To find an old mugshot from a past arrest, go to the agency that made the arrest. Booking photos are generally public records, so the fastest path is either the arresting agency’s online inmate or arrest search, or a written records request to its records division. Federal arrests work differently and require a FOIA request. Whether the photo still exists depends on the agency’s retention schedule and whether the record has been sealed or expunged.
Pull Your Details Together First
Every request, online or written, moves faster when you can identify the record precisely. Before you search, gather:
- The full legal name used at the time of arrest, plus any aliases or maiden names.
- Date of birth, or at least an approximate age.
- The city and county of the arrest. Records live with the agency that made the arrest, not with wherever the person lived.
- An approximate arrest date. A year, or even a range, cuts through common-name confusion.
- A booking or case number if you have one. That’s the shortcut.
Your Own Mugshot Is Easier to Get Than Someone Else’s
Under the federal Privacy Act, agencies generally cannot disclose records about a person to a third party without that person’s written consent, subject to several exceptions.1U.S. Department of Justice. Overview of the Privacy Act – Disclosures to Third Parties The Act’s access provisions also give you the right to see records an agency keeps about you. Many state public records laws follow the same pattern, giving the subject of the record broader access than the general public gets.
In practice, requesting your own booking photo is usually straightforward once you verify your identity, typically with a government-issued ID and sometimes fingerprints. Requesting someone else’s takes more work. Some agencies treat mugshots as routine public records and hand them over; others ask you to file a formal request and may push back on privacy grounds.
Start With the Arresting Agency’s Online Records
Many police departments and sheriff’s offices run online portals where you can search arrest records by name, date of birth, or booking number. County sheriff’s offices are usually the best starting point, since county jails handle booking for most local arrests. Search for the agency by name along with terms like “inmate search” or “arrest records.”
These portals are quick when they work, but they rarely reach back far. Some cap results at a few recent years, and older paper records may never have been digitized. If the arrest is more than a decade old, an online portal is worth a look but probably won’t have it. When a record does come up, it usually shows the booking photo, charges, arrest date, and basic personal details.
File a Public Records Request for Older Local Arrests
When the portal comes up empty, contact the agency’s records division directly. Call or visit and ask about obtaining a copy of a booking photograph. Staff can often tell you on the spot whether the record still exists.
If a written request is required, use the agency’s public records request form or send a letter. Include every identifier you have: full name, date of birth, approximate arrest date, and any case or booking numbers. Some agencies accept email; others require mail or an in-person visit. Expect a small copy fee, and expect processing to take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, longer for older records. If the agency denies the request, it should cite the specific legal basis, and most states provide an appeal process.
Every state has a public records law, sometimes called a sunshine law or open records act, that typically covers arrest records held by local and state law enforcement. Access and exemptions vary by jurisdiction.
Federal Arrests Take a FOIA Request
If the arrest was made by a federal agency such as the FBI, DEA, ATF, or U.S. Marshals, the process changes. Federal booking photos are not posted on public search portals. The Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to request records from federal agencies, subject to privacy and law enforcement exemptions.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 552 – Public Information; Agency Rules, Opinions, Orders, Records, and Proceedings
The U.S. Marshals Service, which handles booking for most federal defendants, requires a formal FOIA request for booking photographs and will not release them unless the requester shows that the public interest in disclosure outweighs the subject’s privacy interest.3U.S. Marshals Service. Booking Photograph Disclosure Policy Requests to the Marshals go to their Office of General Counsel at usms.foia@usdoj.gov. For any other federal agency, check its website for FOIA contact information. Filing a FOIA request is free, though agencies may charge search and duplication fees.
The PACER system (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) is useful for confirming that a federal case exists and pulling docket information, but it generally does not contain booking photographs. For the photo itself, you still have to go through the arresting agency’s FOIA office.
Not Sure Which Agency Arrested You? Start With the FBI
If you’re looking for your own arrest history and don’t remember which agency made the arrest, or you’re dealing with several arrests across different jurisdictions, the FBI’s Identity History Summary check pulls together arrests reported by agencies across the country from the FBI’s national database.4FBI. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
The fee is $18 and you’ll need to submit fingerprints, which you can do electronically at a participating U.S. Post Office, through an FBI-approved channeler, or by mailing a completed fingerprint card to the FBI. The summary lists arrests, charges, and dispositions reported to the FBI. It does not typically include the booking photos themselves, but it tells you exactly which agencies to contact for them, which saves guessing.
When the Mugshot Isn’t There Anymore
Some searches don’t turn up anything, and there are legitimate reasons an old booking photo may be gone or unreachable.
The Record Was Expunged or Sealed
If the arrest ended in dismissed charges, an acquittal, or a completed diversion program, a court may have expunged or sealed the record. Expungement directs the court and law enforcement to treat the arrest as though it never happened; sealing removes the record from public view. Either way, the mugshot becomes inaccessible to the public. Law enforcement may still keep a sealed record internally, but they won’t release it without a court order. Some states also seal eligible records automatically after a waiting period, so a photo can disappear from public databases without the person having filed anything.
The Agency Destroyed It Under Its Retention Schedule
Agencies don’t keep every record forever. Each one follows a retention schedule that sets how long different records must be preserved before destruction. Retention tends to be shorter for arrests that didn’t lead to convictions, and old paper-only records are especially vulnerable to loss or damage. If an agency tells you the record has been destroyed, that’s usually the end of the road. The FBI’s national database maintains criminal history data, not the booking photograph itself.
The Agency Withheld It on Privacy or Investigative Grounds
Even when a record exists, an agency can legally withhold it in certain circumstances. Federal FOIA recognizes exemptions for law enforcement records, including records whose release could interfere with an active investigation, cause an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, or endanger someone’s safety.5United States Secret Service. FOIA Exemptions State public records laws include similar exemptions. Courts have recognized that mugshots carry a stigma beyond what an ordinary photograph conveys, which can tip the balance toward withholding, especially at the federal level. Privacy-based denials are hard to overturn on appeal unless you can point to a specific public interest in the photo’s release.
A Word on Commercial Mugshot Sites
Searching a name together with “mugshot” often surfaces commercial websites that republish booking photos scraped from law enforcement sources. These sites are easy to find and sometimes still host photos the original agency has taken down. They are not official records, and many operate on a pay-to-remove model that a growing number of states have moved to restrict. Treat anything you find there as a lead pointing back to the original agency rather than as the record itself.