Last updated 19 Oct 2026 · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team

Public records

How to remove your information from public records sites

The short answer

You usually cannot delete the government’s own record: courts and agencies keep many records public by law, and only they can seal, clear or correct them. What you can remove is the copies: opt out of each people-search site, use Google’s policy for mugshot sites that charge, and ask Google to drop results once a copy is gone.

Checked on 18 Oct 2026 against court, government, FTC and Google pages, and each site’s own opt-out page

Written by the Essentras editorial team. Not legal advice.

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Each button opens the free Essentras route finder at your case, with the official link, the evidence to prepare and the letter to send. Where the answer depends on your country, it asks once.

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Check a pay-to-remove site against Google’s policyGoogle’s 3 requirements as 3 questions, answered in your browser.Content removal checkerPick the type of content for a quick read of the likely route.

Decision table

Which route fits each record

Find where the record shows, then follow the route. The last column quotes only what the source states about timing; where it states nothing, we say so.

Where the record shows	Route	Who decides	Timing the source states
A court case on a court website or PACEROpen in route finder	Ask the court, its self-help pages or a lawyer whether sealing or record clearing applies; the names and rules differ by state	The court	Not statedNot statedSource:California Courts self-help: Clean your record U.S. Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois: name removal FAQ
A federal court filing shows your Social Security number, a minor child’s name, an account number or your birth date	Ask the clerk or a lawyer about redaction: federal rules require filers to redact these identifiers	The court	Not statedNot statedSource:U.S. Courts: Privacy policy for electronic case files
A mugshot or arrest page on a site that asks for payment to remove itOpen in route finder	Google’s policy for sites with exploitative removal practices; check it with the 3 questions on this page	Google	Not statedNot statedSource:Google: Sites that charge for removal
A mugshot or arrest page on a site that does not chargeOpen in route finder	Ask the site, with your dismissal, acquittal or sealing order; if it stays, push it down with better pages	The site	Not statedNot statedSource:Google: Contact a website owner
A people-search or background check profileOpen in route finder	The site’s own opt-out, for each listing; DROP if you live in California	The site	Stated by the sourceSpokeo 24 to 48 hours; ThatsThem typically 72 hours; DROP brokers report within 90 days.Source:Spokeo opt-out ThatsThem opt-out CalPrivacy: How DROP works
Property, voter or vehicle records on a government site	These usually stay public. People at risk can ask about an address confidentiality program, such as California’s Safe at Home	The agency or the program	Not statedNot statedSource:California Secretary of State: Safe at Home CalPrivacy: If data brokers keep your data
A Google result shows your phone, address or email from a records pageOpen in route finder	Results about you or Google’s removal request form; Results about you offers no removal for government or educational sites	Google	Stated by the sourceNotifications within a few hours of a match.Source:Google: Results about you
A copy was removed or changed but still shows in GoogleOpen in route finder	Refresh Outdated Content	Google	Stated by the sourcePending can take a few days; an approval expires after 180 days.Source:Google: Refresh Outdated Content tool help
You live where European data protection law applies	A right to be forgotten request to delist the page from searches for your name	Google, weighing the public interest	Not statedNot statedSource:Google: Right to be forgotten overview
A news story about the caseOpen in route finder	Ask the publisher to update or anonymize it; Google may keep newsworthy content	The publisher	Not statedNot statedSource:Google: Remove my private info from Search

The process

The 5 steps, in order

1
List every copy
Search your name with your city in a private window and list each page that shows the record: the court or agency page, and every people-search, background check or mugshot site.
2
Ask about the source
Use your court’s self-help pages, the clerk or a lawyer to learn whether sealing, record clearing or redaction applies to your case.
3
Opt out of each copy
Use each site’s own opt-out page, for every listing, and send any court order you have. In California, add a DROP request.
4
Use Google’s policies
File under Google’s policy for sites that charge for removal, and use Results about you for pages that show your phone, address or email.
5
Refresh Google and check again
Once a copy is gone, use Refresh Outdated Content, then search again every few months: listings can come back.

The basics

What a public record is, and why the source record usually stays

A public record is a record a court or government agency keeps and lets the public see. People-search and background check sites are not public records: they are commercial reports built partly from them.

