A Kentucky mugshot can outlive the case that created it. The booking photo sits on a county jail roster, then spreads to sites that copy that roster, and the person in the picture may keep meeting it for years. Removal is a records request, not a delete button. It starts with the agency that took the photo, then moves to each publisher that copied it. The order of the requests matters, and the paperwork decides how far each one goes.
This page sets out the removal route for Kentucky booking photos: the jail request, the court order, the third-party takedown and the follow-up. It covers expunged cases, dismissed charges, juvenile files and photos tied to the wrong person. Each step names the office that holds the record and the document that office needs. Where state law sets a rule, the statute is named.
How to Request Mugshot Removal
The route starts with the jail that booked the person; the kentucky arrest records hub shows how one booking feeds the county roster, the state lookup and the court file.
Open the Kentucky State Police site
- Write down the jail, the booking date, the booking number and the name used at intake.
- Confirm the case outcome and collect the court order, dismissal or expungement paper.
- Send a written removal request to the jail records office that publishes the roster.
- Attach a copy of photo ID and the court document; name the exact roster entry.
- Send a separate request to every site that copied the photo, with the same documents.
- Check the roster and the search results after the reply window, then follow up in writing.
Which Booking Photos Can Come Down
A photo tied to an expunged case has the strongest route. KRS 431.076 covers dismissed or acquitted charges, and KRS 431.073 covers eligible convictions. Once the order is signed, the jail and the courts must treat the record as removed, and the order is the document that triggers the takedown.
A photo tied to a pending case or a conviction that is not expunged stays public. Removal then depends on the publisher’s policy, not on a statewide rule. A charge that was dropped may qualify for expungement, but the photo does not come down until the order is signed and sent.
Juvenile files sit under KRS Chapter 610 and are confidential. A photo that shows a juvenile should be raised with the jail and the court that handled the case.
| Where the photo sits | Who controls it | Removal route |
|---|---|---|
| County jail roster | The jail that booked the person | Written request to the jail records office |
| Third-party copy | The site that republished it | Separate written request with the court order |
| State record | KSP or the Department of Corrections | Expungement order or a records request |
County Jails and Third-Party Copies
The county roster is the source. Each jail sets its own publishing rule, and the records office can pull one entry without touching the rest of the list. The kentucky mugshots page shows where each county posts photos and how the entries are built.
Third-party sites copy the roster on their own schedule. They answer to their own policy, not to the jail. A request to the jail does not remove a copy on another domain; each publisher needs its own letter.
What to Send With a Removal Request
A removal letter works when it is specific. The office needs to find the entry, match it to the order and log the change. A short letter with the right attachments moves faster than a long complaint.
- Full name and any name used at booking
- Booking number, booking date and jail
- Case number and court
- A copy of the court order or dismissal
- A copy of photo ID
- The exact URL or roster entry
Kentucky Law: Expungement and Juvenile Files
Expungement is the legal switch. KRS 431.076 covers dismissed or acquitted cases; KRS 431.073 covers eligible convictions. The order must be signed by the court, and the jail and the state repositories then treat the record as removed. The kentucky criminal records page follows the court file and the state check.
Juvenile records are confidential under KRS Chapter 610. A juvenile photo should be raised with the court that handled the case and the jail that holds the file.
An arrest alone is not a conviction. A photo can be public during a pending case, and removal may wait for the outcome.
How Long Removal Takes and How to Follow Up
No single deadline covers every publisher. A jail may answer on its own schedule, and a third-party site may take weeks or ignore the first letter. Kentucky’s Open Records Act, KRS 61.870-61.884, sets five business days for a response to a records request, not a removal deadline.
Keep a copy of every letter and every reply. If a site refuses, send a second letter with the court order and a short deadline, then raise the refusal with the agency that holds the record. The paper trail is the leverage.
Contact Information
Official government contact details for this page are listed below.
Kentucky State Police Records Branch
1266 Louisville Rd, Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 782-1873
KYeCourts: Kentucky Court Records
kcoj.kycourts.net/kyecourts/login/guestlogin
Kentucky DOC: KOOL Offender Search
kool.corrections.ky.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
QCan a mugshot be removed after expungement?▶
Yes. Send the signed expungement order to the jail records office and to every site that copied the photo. Each publisher removes its own copy, so the order must reach each one.
QDo Kentucky jails charge for mugshot removal?▶
There is no standard removal fee. Some offices charge for copies under the Open Records Act, which sets ten cents per page. Ask the records office what it charges before you send payment.
QHow long does removal take?▶
No fixed deadline covers every publisher. A jail may answer on its own schedule, and a third-party site may take weeks. The Open Records Act sets five business days for a records response, not a removal deadline.
QCan a third-party site be forced to remove a photo?▶
A court order or expungement strengthens the request, but there is no single statewide takedown form. Send a written request with the order and follow up if the site refuses.
QDoes a dropped charge remove the booking photo?▶
Not automatically. A dismissal can qualify for expungement under KRS 431.076. The photo comes down when the signed order reaches the jail and each publisher.
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