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How to View Arrest Records and Protect Your Online Reputation

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This article discusses how to view arrest records and criminal records online. We also offer strategies for removing them from search results.

Today, so much of your personal information is online. That includes your full name, phone number and home address. Additionally, your financial data, family member information and even your arrest and criminal records are on the internet.

What happens when someone searches for your name or your business’ name and comes across your arrest history, criminal records, or mugshot? It can cause serious damage to your personal or professional online reputation.

Regardless of the outcome of the arrest, people will make a snap judgment about you. This can affect everything from getting hired for a job, getting into college, connecting with someone on an online dating site, or running a successful business.

Why People Look Up Individuals or Businesses Online

There are a number of reasons why people look up other individuals or businesses online, including:

  • Competition: It’s common for business professionals to analyze other businesses and professionals in their niche for competitive purposes.
  • Connection: Many people use the internet to reconnect with those from their past. This includes family members they’ve lost touch with and old classmates.
  • Curiosity: The user is curious about a person they met and wants to learn more about their background and online reputation.
  • Networking: Some people turn to Google to find ways to connect with those they want to network with.
  • Safety Concerns: If someone is concerned about you for a legal or safety reason, they will often search for your name online to see if their concerns are correct.
  • Verification: Employers and clients may look you up on Google to verify your credentials. They may also check out your business reviews and otherwise verify your legitimacy.

From getting in touch with an old flame to running a background check on a potential employee, there are numerous reasons why people look others up online. Unfortunately, if they find negative content about you, such as arrest records, criminal records and mugshots, the opportunity could be ruined in an instant.

In this article, we’ll go over how to find arrest and criminal records online. We’ll also discuss different methods for removing them for the sake of salvaging your digital reputation.

At RemoveMugshots.com, our removal services will erase your online criminal records and mugshot images from the internet fast. Contact us today at 844-935-1118 to learn more.

Arrest Records Explained

Arrested computer hacker and cyber criminal with handcuffs, close up of hands.

Whenever someone is arrested for a crime, there’s a record of the arrest, regardless of what came of it. The arrest record will contain personal information about the arrestee, such as:

  • Full name
  • Birthdate
  • Booking photos
  • Fingerprints

Additionally, the arrest record will detail the arresting agency, the time and date of the arrest, and any charges that were filed.

An arrest record is not the same as a criminal record. Arrest records list details of the arrest event; criminal records detail the individual’s convictions. Not everyone who is arrested is convicted of a crime.

However, it’s important to note that mugshot sites, data brokers and people search websites may include all sorts of background information about an individual, including both their arrest and criminal records.

Are Arrest Records and Criminal Records Public?

Yes, it’s common for arrest and criminal records to be public, meaning they’re accessible to anyone in the general public who seeks them out. In some jurisdictions, there are protections for non-public offenses, minors, or sealed records, but generally, arrest and criminal records are part of the public record. According to Nolo, in the U.S., you can almost always go to a state agency’s or court’s website to search for a person’s arrest or criminal records. 

Are Arrest Records and Criminal Records Accurate?

No, public records and court records are not always accurate. This is why it pays to review your online arrest and criminal records to ensure they have correct information. 

Even if you’re going to attempt to have them taken down, that process can take a while. In the meantime, it’s in your best interest to ensure the data is accurate so nobody searching for you gets the wrong impression.

For example, a police officer may accidentally attach someone else’s arrest record to your name if the two parties have the same name. Or, if your wallet’s been stolen and a person commits a crime with your identification on them, their crime could be pinned to you due to identity theft.

Public Records and Court Records vs. Reputation?

Reputation and customer relationship business concept on virtual screen.

If your arrest or criminal records are available to the general public, they can affect your online reputation — both personally and professionally — in a number of ways.

Personal or Professional Impact

When your arrest record is visible on the internet, your career opportunities and personal relationships can be harmed. When a business partner, client, employer, family member, friend or romantic partner finds your arrest information online, they may want to distance themselves from you. They may no longer trust you or they may be worried about how being involved with you will affect their reputation.

Business Consequences

In addition to destroying your reputation as a business professional or head of a company, your negative information can also wreak havoc on your business and those related to it.

Customers, clients, shareholders and employees may think of the business differently and decide they can no longer trust it. You could lose business and clear the way for competitors to take advantage of your tarnished reputation.

Search Results

People love juicy information. If a lot of people are searching for you online — maybe you’re active on various dating sites or you’re the face of your brand — your arrest and criminal records may be viewed over and over. 

By accessing your arrest data so much, that information will rise higher and higher in search engine results, which makes your mugshot and other arrest info even more prominent. High-ranking content is more difficult to remove than low-ranking content because Google considers it valuable to users.

