The word “Mugshot” is a combination of the British word Mug, which means face, and the word Shot, which means photograph. Taking a mugshot is an important part of the booking process; as it is part of arrest records, mugshots are available to the public. In the United States, there are several resources that can provide you with free access to mugshots. If you want no-charge access to mugshots, here is how to find free mugshots online.
Mugshots: are mugshots public records?
This question has been the subject of controversy for many years; some people support public record access, and some do not. However, as of today, there are records that are available to the public. Certain government records are accessible by the public, as well as certain personal records. Mugshots are at this least, and most of these photos are available to the public.
When it comes to matters of national security, mugshots and arrest records will not be available to the public. Also, in the following cases, you will not have access to mugshots;
- Juvenile records
- Expunged criminal records
- Sealed criminal records
How to find free mugshots?
If you want to get free mugshots access, here is how you can do it:
Go to local sheriff/police department websites
There are many law enforcement agencies throughout the country, that provide access to arrest records. Also, many law enforcement agencies provide online access to such records. If you want to find free mugshots, you can enter a sheriff/police department website.
How to do it?
- Choose a search engine (Yahoo, Google, etc.)
- Type the name of the agency in question. For instance, if you want to find mugshots in Rankin County in Mississippi, you should type in “Rankin County, Mississippi, sheriff’s department/police department”. Alternatively, you can type in ” Rankin County, Mississippi, mugshots”.
- Choose the official website of the authority in question.
- Go to the section that reads “mugshots/criminal records search/arrest record access”, etc.
- Provide the information that the website requires you to provide; it could be the arrest date of the person in question, the full name of the person in question, the arrest date of the person in question, etc.
- Then, you will be given access to arrest records, which include free mugshots.
Go to a state department of corrections website
Another official resource for free mugshots is official websites, that are operated by the department of corrections. As of 2021, every state in the country operates a department of corrections website, so you can access such websites for free access to mugshots.
How to do it?
- Choose a search engine (Yahoo, Google, etc.)
- Type in the name of the state in which the person in question was arrested. For instance, “New York + department of corrections”.
- Enter the official website of the relevant department of corrections.
- Then, search for the mugshot search tab (offender search, prisoner search, prisoner locator, etc.).
- Search for the person in question on the website (every state provides the data in a different way).
Free mugshots websites (free background check websites)
There are background check websites in the United States, that are not affiliated with government websites. On these websites, you can get free access to public records, including mugshots. However, the great majority of free background check sites do not provide free access to all public records. Such websites can provide you with basic data about people. For instance, you can find people’s contact information, social media information, and more. To get access to all public records, websites must pay official public resources. Services that are completely free of charge do not have the funds to pay for this access. In most cases, free background check websites provide free access to basic records, and for a more extensive service, you will be required to pay.
How to find complete arrest records?
While not free, GoLookUp provides comprehensive access to public records, including mugshots. The authorized website has access to billions of public records in the country, so you can use it to find mugshots in every state.
Unlike free background check websites, that do not provide free mugshots access, GoLookUp’s services are transparent. To find mugshots of a particular individual, you need to provide two details: the full name of the individual, and their current state of residence. The search will provide data about the arrest records in every state where the person in question has lived.
Once the directory has these two details, it will begin a comprehensive scan of public records. The search results are provided in an online report, that you can easily download.
In case you cannot track down mugshots with this name-based search, you can use other services the GoLookUp provides: phone number search, address search, email search. You will receive an arrest record report within minutes and will be able to find valuable data about people who are a part of your life, or people that you do not know very well.
