We hope you enjoy reading this informational blog post.
If you want DeleteMyinfo to help you remove your information from Google, contact us.
What Is Georgia’s Mugshot Law — And What It Means for You
Have you ever Googled someone’s name and seen a mugshot you didn’t expect? Maybe even your own? In Georgia, the rules around mugshots have changed — especially when it comes to what websites can do with them. Let me break it down in plain terms.
What Is Georgia’s Mugshot Law
Why There’s a Problem
Mugshots feel like arrest snapshots. But often, people get arrested then later cleared, have charges dropped, or aren’t convicted. If their image stays online forever, it can hurt jobs, relationships, housing — even if they did nothing wrong.
That’s why Georgia passed laws to curb how mugshots are published and to protect people’s reputations.
Key Laws & Rules You Should Know
Here are the big ones:
No more pay-to-remove
Websites can’t charge you to take down your booking photo if your case qualifies. Georgia law prohibits requiring payment for deletion. (O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19)Restricted public release by law enforcement
The law stops police agencies from handing out booking photos in ways that lead to them being posted online, especially when removal would require payment.You must affirm your request is legitimate
If you ask for a booking photo, you have to sign a statement that it won’t be used in ways that conflict with the law (for instance, posting it publicly for profit).Consequences for false requests
If someone lies in their removal request, they can be charged under a Georgia false statement law.30-day deadline
When a qualified request is made, the mugshot website has 30 days to remove it.Fair Business Practices Law
The Georgia Fair Business Practices law enables individuals to challenge websites that refuse to comply or require payment.
When You Can Ask a Website to Remove Your Mugshot
Not every arrest photo is eligible. Under Georgia’s rules, you can push for removal when:
Charges were dropped or dismissed
You were acquitted
The statute of limitations expired before a case was brought
Your case was “no-billed” (grand jury found insufficient grounds)
You completed probation under specific drug provisions
If your case meets one of these, the law gives you a path to demand removal.
What You Should Do (Step by Step)
Gather your information
Date of arrest, arresting agency, case status (dismissed, acquitted, etc.).Send a written request
Use certified mail or overnight delivery. Send your request to the website publishing the mugshot.Include a self-verified statement
Affirm you’re making the request under the law and it’s not for someone else’s use.Wait up to 30 days
The site must remove the image within that timeframe if your request is valid.If they refuse or ignore it
You can file a complaint with the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.
What Georgia’s Laws Don’t Do (So Be Careful)
Mugshots tied to ongoing or serious criminal investigations may still be publicly used under legal exemptions.
The law doesn’t automatically remove the image everywhere — it removes it from the site you request, but mirrors or reposts could remain.
If a site is outside Georgia, enforcing the law is trickier.
Removal doesn’t guarantee the image won’t appear again later via new sources.
How DeleteMyInfo Helps You Do It Right
All this legal stuff is important — but doing it yourself is a headache. That’s where DeleteMyInfo pitches in:
We find where your mugshot is published (original + mirrors)
We file removal requests for you, following Georgia’s requirements
We track if it resurfaces and re-submit removal requests
We handle complaints or enforcement steps if a site refuses
In short: you focus on living your life; we work on shutting down unwanted exposure.
