gray area as there are many states and countries where these practices are illegal.

Interestingly, the sites that rely on advertisement revenue may present an opportunity. Since these platforms aren't charging pricy removal fees, and their main source of traffic comes from mugshots of public figures, they won't care about your mugshot, since you are presumably a nobody. However, sites that do charge removal fees are harder, which is why these mugshot removal services exist.

How to remove your mugshot

First, you need to find the sites with your mugshot on them. There are many ways to do this, but an easy way to find your mugshot online is to use the following queries on Google:

• [NAME] arrest

• [NAME] mugshot

• [NAME] [LOCATION] arrest

Also, try different variations of your name, including your last name, middle name, initials, or abbreviations of your name, and everything that comes to mind.

Find the contact information for the sites

Next, you need to find the contact information of the sites your mugshot is on. You can locate this on each site or by using a Chrome extension like Hunter. Some mugshot sites try to hide their contact information, so using such a Chrome extension or looking into government company information could also help you get in touch with the business owners.

Filing the request

Now that you found both the sites and the contact information, you need to reach out to inquire about removing your mugshot. They have no obligation to remove mugshots, so be polite and explain why you want it removed. Make sure to add any legal documents you have to support your request.

When you are sending these inquiries, make sure to include documentation that states that your case has been dismissed. Many sites will not remove it, unless it contains something like:

• A demand letter stating that the court deemed the arrest record or case records sealed

• Court records showing that the case was dropped

• Notice from attorney to remove the mugshot

Help with the removal of mugshots

If, for any reason, this doesn't work or the sites are asking for exorbitantly high removal fees, you need to get in contact with an online reputation manager. Not only can we help you get these mugshots removed fast, but we will help you with positive PR to repair the damage done by those mugshot sites.