How to Remove Your Online Mugshot Photo

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An attorney may be able to get your mugshot photo removed from an online mugshot website.

How Did They Get My Mugshot Photo?

When you were arrested, police fingerprinted you and took a photo called a “mugshot” for the official police record. This arrest data is public information, so anyone who knows how to access that information can make a copy of your mugshot and post it online, or anywhere else.

Are Mugshot Websites Illegal?

Mugshot websites are legal. They do not have to remove your mugshot from their site, even if your case was dismissed or charges were dropped.

However, it is illegal for a mugshot website company to require payment to remove your mugshot from their website.

Should I Try to Get My Mugshot Removed From the Mugshot Website?

If you don’t like having your mugshot being posted online, or if you are concerned about employers seeing your mugshot online, you might want to consider hiring an attorney to get your mugshot photo removed from an online mugshot website.

Can I Pay the Mugshot Website to Remove My Photo?

In some states, you can pay to have your mugshot removed from a mugshot website. However, according to Missouri mugshot law, it is illegal in Missouri for a mugshot website to “solicit or accept payment of a fee or other consideration to remove or correct criminal record information.”

Can I Sue the Mugshot Website That Posted My Photo?

  • If a mugshot website requires payment to remove your mugshot from their online website, you can sue them.
  • If a mugshot website demands payment to remove your mugshot, you can sue for actual and punitive damages if you prove you suffered humiliation or embarrassment as the result of having your mugshot published on the mugshot website.
  • If you were not actually arrested, but your photo was posted on a mugshot website, you can sue the mugshot website for defamation.

Consider Hiring an Attorney To Remove Your Mugshot Photo

Depending on the details of your case, an attorney may be able to persuade the mugshot company to remove your mugshot photo from their website without your having to appear in court.


If you have been arrested and want your mugshot photo removed from an online mugshot website, call St. Louis attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 for a free consultation about your case. Or email her at [email protected] for a price quote for legal representation.

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