Accessing Arrest Records and Criminal Records

Search technology, search engine optimization, businesswoman using laptop to search information, using search bar function on your website.

There are a number of ways to access your arrest and criminal records online. Let’s go over them.

People Search Databases

Conducting a simple online search — entering your name into Google — is an easy way to get the process started. If your arrest or criminal records are online, they’re likely to pop up on a number of mugshot and public record websites. While you may not be able to see your full profile on these sites without creating an account and paying a fee, knowing your information is there in the first place is key to having it removed.

Keep a running spreadsheet of all the sites where you found your personal information. Include a link that goes directly to your profile. This is better than going back to the site over and over to find your profile. Doing that will only signal to search engines that your profile is popular, which can make it appear even higher in search results.

Government Websites

Another place to find your arrest information online is on the arresting agency’s website. Commonly, this is where mugshot sites and data brokers get their information. If people-search sites have your info, it’s likely they got it from combing government and law enforcement sites.

Typically, a court, government or law enforcement site will have a court records search by identifiers like your name or date of birth.

Again, add this information to your spreadsheet instead of regularly going to the link to view your record.

Background Checks

To get a full-scope idea of what information there is to find about you, consider hiring a background check service. Since some people may do this when vetting you — such as a potential employer, school administrator or someone you met on a dating site — it’s helpful to know exactly what they’ll be able to find.

In addition to finding your arrest and criminal records online, running a background check on yourself can uncover any other negative information that could be affecting your digital reputation.

The removal experts at RemoveMugshots.com will analyze search engine results. We’ll find and remove your personal information and booking photos online. Call us at 844-935-1118 for more information.

Managing Arrest Records and Criminal Records

Now that you’ve found and cataloged your online arrest and criminal records, it’s time to take steps to have them removed. In some cases, you may be able to wipe the internet of the information entirely. Other times, suppressing them in search results will be your only course of action.

Sealing or Expungement

In the best-case scenario, your court records will be either sealed or expunged. Here’s what that means:

  • A sealed record continues to exist, but it’s hidden from the public. While courts and law enforcement agencies will be able to access it, the public won’t.
  • An expunged record is removed as if it never happened in the first place. 

Either way, you would be able to show public databases proof of sealing or expungement. This may convince them to remove your data to avoid legal trouble. While it’s not always an option, this is often the best way to get a site owner to agree with your request.

Contacting Websites

Whether or not you were able to have your court records sealed or expunged, you’ll need to contact each website and ask that they remove your information. This can be a long and frustrating process, as it can be difficult to get in touch with the site owner and get them to agree to the removal. Even if they do agree, there’s no guarantee that they’ll remove your data or that it won’t reappear on the site in the future.

Remember, these sites get a lot of traction from criminal cases. If it could negatively impact their site traffic, they’re a lot less likely to cooperate with you.

Suppressing Results

A magnifying glass focusing on two wooden figurines, one painted red and the other in natural wood, set against a plain grey background.

In some cases, negative search results for your name will continue to surface. Maybe you didn’t have any luck getting site owners to agree to remove the data. Or, even if they did, it can be a while for Google to catch up and remove those results from the search engine.

Suppressing negative content, especially related to criminal cases, is sometimes the best way to combat this. Regularly create positive and neutral content online, such as blog posts and social media content. This will organically push down those older, negative results. 

Most people only pay attention to the top results when searching online. Backlinko found that the top organic search result on Google has an average CTR of 27.6% and is 10x more likely to be clicked than the No. 10 result. Plus, the top 3 Google search results get more than 54% of all clicks.

If you’re able to rank neutral or positive content in those top spots and suppress negative information to at least the second search engine results page (SERP), it’s possible that very few people will ever find your arrest records or criminal records on Google.

Hiring Professionals

Not having luck contacting the people-search databases and having them remove your content? Consider working with an online reputation management (ORM) company. These services are able to find your information online, request the removal of the data, and suppress any search results that contain negative information.

Additionally, ORM companies will continue to monitor your online presence. That way, if the arrest or criminal records or mugshots reappear online, you’ll know immediately, and the removal process will begin.

We work on behalf of our clients to erase mugshots, arrest or criminal records, police reports and other personal information online. Give us a call at 844-935-1118 to get started.

Final Thoughts: Online Public Records

How long does it take for an expungement to come off your record?

To recap, a ton of your personal data is online, including your brushes with the law and any criminal cases from your past. And all of that data can cause a lot of problems in your life.

Finding and assessing your records for accuracy are the first steps toward cleaning up your online reputation. Then, you can speak with the court, website owners and ORM professionals about your options for removing or suppressing that information.

Additionally, regularly creating online content can affect search engine results. Unflattering information about you will be seen far less than before.

