Michigan Booking Photo Rules: Request Access, Protect Privacy and Clean Up Old Images
A Michigan mugshot may be posted on a county inmate page, supplied through a Freedom of Information Act request, retained in a law-enforcement identification system or copied onto a private website. Those versions do not all follow the same access, correction or removal rules.
This guide explains when a booking photograph may be public, why an agency may withhold it, how to submit a focused FOIA request, what changes after dismissal or expungement, how to challenge an incorrect image, and how to remove stale copies from private publishers and search results. It also covers the immediate family steps when the photograph belongs to someone who was just arrested.
FOR RELEASE
Are mugshots public records in Michigan?
Routine law-enforcement photographs of criminal suspects can qualify as public records under Michigan FOIA, but that does not make every photograph automatically available online or require an agency to release it in every case.
A booking photo can be a public record
A photograph created or retained by a Michigan public body while performing an official function can fall within FOIA’s broad public-record definition.
Public does not mean posted online
A sheriff may publish current booking photos, provide them only after a records request or choose not to proactively display them.
An exemption may permit withholding
Privacy, active-investigation, fair-trial, confidential-source, safety and separate statutory protections can affect disclosure.
Government and website removal differ
Removing a photo from an official record or jail page does not automatically delete every copy previously downloaded by a private publisher.
Identify which photograph you are dealing with
| Photograph type | Where it may appear | Record custodian | Correct action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current jail mugshot | County inmate locator or Jail Viewer. | County sheriff or correctional facility. | Check current custody, then contact the jail for correction, access or publication-policy questions. | |
| Arresting-agency photograph | Police or sheriff identification and incident records. | Agency that created or retained the photograph. | Send a focused FOIA request to that agency’s coordinator. | |
| MSP criminal-history image | State biometric | State biometric or criminal-history systems. | Michigan State Police, subject to statutory access rules. | Use MSP record-review, correction, dismissal or set-aside procedures rather than a county website request. |
| Press-release photograph | Police, prosecutor or government news page. | Agency that published the news release. | Request correction or contextual update from the communications or records office; archival policies may differ from jail-roster rules. | |
| Private mugshot-site copy | Commercial database, news archive or search result. | Private publisher, not the sheriff. | Use the publisher’s removal or correction process, then refresh search-engine results after source removal. | |
| Wrong-person image | Government or private page matched to the wrong name. | Each site displaying the error. | Preserve evidence, provide identity documentation and request immediate correction from every source. |
How Michigan FOIA applies to booking photographs
Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act provides access to most existing public records held by state and local public bodies, subject to exemptions. The agency is not required to create a new photograph or compile a custom report that does not already exist.
The agency must possess the image
FOIA applies to an existing photograph prepared, owned, used, possessed or retained by the public body while performing an official function.
No special legal wording is required
A clear written request identifying the photograph and person is usually sufficient. Use the agency’s portal or form when available because it improves tracking.
Five business days
The public body generally must issue a response within five business days. It may take one permitted additional 10-business-day extension.
The photo may arrive later
The deadline requires a response granting, denying, partially granting or extending the request; it does not always require final production within five days.
Ask for the native digital image
Request a JPEG, PNG or other existing electronic version by email or portal download to avoid unnecessary paper, scanning and postage charges.
Search and copying charges may apply
Permitted costs can include labor, duplication, media and mailing. Standard paper copies cannot exceed 10 cents per sheet, and a deposit may be required for a larger estimate.
Why a Michigan agency may withhold a mugshot
An agency should identify the legal basis for withholding all or part of a record. These are common issues—not automatic outcomes in every case.
Clearly unwarranted privacy invasion
A public body may consider whether release of personal information, including a photograph in particular circumstances, would be a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy.
Active investigation
Disclosure may be limited when it would interfere with law-enforcement proceedings or reveal protected investigative information.
Fair-trial concern
Records may be withheld when release would deprive a person of the right to a fair trial or impartial adjudication.
Victim or witness safety
An agency may protect information that would expose confidential sources, victims, witnesses or another person to danger or intimidation.
Juvenile protections
Juvenile case and identification records follow separate statutes. Some juvenile matters can be public under defined exceptions, but a requester should not assume that a minor’s booking photograph is available.
Another statute controls
FOIA permits withholding when a different Michigan or federal law makes the requested record confidential or nonpublic.
