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In New York, having your mugshot appear on Google or a public-facing arrest database can lead to devastating personal and professional consequences. Although arrests are often public records, New York’s evolving laws and privacy reforms provide specific protections that individuals can use to remove these images from online platforms. This guide outlines the legal strategies for New York mugshot removal in 2025 and how to safeguard your privacy after an arrest.
Table Of Content
Are Mugshots Public in New York?
As of 2020, New York State significantly changed how arrest records and mugshots are treated under its Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). According to state police guidance, mugshots are no longer automatically released to the public unless a clear public interest is demonstrated.
However, some mugshots still surface online from:
- Local police precincts
- Archived court records
- Old media coverage
- Third-party mugshot websites
While the government may withhold these images, private publishers may continue hosting past mugshots unless legal action is taken.
Some localities may still archive past arrest data or share information with national data aggregators. Individuals who had prior arrests before these policy changes may still find their images circulated across various mugshot repositories.
Why Mugshot Removal Matters in New York
Even if charges were dropped, sealed, or resolved through diversion, your mugshot can result in:
- Job application rejections
- Landlord discrimination
- Online harassment or public shaming
- Search engine defamation
- Social media ridicule or viral exposure
- Permanent damage to professional and personal reputation
In some cases, mugshots have been used maliciously in doxxing campaigns, weaponized in online forums, or illegally monetized by unscrupulous websites.
New York residents have the legal right to remove or suppress this content in many cases.
New York Laws Affecting Mugshot Removal
1. Civil Rights Law §50-a (Repealed in 2020)
Once used to shield police disciplinary records, this law had implications for how agencies managed public records, including mugshots. Its repeal increased transparency but also clarified new limitations.
2. Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Reform
As of 2020, law enforcement agencies in New York are instructed not to release mugshots unless:
- There is a compelling public interest
- The subject is considered dangerous or wanted
This shift from automatic disclosure to discretionary release gives individuals stronger grounds to oppose public exposure.
3. New York Human Rights Law (NYHRL)
Provides protections against arrest-based discrimination in housing, employment, and licensing unless there is a direct relationship to the position.
4. Sealing Under CPL §160.59 and §160.50
If your arrest is sealed or your case dismissed/acquitted:
- All records should be sealed from public view
- You may file takedown requests citing your sealed status
- You may sue under state privacy laws for ongoing harm from unauthorized publication
5. CPL §160.55
Applies to cases that ended in a violation rather than a criminal conviction. Records should still be sealed, and mugshots should no longer be accessible or legally distributed.
How to Remove a Mugshot in New York
Step 1: Confirm Sealing or Expungement
Check your eligibility under New York law:
- CPL §160.50 for dismissed cases
- CPL §160.59 for 10-year-old convictions (non-violent)
Get a certificate of disposition or court order showing your record was sealed or expunged. Retain certified documentation, as some mugshot websites require notarized proof.
Step 2: Contact the Publisher or Website
If your mugshot appears on:
- A local news site
- A mugshot database
- A police blotter
Send a written removal request with:
- Proof of the sealed or dismissed case
- A formal explanation referencing NY privacy law
- A cease and desist request if monetized or defamatory
- Screenshots and links to the offending image
Document all communications for legal and escalation purposes.
Step 3: Submit to Google’s Removal Tool
If the page includes your name + mugshot and is:
- No longer online
- Outdated
- Violates privacy or local law
Use Google’s Outdated Content Tool or Content Removal Request.
Additionally, you can submit for:
- Personally identifiable information (PII) removals
- Images tied to non-consensual doxxing
- Expunged criminal records still showing in search
Step 4: Hire a Reputation Professional
Some mugshot sites may ignore personal requests. In those cases:
- Work with a reputation management team
- Use SEO suppression strategies
- Submit DMCA takedown requests if a copyrighted image is used improperly
- Engage a lawyer to send a formal takedown demand citing state law
Suppressing Mugshots from Search Engines
If direct removal is not possible, suppression is the next best strategy. Here’s how:
- Claim and optimize high-authority profiles
- Medium
- About.me
- Muck Rack
- Crunchbase
- Create keyword-optimized blog content
- Use your name in the URL, meta tags, and body copy
- Post regularly on sites you control
- Link all properties together
- Social accounts
- Personal websites
- News mentions
- Use schema markup
- Help Google understand your identity and promote accurate content
- Engage in local SEO
- Register your name or business with Google My Business, Apple Maps, and Bing
- Add schema for local entities, services, and reputation-building articles
- Submit content for indexing
- Use Google Search Console to request faster indexing of positive content
What to Do If the Mugshot Was Published by a News Outlet
News organizations have more editorial freedom. Still, consider:
- Contacting the editor with a polite request if the case was dismissed or resolved
- Requesting removal of your name or the image, not the entire story
- Sending a court sealing order or supporting documents
- Invoking the Right to be Forgotten under evolving state and federal privacy policy discussions
If the image appears in the search preview (thumbnail), request Google to delist the image separately.
Mugshot Sites to Watch in New York
While many states have cracked down, some national mugshot databases still include New York residents:
- Mugshots.com
- BustedMugshots.com
- Arrests.org
- JailBase.com
- Rapsheets.org
Each site has its own opt-out process—some may require legal proof, others may charge a fee (which may violate New York law or FTC policy). Always check the site’s terms of service and archive policies.
Defamation Defenders Can Help
When self-removal fails, Defamation Defenders offers:
- Sealed record enforcement
- Google search suppression
- Mugshot and arrest record takedowns
- SEO-optimized content development
- Legal coordination with New York attorneys
- Dark web monitoring for republished mugshots
Contact our team or learn more about our mugshot removal services today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If your case was dismissed or sealed under CPL §160.50, you can request removal. Sealing documentation strengthens your takedown claim.
No—but charging to remove it may violate NY consumer laws and trigger FTC scrutiny.
Anywhere from 3 days to 3 months, depending on the site, legal status, and cooperation.
No. You’ll still need to submit removal requests or suppress the content manually.
Not automatically. You must pursue takedown and suppression methods using your sealed record as leverage.
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