At RemoveMugshots.com, we offer removal services to get rid of damaging information online. We’ll help you rebuild your personal or professional reputation. Whether you have arrest records, criminal records, mugshots or police reports that are causing harm, we’ll work on your behalf to remove them from search results.

It doesn’t matter if you were found guilty or if your charges were expunged, dismissed or dropped, either. Our removal strategies will erase or suppress negative content from showing up on mugshot websites and in search engine results.

Do you need help removing your arrest or criminal records, mugshots or police records from search results? Get a free mugshot removal analysis today and sign up for a consultation with an expert. Learn more here.

How Long Does It Take for an Inmate To Be Processed?

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This article answers the question, “How long does it take for an inmate to be processed?” and discusses when you can expect your personal information and mugshots to appear online following the intake process.

For those entering prison, a pressing concern is how long the intake process will take. Having to live in a prison facility with other inmates is dramatic enough, and following the reception process, your sensitive information will be online for anyone to find.

While there’s nothing a person entering prison can do to control the intake process, simply knowing what to expect can help prepare you for what’s to come.

For immediate help, call our content removal experts today at 844-935-1118 for a free consultation.

Basics Steps of the Intake Process When Entering Prison

Two men, one of whom can bail the other out of jail, are standing in a jail cell.

The following steps are generally part of the arrest process, though they may differ based on the federal prison or other facility you’re entering.

1. Intake staff record your information.

As soon as you enter the federal prison, county jail or holding facility, the booking process begins. An intake officer will start a new record with your full name and date of birth. They also record the charges against you.

This is now all computerized, with most counties still keeping a physical official arrest record on hand.

2. Your booking photograph will be taken.

The booking photograph or mugshot is the second big step in the intake process. Before digital cameras, this process used to take days, but now it takes seconds. The intake staff line you up and take two side and front shots. Officials upload these mugshots into the record.

3. The pat-down or full-body search.

There will always be a cursory pat-down during the booking process. However, the officers can choose how thorough the search is. What officers choose can impact how long it takes for an inmate to show in the system. Note that a strip search may happen even if you face arrest on a minor charge, such as failure to pay a fine. Jail and prison rules will vary based on the facility.

4. The facility takes your personal property.

Depending upon the situation, the reception process may also involve staff taking your clothing. All the items taken from you get returned upon your release, except for those that they determine are contraband or evidence of a crime. Police will likely prevent you from keeping anything of value on your person.

5. Police take your fingerprints.

Fingerprints are a standard and necessary part of every inmate’s processing, whether you’re at county jail or federal prison. However, some counties may take fingerprints before they take booking photographs. In any case, officials scan and upload your fingerprints into both a local and nationwide database.

6. Checking for any outstanding warrants.

Now that your full name, photograph, and fingerprints are in the system, a search begins. The booking officer will look for any outstanding warrants, charges, and fines.

7. Health screening and potential DNA sampling.

Due to COVID-19, jail and federal prison health services are more in-depth than before.

In the past, health officials gave screenings for a basic inmate booking on a case-by-case basis. Today, most facilities have this as a mandatory health services unit step. Officials may also ask for a DNA sample.

The booking record only becomes complete after the above steps are completed. At that point, police save your record and enter your info into the system.

How Long Does It Take for an Inmate To Show in the System?

When incoming inmates will show up in the system depends on the county or federal prison and its policies.

In general, all correctional and intake facilities have a complete list of all inmates uploaded to their system daily. 

Your info may be searchable as soon as two hours after the date you entered the facility.

The facility recording your inmate information for their records is only the first step. Remember, during the intake process, booking personnel checks against other records for additional arrests, warrants, and fines. Searches are conducted by name, photo, fingerprint, and possibly even DNA.

This means other facilities and organizations will likewise receive your arrest records. One important organization to know of is VINELink.

What is VINELink?

VINELink is an organization that works with many local and state agencies. Their goal is to ensure data is accurate and that victims of crimes can have reliable information about their offenders.

Unfortunately, by doing so, they step on the rights of people who may eventually have charges dismissed.

This is because VINELink stores all the offender information it receives from local law and state facilities. They then make some or all of that information available through their website. They also will notify victims if and when inmates walk free.

Police update this organization’s inmate system near-simultaneously with official facilities, as long as the connected facility is online and connected. If you are trying to locate or find an inmate and aren’t having luck with an official source, this is the second-best choice for non-federal inmates. It will typically take between two hours and a day for an inmate to show up in this system.

VINE reports that it will not remove offender information. Instead, it recommends that anyone concerned with their information report to their arresting facility any incorrect data.

The good news is that expert lawyers and removal groups can act as critical third parties. They can even remove certain information in select situations.

But whether a given inmate can apply for information removal will depend upon the specifics of your case.

How Do You Get Removed From an Inmate Search?