Local Michigan mugshot and inmate-page practices
County publication policies differ. A photograph available in Kent County does not establish that Wayne, Oakland, Macomb or another county must use the same online display.
| County | Official starting point | What the page may provide | Correction or contact route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | Kent County Inmate Lookup | Kent states that Jail Viewer may include descriptive information, mugshot images and arresting-agency charges. | 616-632-6300. Report inaccurate posted information directly to the correctional facility. |
| Wayne County | Wayne County Inmate Search | Current inmate and booking information; photo availability can depend on the record and system configuration. | 313-224-0797. Use the sheriff’s records or FOIA process for an unavailable official photograph. |
| Oakland County | Oakland County Inmate Information | Current inmate information and access to jail services. Online availability is not a substitute for a certified record. | 248-858-1800 or prisonerinfo@oakgov.com. |
| Macomb County | Macomb Locate an Inmate | Current booking and custody information through the county’s linked inmate-search system. | 586-469-5151. Ask whether the jail or arresting agency is the correct photo custodian. |
How to request a Michigan mugshot through FOIA
A narrow request is faster, less expensive and less likely to be misunderstood than asking for “all records” connected to an arrest.
Identify the exact agency
Use the booking page, police report, citation or court complaint to determine which police department or sheriff took or retains the photograph.
Check whether the photo is already online
Search the official inmate locator before filing. Save the page and booking number if the photograph is displayed.
Collect identifying information
Prepare the full legal name, date of birth, arrest date, booking number, incident number, arrest location and arresting agency.
Request the specific existing image
Ask for the front-facing booking photograph or other precisely identified image taken during the named arrest.
Request electronic delivery
Ask for the existing digital file by email or portal download. State that no paper copy is needed.
Set a cost ceiling
Request an itemized estimate before costs exceed a stated amount, such as $25, and ask the agency to contact you before performing chargeable work.
Submit through the official channel
Use the agency’s FOIA portal, email, mail or designated coordinator. Save the submitted request and confirmation.
Calendar the response period
Record five business days from receipt and note whether the agency invokes its single additional 10-business-day extension.
Review any redaction or denial
Check whether the response identifies the statutory exemption and explains appeal rights.
Verify the photograph before using it
Compare the name, booking number, arrest date and agency. Do not publish or rely on a same-name photograph without identity confirmation.
“Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, I request an electronic copy of the front-facing booking photograph taken of [full legal name, date of birth] in connection with the arrest on [date] by [agency], booking or incident number [number if known]. Please provide the existing digital image by email or portal download. Please send an itemized estimate before costs exceed $25. If any portion is withheld, please release all reasonably separable nonexempt material and identify each statutory exemption relied upon.”
Use the Michigan State Police portal only for MSP-held records
- Use the portal when Michigan State Police created or holds the requested photograph.
- Do not submit a Detroit Police, county sheriff or local township arrest request to MSP merely because the arrest occurred in Michigan.
- Describe the specific image and incident rather than requesting an entire criminal history.
- Upload a court disposition or identification document when correction or identity is relevant.
- Track the request through the portal and retain all correspondence.
MSP Records Resource Section: 517-241-1934
Email: MSPRecords@Michigan.gov
Mail: P.O. Box 30634, Lansing, MI 48909
What to do when a mugshot request is denied
Review the written denial
- Confirm that the agency identified a statutory exemption;
- Check whether the denial applies to the entire image or only related information;
- Ask whether a redacted or lower-resolution version can be released;
- Confirm that the agency searched the correct incident and booking number;
- Read the stated appeal and court-review instructions.
Michigan FOIA challenge routes
A requester generally may submit a written appeal to the head of the public body or pursue a civil action in the court authorized by Michigan FOIA. A fee dispute has its own appeal and litigation provisions.
“I appeal the denial dated [date] concerning the booking photograph of [name], incident or booking number [number]. Please reverse the denial because [brief reason]. Alternatively, please release all reasonably separable nonexempt portions and explain why redaction would not address the cited concern.”
Start here to remove or correct a Michigan mugshot
Removal depends on who controls the page and what happened in the criminal case. Complete the steps in this order.
Save evidence before contacting anyone
Capture the full page, image URL, page URL, search result, publication date, displayed name and any demand for payment.
Obtain the final court disposition
Use MiCOURT or the court clerk to confirm dismissal, acquittal, conviction, set-aside order or pending status.
Identify the page owner
Separate the official jail or agency page from private news, data-broker, social-media and commercial mugshot sites.
Correct the government source first
Send the official agency a focused correction or removal request with the certified disposition and exact URL.
Request removal from each private publisher
Use the publisher’s current removal, correction or editorial-contact process. Include the source URL and final case result.
Address exploitative payment demands
Do not immediately pay a site that demands money to remove personal content. Preserve the demand and use available search-engine and consumer-complaint routes.
