Mugshots Explained: What They Are & How Used

Mugshots infographic detailing front facing and side profile booking photos, illustrating the arrest process, and explaining their use in police records and media.

Mugshots are official photos taken by law enforcement during the arrest and booking process. They are used to confirm identity, connect a person to a case file, and support record keeping.

What a mugshot includes

Most mugshots include two photos:

  • Front facing photo
  • Side profile photo

This format helps show key facial features and makes it easier to match someone to past records.

When mugshots are taken

Mugshots are usually taken:

  • After an arrest
  • During booking at a jail, police station, or detention facility
  • Before a person appears in court

The exact timing and process can vary by agency and location.

Why mugshots exist

Mugshots became widely used in the 19th century when photography became practical for police identification. Today, they are still a standard part of booking in many jurisdictions.

How mugshots are used today

Mugshots can appear in both official systems and public facing sources, including:

  • Police and jail databases for identification and inmate tracking
  • Arrest records and criminal record systems tied to case numbers
  • Media reporting about arrests and investigations
  • Online searches, including reverse image search
  • Facial recognition tools that compare faces across photos
  • Public records portals where available under local rules

Important note

A mugshot is a booking photo, not proof of guilt. Many arrests do not lead to charges or convictions. Rules on releasing, publishing, and removing mugshots vary by state, county, and agency.

booking photo, arrest record, criminal record, inmate lookup, police report, reverse image search, facial recognition, public records, arrest, detention, jail roster

FAQ

What does “Mugshots” mean in the context of face recognition search engines?

In face recognition search engines, “mugshots” usually refers to booking or arrest photographs published by law enforcement agencies or by third-party “mugshot”/public-record sites. A face search engine may surface these pages when it finds facial similarity between your query photo and images indexed from those sources.

Why do mugshot pages often appear in face recognition search results?

Mugshot pages appear frequently because they are often public, highly crawlable, and contain clear, front-facing faces with consistent lighting. Those qualities make them easier for face-matching systems to index and compare, so they can show up prominently when a similar face is searched.

Does a mugshot result mean the person in my photo was arrested or committed a crime?

No. A mugshot-like match is not proof of arrest, guilt, or even identity. Face search results are similarity-based and can point to look-alikes, mislabeled pages, reposts, or incorrect associations. Treat a mugshot match only as a lead and verify identity using multiple independent details (date, location, full name, and corroborating sources).

What should I do if a face search engine (e.g., FaceCheck.ID) links me to a mugshot page that isn’t me?

Do not assume the page is about you. Open the source page and check non-face details (name spelling, age, city/state, dates, tattoos/scars, and other photos). Save the URL and screenshots for documentation, then use the site’s dispute/correction process and any takedown/opt-out mechanisms offered by the publisher and the face search tool. If the mismatch is causing harm, consider requesting legal help for defamation/privacy remedies in your jurisdiction.

How can I reduce the chance that my face search query returns mugshot-style false matches?

Use a high-quality, recent, front-facing photo with minimal filters, avoid heavy compression, and crop to the face (not the background). If the tool provides similarity thresholds or result filtering, increase the match strictness and prioritize matches that include multiple consistent photos of the same person across reputable sources rather than a single mugshot page.

Christian Hidayat is a dedicated contributor to FaceCheck's blog, and is passionate about promoting FaceCheck's mission of creating a safer internet for everyone.

Mugshots
Do you need to find out more about a particular mugshot? FaceCheck.ID is your trustworthy friend. Our state-of-the-art facial recognition technology can scour the internet for matches, providing you with a wealth of relevant information. You're not just limited to mugshots; any image can be used to find matching faces online. Whether you're a concerned citizen, a cautious employer, or a curious internet user, FaceCheck.ID is the perfect tool for your needs. We invite you to try FaceCheck.ID and experience the power of facial recognition technology firsthand.
Discover More with FaceCheck.ID Mugshot Search

Recommended Posts Related to mugshots

  1. How to Search Arrest Records and Mugshots by a Photo of a Person

    Reverse Image Search Mugshots. With FaceCheck.ID you can upload a photo of a person's face, and our reverse face search engine will scour the darkest corners of the Internet for matching mugshots, arrests, and criminals featured in the news. Search Mugshots by a Face Photo!

  2. How to Reverse Image Search Mugshots

    One of its innovative applications is searching through a large database of mugshots using the groundbreaking platform FaceCheck.ID. This article will explore how reverse image searching mugshots can significantly contribute to community safety and foster transparency while ensuring the privacy of individuals. Unveiling FaceCheck.ID: A Powerful Reverse Image Search Platform for Mugshots.

  3. Find Criminals by Face Pic

    Here's the exciting part: FaceCheck.ID lets you search-by-face the largest public databases of mugshots, fugitives, inmates, gang members, and registered sex offenders. FaceCheck.ID can help identify them and provide a match to any mugshot they might have. If you know someone you suspect is involved in this dirty business, FaceCheck.ID can help confirm their identity and link them to any existing criminal records via mugshots.Cyberbullying Offenders: Cyberbullies think they can hide behind a screen.

  4. Leveraging Facial Recognition Technology to Combat Human Trafficking

    Facial recognition tools like FaceCheck.ID is crucial in investigations, matching faces against social media profiles, escort ads, and mugshots. FaceCheck.ID: A specialized facial recognition search engine for finding social media accounts, escort ads, or mugshots of both perpetrators and victims of human trafficking.

  5. Unlocking the Power of Facial Recognition Technology: 10 Eye-Opening Facts

    The database can include anything from mugshots to passport photos to social media profile pictures.

  6. How to Detect Fake Remote IT Workers with Facial Recognition (2026 Guide)

    Mugshot and scam-watch databases. Scam database and mugshot matches.

  7. How to Find Someone with a Photo?

    With just a picture of a face, you can uncover the individual's social media profiles, public appearances in blogs, news articles, and videos, as well as search for known photos used by scammers, mugshots, and offender registries.

  8. How to Find Anyone Online: A Comprehensive Guide to Internet Sleuthing

    FaceCheck.ID: This search-by-face engine searches a vast range of sources, including blogs, news articles, mugshots, and social media profiles, to help you verify the person behind the screen.

  9. Top 5 Reverse Image Search APIs for Your Projects

    Face search social media, news, blogs, mugshots, and more...

  10. Top 7 Reverse Image Search Engines for Face Search Compared

    On top of that FaceCheck also searches a vast number of faces of criminals, sex offenders, child predators, arrest mugshots, romance scammers, swindlers, gang members and other delinquents.

  11. Reverse Image Search - Social Catfish vs FaceCheck.ID

    From social media accounts to mugshots, FaceCheck's facial recognition technology offers a unique way to verify identities online. 🦹 FaceCheck.ID can check against databases of mugshots and criminal records.

  12. Top 4 Benefits of Facial Recognition in Online Dating with FaceCheck.ID

    In addition, FaceCheck.ID facial recognition mugshot search can help users avoid people with a history of criminal behavior or those with a negative reputation online, giving users peace of mind when they are dating online.

  13. How to Find Someone by Doing Reverse Face Search

    With FaceCheck, you can search for other people's photos to find their Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter, and other social media profiles and also check them against a list of sex offenders, criminals, gang members, thieves, arrest mugshots, news, and blog websites.

  14. How to Spot a Catfish Online in Under 60 Seconds with FaceCheck.ID

    Face appears on known scam or mugshot databases.

Mugshots are photographic portraits, usually consisting of a side profile and front-facing picture, taken after a person is arrested, and are commonly used by law enforcement for identification, in digital media technologies like facial recognition, and by media outlets reporting on crime.