Written by Background Check Repair
Criminal Records | June 27, 2024
Table of Contents
For those who want to learn how to find mugshots and how to find past mugshots for free, the following step-by-step process is easy to perform and will deliver the pictures quickly.
Learning how to find old mugshots online, inmate mugshots, and search mugshots free by name, is just a matter of knowing one simple trick: where the mugshots are kept.
By understanding how the Judicial System works (and how public criminal records are searched and stored), anyone can know how to find mugshots quickly and easily using this guide.
Keep in mind the quickest way to search for mugshots of anyone with a criminal record is through using a mugshot database comprised of official criminal and arrest records.
Knowing how to find mugshots and search mugshots by name can be a valuable tool. Luckily, there are various ways to perform a mugshot search.
The simple trick is knowing where to look for mugshots. The following steps provide detailed options for how to find someone’s mugshot:
The third way to find mugshots and search mugshots by name is to use the state’s department of corrections website. For example, if a person is searching for mugshots of someone in Pennsylvania, they can use the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections site that regulates the prison system and the parole supervision.
Individuals using the department of corrections for their specific state can use the federal database to find the website for their individual state through the United States Government homepage.
Next, they can click on “Prisoner Search” to find the person’s mugshot by their prisoner number or first and last name. (Specific and more detailed instructions are provided below.)
(Image: USA.gov3)
The fourth step that individuals can use to find a mugshot is by searching their state’s sex offender registry. Every state has a sex offender registry that can provide mugshots that would otherwise be private or confidential information.
In some states, mugshots are much harder to find. However, the sex offender mugshots are available for public knowledge.
The fifth way that an individual can search for a person’s mugshot is by using local police and sheriff department resources. Some law enforcement agencies depending on the state will post the mugshots online that are available for public consumption, as an easy way for people to know how to check if someone was arrested, or how to examine the details of the arrest.
However, this is not common in the 50 states, so individuals should check other online sites in addition to this potential resource.
Individuals can find a mugshot by using an online mobile phone app. Although these may be less reliable than other online options or in-person choices, using an app, such as JailBase, can provide a quick mugshot search tool.
One of the best in-person options that an individual can use to find a person’s mugshot is to go to the local police station. Instead of solely searching online, going to the police station can make it possible to speak with an officer face-to-face to clear up any misconceptions or misunderstandings—and verify if someone is in central booking.
The second in-person option that individuals can use to find a person’s mugshot is to visit the county courthouse in their local jurisdiction. If the searcher lives in a small and unpopulated area, they may find that there is no database containing a list of people who have committed crimes or mugshots. Visiting the courthouse in this instance is the best way to find a mugshot and arrest records.
Individuals should input all of the information they can when using the website, such as the person’s name and date of birth to narrow down their search.
Another reliable option that individuals can use to find a person’s mugshot is to visit the BOP website. This site shows a listing of federal inmates by name, inmate locators, and the opportunity to find an inmate by searching a national database.
One of the main benefits of using this website is that it shows arrest records and convictions dating back to 1982, making it possible to find a person’s mugshot who has been out of the system for multiple decades.
(Image: Federal Bureau of Prisons4)
A personal background check will also often provide mugshots. There are many reputable companies that can provide background check services at a minimal fee, or even a free trial.
The following list provides links for every state, for finding mugshots through the Department of Corrections.
The process for searching for a mugshot can be done through state correctional facilities.
For example, someone may want to find an individual’s mugshot in the state of Pennsylvania. For those who want to learn how to find mugshots in PA, there are a few things to keep in mind before starting the search.
In this state, there is no central database that offers mugshots — instead, individuals must visit the local agency or jail where the person is booked. However, a person can find an individual’s arrest record by doing the following:
Step 1: Visit The Pennsylvania State Department Of Corrections Website
Step 2: Click ‘inmates’
Step 3: Click ‘Look Up An Inmate/Parolee’
Step 4: Click On ‘Search Our Database To Find An Inmate Or Parolee’
Step 5: Input The Search Criteria
Inmate Locator – First name, last name, inmate number, parole number, Gender, Race, Committing County, Current location, citizenship, date of birth
Individuals can use the local jail website to find a person’s mugshot and arrest records. For example, individuals searching for a persons’ mugshot in Philadelphia will have to use the local City of Philadelphia website.
Step 1: Visit The City Of Philadelphia Website.
Step 2: Click On The ‘Incarcerated Person Locator’
Step 3: Input Information
When compared to other records, like fingerprints and recent arrest records, mugshots are a bit more complicated.
Mugshots are used by those in law enforcement to correctly identify people who have been arrested in the past or those currently held in the system. Compared to other records that have different stipulations and are more susceptible to privacy laws, mugshots are considered public records.
For individuals who want to find a person’s mugshot without paying a fee to a background check agency or online service, there are numerous online and in-person options. If the mugshots are made available to the public and do not obtain any extenuating circumstances, like a person whose identity has been blocked, then someone will be able to obtain the mugshot for free.
The most common ways to find mugshots for free is using online websites that offer public databases, visiting the local sheriff’s office, visiting the county courthouse, using the state department of corrections, or using local police departments.
Some of the most effective ways to find old mugshots for inmates who are not currently in the prison system or held by a state or county jail is to use online resources that contain wide-reaching databases of arrests in the entire state.
Some of the most common ways to find old mugshots is to do one of the following:
For those who are having trouble finding mugshots through search engines, try searching the person’s first and last name along with the location of the supposed crime. This way, any news sources that covered the crime will appear on the search results.
Some individuals may want to find a person’s federal mugshot to see when and why they were arrested and booked into the court system. In this case, individuals can use the federal inmate locator on BOP.gov. Individuals can use the ‘Find an Inmate’ search to identify any felon offender from 1982 until current times.
Step 1: Visit The Federal Bureau Of Prisons Website
Step 2: Click On ‘inmates’ In The Top Menu Bar
Step 3: Click On ‘find By Number’ Of ‘find By Name’
Finding inmate mugshots, searching mugshots online, and looking up mugshots online can be confusing at first. However, individuals can browse the fastest and most cost-effective ways to find important information pertaining to a current or past criminal to browse arrest records, court convictions, and mugshots in just a few easy steps.
Knowing how to find mugshots and how to lookup old mugshots can be an invaluable identification tool.
For the majority of offenders, yes, mugshots are public record. However, some states limit who may access the mugshots without an FOIA request, and juvenile mugshots are often sealed.
1Findmugshots: Find Mugshots and Arrest Records Website. Retrieved from <https://findmugshots.com.websiteoutlook.com/>
2Prison Handbook. Retrieved from <https://prisonhandbook.com/>
3U.S. General Services Administration (2024). State department of corrections. USA.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2024, from <https://www.usa.gov/state-corrections>
4Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2024). Federal Bureau of Prisons. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved June 28, 2024, from <https://www.bop.gov/>
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