Table Of Content
Quick answer
To de-index a mugshot from Google, you first get the image or page removed or changed at the source website, then ask Google to drop the outdated result using its Refresh Outdated Content tool. If the source site won’t remove it, you can file a Google personal information removal request. Google’s policy covers sites that charge fees to take content down (called “exploitative removal practices”). For expunged or sealed records, dismissed charges, or county sheriff and jail sites that won’t cooperate, a professional mugshot removal service can handle the source removal and the Google and Bing de-indexing together. Defamation Defenders usually finishes this in 7–10 business days and refunds the fee in full if the removal isn’t completed.
Key takeaways
- De-indexing and removal are different. Removal deletes the mugshot from the website that hosts it. De-indexing takes the result out of Google or Bing search. Clients usually need both.
- Start with the source. If the page stays live, Google can index it again, and duplicate copies on other mugshot sites can move up to take its place.
- Google has a specific path for mugshot sites. Google’s personal information removal policy allows requests against sites that charge a fee to remove content.
- Expungement helps but doesn’t clean up search results by itself. A sealed or expunged record gives you strong grounds for removal. Private mugshot websites still have to be contacted one by one.
- Many states regulate mugshot websites. Some states ban charging fees to remove booking photos, and some require free removal after a written request.
- Remove every copy. Arrest photos are often copied across many aggregator sites. Removing only the top result tends to push the next copy up.
What does “de-indexing a mugshot” mean?
De-indexing means getting a search engine to stop showing a particular URL or image in its results. The mugshot may still be on the original website, but people searching your client’s name on Google or Bing won’t see it.
Removal means the hosting website takes the booking photo and arrest details down entirely.
| Source removal | De-indexing | |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | The page or image is deleted or edited on the mugshot site | Google/Bing stop showing the URL in results |
| Who acts | Website owner, county, or sheriff’s office | Search engine |
| Is it permanent? | Yes, if the site doesn’t republish it | Only while the page stays down or stays excluded |
| Best for | Every case where the site will cooperate | Sites that won’t respond, or result caches that are out of date |
For attorneys, the goal is usually both: remove the content at the source, then confirm Google and Bing have dropped the cached result and image thumbnail.
Why do mugshots rank so high on Google?
Mugshot websites rank for a person’s full name because:
- They publish exact-match name pages. Each booking record usually gets its own page titled with the person’s full name.
- They are copied from each other. One arrest record can appear on several aggregator sites, and each copy competes for the same search.
- County and sheriff sites carry authority. Government jail rosters and booking pages are trusted domains, so they are harder to outrank and harder to remove.
- Image search surfaces them separately. Even after a web result disappears, the mugshot may still show up in Google Images until it is removed as well.
That’s why you should find every copy of the mugshot before you start. Google your client’s full name in quotes, add the city or county, and check Google Images and Bing too.
How to de-index a mugshot from Google: step by step
Step 1: Find every URL where the mugshot appears
Search the client’s name in Google web results, Google Images, and Bing. Include variations: middle initial, maiden name, and city. Write down every URL, including county jail pages, private mugshot sites, local news posts, and social media reposts.
Step 2: Check the case status
Find out whether the charges were dismissed, reduced, or resulted in acquittal, and whether the record has been expunged or sealed. A court order is the strongest document you can include with a removal request.
Step 3: Ask the source site to remove it
- Private mugshot websites: Submit the site’s removal form or send a written request. Include the case outcome and any expungement order.
- County sheriff or jail websites: Contact the records division. Some counties remove booking photos after a set period or after an expungement. Others need a formal request.
- News sites: Ask for an update or an anonymized version of the story. Many outlets will add the case outcome even if they won’t take the article down.
Check your state’s mugshot law before your client pays anything to a mugshot website. In several states, charging a fee to remove a booking photo is prohibited.
Step 4: Use Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool
After the page is removed or edited, Google may still show the old snippet or thumbnail. Submit the URL through Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool so Google re-crawls it and removes the stale result. Do the same with Bing’s Content Removal Tool.
