Mugshots Removed from Internet in Weeks, Not Years

An arrest is not a conviction, but it can leave behind a lasting image - your mugshot. Mugshot websites scrape jail rosters and republish booking photos next to a person's name, often ranking high in Google search results.

The good news is that mugshots are among the fastest things to remove from the internet. According to Erase.com's 2026 removal data, mugshot pages usually came down within about two weeks.

Some states have laws requiring commercial mugshot sites to remove photos free of charge under certain circumstances. For example, in California, sites can't charge a fee to remove or change a booking photo, but the law doesn't require removal. In Georgia and Florida, sites must remove the photo within 30 days after a dismissal, acquittal, or similar outcome.

Erase.com tracked mugshot removals as part of a larger review of links clients sent for removal between January and September 2026. The median removal took 11 days, with about a third done within a week and more than nine in ten within 30 days.