Refresh Google and Bing after source removal
Once the webpage or image is deleted or changed, request an outdated-content refresh so stale thumbnails and snippets disappear faster.
Recheck name and image searches
Search the full name in quotation marks and perform an image search after processing. Repeat for each remaining URL.
What changes when the charge is dismissed or the person is acquitted?
A dismissal or acquittal is stronger removal evidence than a pending case, but it does not automatically erase every historical photograph from every government and private system.
Obtain the certified disposition
Ask the court clerk for the signed dismissal, acquittal order or certified register of actions showing how every count ended.
Qualifying arrest records are removed
Michigan law directs removal of qualifying dismissed arrest records from the public Internet Criminal History Access Tool. Biometric destruction can involve additional statutory conditions and exceptions.
Request separate website updates
Send the final disposition to the jail, arresting agency and each private publisher that still displays the photograph or an inaccurate pending-charge description.
Does Michigan expungement automatically remove a mugshot?
A Michigan set aside removes an eligible conviction from ordinary public criminal-record view, but it should not be described as a universal command that automatically deletes every booking photograph copied by every private website.
| After set aside | Expected effect | Additional action that may be needed |
|---|---|---|
| ICHAT public conviction | The set-aside conviction should no longer appear in ordinary public criminal-history access after processing. | Contact MSP when a granted or automatically eligible record remains public. |
| Public court access | The court restricts public access according to Michigan set-aside law and court procedure. | Verify the entered order and public case display with the clerk. |
| Current inmate page | The page may already have disappeared after release because many rosters show current custody. | Report any stale or inaccurate government page to the sheriff. |
| Private mugshot website | The private publisher may still possess an old copy. | Submit the set-aside order through the site’s removal or correction process. |
| Search-engine thumbnail | A cached image or snippet may remain temporarily after source deletion. | Use Google and Bing outdated-content tools after confirming the source changed. |
Remove a mugshot from a private website
Send a complete removal packet
- Exact webpage and image URLs
- Screenshot showing the mugshot
- Full name used on the page
- Booking or case number
- Certified dismissal or set-aside order
- Corrected official record when applicable
- Brief reason for removal or correction
- Requested completion date
- Request for written confirmation
- Redacted ID only when genuinely needed
Do not send unnecessary sensitive data
Do not provide a full Social Security number, unredacted driver-license number, complete financial information or unrelated medical information to a private publisher.
Ask the company to explain why identification is required and whether a court order or matching email address is sufficient.
“The webpage at [URL] displays my booking photograph and describes the case as [displayed description]. The case was [dismissed/acquitted/set aside/corrected] on [date], as shown by the attached certified record. Please remove the photograph and associated page, or at minimum correct the case status and prevent the page and image from being indexed. Please confirm the action in writing.”
Remove stale mugshot results from Google and Bing
Search engines generally do not control the source webpage. Remove or update the source first whenever possible.
Refresh Google’s outdated result
Use this when the page or image has been deleted or materially changed but Google still shows the old result.
Google exploitative-site request
Google may consider removal from search when the person is the subject, the page is not a business-review page and payment is demanded for removal.
Use Bing’s content-removal route
Use the Bing removal tool after the source site removes or changes the photograph.
Report deceptive mugshot-removal practices
Preserve evidence
- Screenshot the mugshot page and payment demand;
- Save invoices, receipts and emails;
- Record what removal service was promised;
- Save proof that the company failed to perform;
- Do not repeatedly submit payment to related websites without verifying ownership.
Michigan Attorney General complaint
Consumer Protection questions:
517-335-7599
Michigan toll-free: 877-765-8388
What to do when the mugshot shows the wrong person
Capture every incorrect display
Save the page, image, search result, name, date and URL before requesting correction.
Compare official identifiers
Check the date of birth, booking number, arrest date, county, physical description and court case.
Contact the originating agency
Ask the sheriff or police department to correct the underlying record when the error began in a government system.
Send the correction to private sites
Provide the corrected government record and explain the false identity match.
Use MSP identity support when appropriate
For identity theft or criminal-history misidentification, use MSP record review and Michigan Identity Theft Support resources.
What a family should do after finding a recent mugshot
A newly posted photograph often means the family needs custody information—not a removal request—during the first several hours.
Confirm the identity
Match the booking number, date of birth, arrest date, county and physical description before acting.
Save the custody details
Record the current facility, inmate number, listed charges, court and bond.
Locate the arraigning court
Search MiCOURT or call the jail to identify the district court, case number and first hearing.
Verify the complete bond
Ask for the amount, bond type, accepted payment, release conditions and other holds.