Once you leave a county or state correctional facility, you will typically get removed from the inmate search. This occurs between two hours before release time to a full day after your release date.

This, however, isn’t necessarily true for those in federal prison systems. In a federal prison, information on all inmates entered and released after 1982 remains online.

But that isn’t all. Some people who didn’t even serve time in a federal prison facility may still have their information available via the federal system.

Why? Because the federal records may still include information on individuals who were:

  • Detained pre-trial
  • Held as a material witness
  • In lockup for civil contempt

It requires a special court record and proceeding to remove your info from a federal system. As such, we recommend hiring a lawyer. Only an experienced lawyer can speak to the specifics of any one case and make the best recommendations.

How Long Does It Take for Inmate Records to Show Up On Mugshot Websites?

On average, mugshots and all related booking information will show up online within one to three days of an arrest.

Keep this in mind: If you are searching Google for inmate information about yourself or someone you love, don’t click mugshot website results. Also, don’t click any mugshot photos found via a Google Images search.

Every time someone clicks a direct link on Google, its algorithms will take note. The more people visit a website, the more relevant it becomes and the more prominently that information will show up in search results.

The last thing anyone wants is Google thinking inmate information and booking photographs are relevant responses to a Google search of your name.

Instead of clicking links via Google, use alternative search engines. Private search engines like DuckDuckGo and non-U.S. search engines like MetaGer are ideal. However, the best option is to not go to mugshot websites at all. Instead, contact an experienced mugshot removal team to handle content removal for you.

Call us today at 844-935-1118 to speak with an online reputation expert who can give you advice about mugshot removal.

Remove Your Private Information From Online Search Results

The best way to remove inmate records and photographs from public online search results is to act fast. If you or someone you know is arrested and they’re concerned about the impact on their online reputation, being proactive is key.

Our team provides fast, around-the-clock monitoring of inmate records across the internet. We also have connections in every state and understand how to reach all the major national and regional mugshot websites.

As such, we can identify and remove inmate records as they appear in search engine results. In some cases, we can even do so before they are made available. This type of preemptive work can really save a person’s relationships, career and future.

If you or someone you love has already been arrested and gone to jail, don’t fret! Our expert team can still assist.

At RemoveMugshots, we’re able to find every instance of your listing online. We’ll eliminate those mentions of your name wherever possible. We can also repair your image by building a more positive online presence.

Contact our team today by calling (844) 935-1118 to learn more.

Ways To Effectively Deal With The Consequences of A Criminal Case

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Remove arrest records from Google and manage the consequences of your criminal history with our guide below.

Facing a criminal case is not easy. Whether you are declared guilty or innocent, being involved in a criminal case can affect your life massively. In fact, once you become involved in a criminal case, you have to face a lot of consequences. However, dwelling on the past and letting it affect your present is not a wise decision. You should focus on the future and do whatever you can to make it bright and positive for yourself. For instance, you can contact companies online that help people remove criminal records or mugshots from the internet. Remove Mugshots is one such company that cares about its clients’ future and helps them remove mugshots from the internet in complete privacy. In addition to seeking Remove Mugshots’ help, you can also consider doing the following.

Do Not Overthink About The Case or Charge

Many people overcome the bitter experience of being involved in a criminal charge quickly while some struggle with it for years. The latter group of people are those who tend to overthink about the outcome of a criminal case. The continue to dwell on it for weeks, months, and even years, which affects their life negatively. Regardless of the outcome, you need to understand that whatever happened is in the past now. You need to focus on the future. We cannot control the past but we can surely control the future. One simply way of building a better future is accepting your situation and moving forward. When you remove arrest records from Google, you’re taking an important first step in rebuilding your reputation.

Be Aware of Criminal Case Repercussions

When you become involved in a criminal case, needless to say there are going to be some changes in your life. For instance, a criminal record may cause problems to you when you are looking to rent a place, find work, or get a professional license. Everyone with a criminal past experiences these types of problems. The best way of dealing with this is learning how your conviction or criminal past impacts different areas of your life. Learning about the repercussions of criminal convictions will allow you to plan accordingly.

Do Not Hesitate To Seek Help

It is not uncommon for people to experience emotions such as anger, stress, frustration, or even confusion after getting involved in a criminal case. If you find yourself struggling with these emotions, be wise and consider taking help from a support group, counselor, or a doctor. Overthinking about your situation will only make matters worse for you. Seeking professional help will make it easier for you to accept the situation as it is.

If you take the above-mentioned steps, you will be able to put your criminal past behind you and move forward in life with confidence. Also, do not forget to use Remove Mugshots’ quick and private mugshot removal service to clear all your criminal records from the internet. We can complete the removal process in 5 business days. And in 7 days, your criminal records will be erased from all search engines. And if we are unsuccessful in doing that, we will refund your money.