Search Arrest, Mugshot & Inmate Records by Name
Search by name and state for arrest, booking, mugshot, inmate, jail roster, prison, criminal and court-record search categories.
Independent records-search resource. This website is not a government agency, police department, sheriff's office, jail, prison or courthouse. Search coverage varies by source and jurisdiction. Some links may lead to third-party services, and compensation may be received when a partner service is used.
How to Find Mugshots, Arrest Photos and Booking Records
The fastest way to find a mugshot is usually to start with the agency that booked the person: a county sheriff, county jail, city detention center or state corrections department. Search the official inmate or booking roster first, then use the booking number, arrest date and case information to verify charges through the appropriate court.
Start with the location of the arrest
If you know the city or county where the arrest happened, identify the sheriff’s office or jail serving that jurisdiction. Search its official inmate, detention, arrest or recent-booking page before using commercial mugshot websites.
There is no single public database containing every U.S. booking photo. Publication practices depend on the agency, jurisdiction, custody status and applicable public-record rules.
How to Find Mugshots Step by Step
Begin with the jurisdiction rather than the person’s name alone. A common name can produce multiple unrelated arrests, while knowing the county, city or facility usually points you toward the agency that actually controls the booking record.
Where Mugshots and Booking Information May Be Available
Often the strongest starting point for recent county-jail bookings. Some sheriff websites display current inmate photos and charges; others publish only names, booking information or custody data.
A jail may operate its own roster even when a separate police department made the arrest. Search the detention facility if the arresting agency’s website does not show inmates.
Police departments may publish arrest logs, reports or media releases, but the booking photograph may be controlled by the jail receiving the person rather than by the arresting officer’s department.
State Department of Corrections search systems are more useful after a person enters state prison custody. They should not be assumed to contain every recent county-jail arrest.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator can help identify federal custody, while PACER is used for federal court cases. These services should not be treated as a nationwide public mugshot database.
Verify That the Mugshot Belongs to the Right Person
Do not rely on a photograph or matching name by itself. Two people can share the same name, and older search results may remain online after the underlying custody record changes.
Strong identifiers to compare
- Full legal name
- Age or date of birth when publicly shown
- Booking or inmate number
- Booking date and arrest date
- Arresting agency
- County or detention facility
- Case or court number
Do not assume a match from
- A similar face in a photograph
- A first and last name alone
- An old search-engine result
- A social-media repost
- A commercial page without an agency source
- A charge description without matching identifiers
How to Check Charges After Finding a Mugshot
A booking page may list charges recorded when the person entered custody, but that information can change. Prosecutors can decline charges, amend counts, add counts or pursue different charges, and a court can dismiss a case or reach another disposition.
| Question | Best source | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Was the person booked? | Sheriff or jail | Booking number, date, facility and custody entry |
| What charges were listed at booking? | Booking record | Charge descriptions, statute codes and arresting agency |
| Was a criminal case filed? | Court or clerk | Case number, filed counts and docket |
| What was the final outcome? | Court record | Dismissal, plea, judgment, acquittal or other disposition |
| Is the person still in custody? | Current inmate locator | Current facility, release status or transfer information |
For federal criminal cases, PACER provides electronic access to federal court records and a nationwide case locator. PACER is a court-record service, not a public federal mugshot gallery.
Why a Mugshot May Not Appear Online
A missing photograph does not prove that no arrest or booking occurred. Agencies follow different publication policies, and the availability of a photo can depend on custody status, state law, the arresting agency and the type of record requested.
The agency does not publish photos
Some inmate searches provide text-only custody information even when a booking photograph exists internally.
The person is no longer in custody
Some local agencies restrict public booking-photo access once a person is released. Availability is jurisdiction-specific.
The arrest is very recent
Booking data may not appear immediately while intake, identification or database processing is still underway.
The person was transferred
A county record may disappear or change after transfer to another jail, state corrections, federal custody or another jurisdiction.