Step 5: File a Google personal information removal request (if the site won’t cooperate)
Google’s personal information policy lets people request removal of results from sites with exploitative removal practices, such as sites that demand payment to take content down. File the request through Google’s “Results about you” / personal information removal form. Include:
- Every URL (web results and image results)
- The search query where the result appears (the client’s name)
- Evidence the site charges for removal, if you have it
Google reviews each request individually. Approval removes the result from Google Search but doesn’t delete the page from the website.
Step 6: Monitor and repeat
Mugshots often come back when a new aggregator scrapes old booking data. Set up Google Alerts for the client’s name and check results every month. Defamation Defenders offers ongoing privacy monitoring for clients who want this handled for them.
How to remove a mugshot after expungement
An expungement or sealing order is the strongest document you can have for removal, but it doesn’t automatically change what Google shows. Private websites that already copied the booking photo aren’t parties to the court case.
After expungement:
- Send the expungement order to each hosting website with a written removal request.
- Send it to the county or sheriff’s office if their booking page is still live.
- Once each page is down, submit it to Google and Bing to have the outdated result removed.
- Check your state’s law. Some states require mugshot sites to remove records after expungement or a written request.
What state laws apply to mugshot websites?
A number of U.S. states have passed laws that regulate commercial mugshot websites. Common provisions include:
- Banning fees to remove booking photos. A site can’t charge someone to take down their mugshot.
- Required removal after a request. The site must take down the photo within a set number of days after a written request, often for people who were not convicted.
- Limits on law enforcement posting. Some states restrict when police can post booking photos on social media for nonviolent offenses.
States that have passed mugshot-related laws include California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Oregon, Texas, and Utah, among others. The laws differ a lot and keep changing, so check the current statute in your client’s state before sending a demand.
When should an attorney use a professional mugshot removal service?
The DIY route works for a single mugshot on a cooperative site. A professional service makes sense when:
- The mugshot appears on several websites at once
- The host is a county sheriff or government jail site that won’t respond
- The client needs results in days, not months, for a job offer, licensing board, custody case, or background check
- The client wants a written guarantee and doesn’t want to deal with mugshot sites directly
- Negative content also appears on Reddit, forums, or news sites
How Defamation Defenders handles mugshot removal
Defamation Defenders works directly with attorneys and individuals to remove mugshots and arrest records from the internet.
- What we remove: The mugshot from the source website, plus de-indexing from Google and Bing
- Timeframe: Typically 7–10 business days
- Guarantee: A full refund if we can’t complete the agreed removal. Our success rate on commercial mugshot sites is nearly 100%.
- Pricing: Around $600 per mugshot, depending on the hosting site, with discounts when the same record appears on more than one site. Government and county jail pages take more work and are quoted separately.
- Payment: All major credit cards and Zelle. For multiple mugshots, clients can pay half upfront and half when every removal is done.
- Monitoring: Optional ongoing privacy monitoring to catch reposts
To get a firm quote and a guarantee, send us the exact links where the mugshot appears.
Frequently asked questions
Sometimes. If the source site removes it, you can submit the URL to Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool at no cost. Google’s personal information removal request is free too. It usually takes longer and isn’t guaranteed.
Once the source page is removed, Google usually drops the result within a few days to a few weeks after an outdated content request. Professional removal through Defamation Defenders typically takes 7–10 business days, covering both the source site and Google and Bing.
No. Expungement seals the court record, but private mugshot websites and search engines don’t update on their own. You still need to send the expungement order to each website and then request de-indexing.
It depends on the state. Several states ban or restrict charging fees to remove booking photos. Google’s policy also allows removal requests against sites that use pay-for-removal practices.
It can. New aggregator sites sometimes scrape old booking data. Removing every copy at once and monitoring the client’s name afterward is the best protection.
Yes. Attorneys often handle removal requests as part of expungement or post-dismissal work, and many refer clients to a removal service when several sites or government pages are involved.