Ask about appointed counsel
If the person cannot afford a lawyer, ask the court or jail how the local indigent-defense request is completed.
Report urgent medical risks
Contact jail medical staff for dangerous withdrawal, serious illness, self-harm risk or time-sensitive medication.
Check visitation and calls
Confirm visitor registration, identification, schedule, phone vendor and whether visits are on-site or video.
Track the court after release
The mugshot or jail page may disappear after release, but court dates and bond conditions remain active.
“I am calling about [full legal name and booking number]. Please confirm the current facility, court, case number, arraignment status, complete bond amount, exact bond type, accepted payment method, release conditions and whether another hold prevents release.”
Responsible use and publication limits
Do not label the person guilty
Describe the image as a booking photograph connected to an arrest or charge unless a verified conviction and final disposition support stronger wording.
Verify the current case outcome
A photograph can remain online after dismissal, acquittal, reduction, release or expungement.
Protect victims and minors
Do not publish addresses, confidential victim information, protected juvenile material or details that create a safety risk.
Avoid harassment
Public-record status does not authorize threats, stalking, employment scams, extortion or coordinated harassment.
Correct errors prominently
When the original post was public, a quiet database correction may be inadequate. Update the visible case description and remove the wrong image.
Keep source and date context
State which agency supplied the image and when the information was checked so readers do not mistake an old arrest for current custody.
Michigan mugshot, jail and records contacts
Michigan State Police Headquarters
7150 Harris Drive
Dimondale, MI 48821
Main phone: 517-332-2521
Criminal-history help: 517-241-0606
Wayne County Criminal Justice Center
5301 Russell Street
Detroit, MI 48211
Inmate information: 313-224-0797
Sheriff administration: 313-833-0864
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office
1200 N. Telegraph Road, Building 38E
Pontiac, MI 48341
Inmate information: 248-858-1800
Email: prisonerinfo@oakgov.com
Kent County Correctional Facility
703 Ball Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Inmate information: 616-632-6300
Facility: 616-632-6400
Michigan State Police Headquarters map
This map identifies the statewide agency headquarters. A city-police or county-jail booking photograph should be requested from the local agency that holds it—not automatically from this location.
Common Michigan mugshot mistakes
Assuming every mugshot must be online
FOIA access and proactive website publication are separate decisions.
Requesting from the wrong agency
The arresting police department, booking sheriff and prosecutor may hold different images.
Calling an arrest a conviction
Verify the court disposition before describing the person’s legal status.
Using an overbroad FOIA request
Ask for one identified digital booking photograph to reduce delay and cost.
Expecting production within five days
The five-day rule concerns the agency’s response, not always final record delivery.
Assuming expungement deletes the internet
Government public access, private publishers and search caches require separate verification.
Paying an exploitative site immediately
Preserve the demand and review publisher, Google and consumer-complaint options first.
Submitting a false copyright notice
The person shown in the photograph does not automatically own the copyright.
Sending unredacted identity documents
Provide only the minimum information genuinely needed to verify the correction request.
10 essential answers about Michigan mugshot laws
These ten title-specific answers cover public access, FOIA, privacy, dismissal, expungement and removal.
1. Are Michigan mugshots public records?
2. Does a Michigan sheriff have to post every mugshot online?
3. How do I request a Michigan booking photograph?
4. How quickly must a Michigan agency answer a mugshot FOIA request?
5. Can a police department refuse to release a mugshot?
6. Are juvenile mugshots public in Michigan?
7. Does dismissal remove a Michigan mugshot?
8. Does expungement automatically delete every online mugshot?
9. What can I do when a mugshot website charges for removal?
10. What should a family do after finding a newly posted mugshot?
Official Michigan mugshot, FOIA and record-removal resources
Public access and official records
- Michigan Attorney General FOIA Resources — review access, response, fee and appeal guidance.
- Michigan State Police FOIA Portal — request photographs and records held specifically by MSP.
- MSP Criminal History Records — understand ICHAT and statewide criminal-history limits.
- MiCOURT Case Search — verify the filed charge and final disposition.
- Michigan Trial Court Directory — obtain certified dismissal, acquittal or set-aside records.
Correction, expungement and web cleanup
- MSP Record Review and Correction — address inaccurate, dismissed or identity-related criminal-history entries.
- Michigan Expungement Assistance — review automatic and application-based set-aside rules.
- Google Exploitative-Site Removal — report qualifying sites that demand payment to remove personal content.
- Google Refresh Outdated Content — update deleted or changed page and image results.
- Michigan Attorney General Complaints — submit evidence of deceptive business practices.