The record is restricted
Privacy rules, juvenile protections, sealing, expungement rules or other legal restrictions can affect what the public can see.
You are checking the wrong agency
The arresting police department may not operate the jail. Search the agency responsible for the detention facility as well.
Requesting a Booking Photo From the Agency
If an official online roster does not provide the record, look for the sheriff, jail or police department’s records division. Search the agency’s website for “public records,” “records request,” “open records” or the name of your state’s public-record law.
The federal Freedom of Information Act does not govern state or local sheriff and police records. FOIA.gov specifically directs people seeking non-federal records to the appropriate state or local authority.
Prepare these details before making a request
- The person’s full name
- Approximate arrest or booking date
- County, city or detention facility
- Booking number, if known
- Case number, if known
- A clear description such as “booking photograph associated with booking number…”
How Federal Arrest and Inmate Searches Differ
Federal custody and federal court records use different systems from most county jail searches. The Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator can locate federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to the present and can be searched by name or identifying number.
The BOP locator is useful for custody information, but it should not be treated as a source for every federal arrest or as a nationwide mugshot search.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Use the BOP Inmate Locator when you are trying to determine whether someone is or was in federal prison custody. The system also warns that release-date information can change as sentences are recalculated.
PACER
Use PACER when you need federal court case information. A court docket can help verify filed charges, motions, orders and case outcomes, but PACER is not designed as a mugshot database.
Mugshot, Arrest Record, Booking Record and Criminal Case Are Not the Same
| Record | What it generally represents | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Mugshot | Photograph created during a booking or custody process | Guilt or conviction |
| Booking record | Jail intake information recorded at a particular time | The final charges or court result |
| Arrest record | Information concerning an arrest event | That prosecutors filed or proved a charge |
| Court docket | Filed proceedings and case activity | Current jail location unless separately stated |
| Conviction record | A finding or plea resulting in conviction | That every original arrest charge resulted in conviction |
How to Find Older Mugshots
Older photographs can be harder to locate because many public inmate rosters focus on people who are currently in custody or were booked recently. Start with the same agency that handled the original booking, then determine whether its records division accepts requests for archived booking material.
If the person later entered state or federal prison, a corrections locator may confirm incarceration history even when the original county booking photo is no longer publicly displayed.
Use Third-Party Mugshot Websites Carefully
Commercial arrest databases can be useful as clues, but they may contain old, incomplete or duplicated information. Some pages remain indexed after the official record has changed.
If a third-party page claims someone was arrested, use the location and booking details shown there to return to the responsible sheriff, jail or court. The official source should control your conclusion whenever the records conflict.
- Confirm the jurisdiction.
- Match the booking number where available.
- Check whether the person remains in custody.
- Verify filed charges with the court.
- Look for dismissal, acquittal or other later dispositions.
- Avoid treating a photograph as evidence of guilt.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to find someone’s mugshot?
Are mugshots public records in every state?
Can I find a mugshot using only a name?
Why can’t I find a recent mugshot?
Can I find mugshots from years ago?
Does a mugshot mean the person was convicted?
Where can I check the charges listed with a mugshot?
Does the federal government have a public mugshot database?
Can I use FOIA to request a county jail mugshot?
What should I do if a mugshot website shows incorrect information?
Official Resources Used for Verification
FOIA.gov
Used to verify that the federal Freedom of Information Act covers federal executive agencies rather than state and local governments, and that non-federal records should be requested from the appropriate state or local authority.
U.S. Department of Justice
Used for federal booking-photo privacy guidance, including the treatment of mugshots under law-enforcement privacy protections.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Used to verify the purpose and coverage of the federal Inmate Locator, including searches for federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to the present.
PACER — U.S. Courts
Used to verify the role of PACER and the PACER Case Locator for searching federal court cases and case records.
County sheriff guidance
An official county sheriff booking-photo policy was reviewed as an example of how local publication rules can depend on custody status and agency authorization.