Federal agencies must release records under the Freedom of Information Act, in force since 1967, unless 1 of 9 exemptions applies, such as personal privacy.
Federal court case files can be found on PACER or at the clerk’s office of the courthouse where the case was filed.
A federal bankruptcy court’s own FAQ answers the request to remove a name plainly: it cannot, because all records and hearings are public. It points people to Google’s removal options instead.
People-search sites, the FTC says, build reports from data brokers, public social media profiles and government public records, then sell them. Opting out of a site does not delete the public record, which stays on government websites.

So the work splits in 3

The source, which only a court or agency can change. The copies, each removed through its own site’s opt-out. And Google, through its policies and its refresh tool.

Source pagesFOIA.gov: Frequently asked questions U.S. Courts: Court records U.S. Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois: name removal FAQ FTC: What to know about people search sites

The source record

Sealing, expungement and record clearing: only a court can change the source

The names and rules differ by state and by court, so treat this section as general. Your court’s self-help pages and a local lawyer are the official starting points.

The same word can mean different things. California’s courts, for example, say that true expungement does not exist in California, but that there may be other options to clean your record depending on your situation.
California’s self-help guide starts with questions about your case because the right request depends on it, and it suggests legal help if you get stuck. Look for the same kind of guide on your state court’s website.
Federal courts follow their own rules: filers must redact Social Security numbers, names of minor children, financial account numbers, dates of birth and, in criminal cases, home addresses. If a federal filing shows any of these, ask the clerk or a lawyer about a redaction.
If a court grants an order, keep copies. Sites that copied the record do not necessarily update when the court’s record changes, so send the order to each site (template 2).

Official court pages

Not legal advice

Essentras is not a law firm. For sealing, expungement or any court filing, use your court’s self-help resources or a lawyer where your case was heard.

Source pagesCalifornia Courts self-help: Clean your record U.S. Courts: Privacy policy for electronic case files U.S. Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois: name removal FAQ

The copies

Opt out of the sites that republish records

Background check and people-search sites hold the copies most people find. Each runs its own opt-out, and the FTC suggests checking back, because data can reappear when public records change.

Opt-out pages we read on 18 Oct 2026

People-search and caller ID opt-out pages, as each site describes its own process
Site	What it asks for	Time it states	What it says the opt-out does not do
SpokeoSpokeo opt-out	The URL of each profile, plus your email to confirm the request	24 to 48 hours	Does not remove data from the original source; each listing needs its own opt-out; data may reappear
ThatsThemThatsThem opt-out	Full name, street address, city, state, ZIP, email and phone	Typically 72 hours, with a confirmation email	Does not affect data held by other services or public records
Sync.me (caller ID app)Sync.me removal	Name, email and phone number	Within 24 hours	Not stated
AnyWhoAnyWho opt-out	Its opt-out link redirected to Spokeo’s opt-out page	As Spokeo	As Spokeo
Radarisradaris.com notice	radaris.com showed a notice that the domain was transferred by court order, with no opt-out form	Not applicable	Guides that still link its opt-out page are out of date

Whitepages, BeenVerified, TruePeopleSearch, FastPeopleSearch, Intelius, USPhoneBook, PeopleFinders and Truecaller refused our automated check, so we do not repeat their steps from memory. On each, use the opt-out, privacy or Do Not Sell link in the footer or privacy policy, or search the site’s name with “opt out”, as the FTC suggests.

What opting out does not do, according to the FTC

Your details can still appear in reports about your relatives, neighbors or associates.
It does not delete public records, which stay on government websites.
Your data can reappear if public records change.
The site may ask for details to verify your identity.

DROP and public records

California’s DROP reaches over 600 registered data brokers with 1 request, but CalPrivacy lists public records, such as vehicle or real estate ownership and voting records, among the data brokers may keep as exempt. Data covered by other laws, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, also falls outside DROP.

Official DROP pages

Source pagesFTC: What to know about people search sites Spokeo opt-out ThatsThem opt-out radaris.com notice CalPrivacy: If data brokers keep your data

Mugshot sites

Mugshot sites that charge for removal: use Google’s policy first

Google has a policy for sites that demand payment to remove content about you. When a site meets its 3 requirements, Google may remove links to the images and information from its results.

Google’s 3 requirements, all of which must be met

You are a subject of the content at the URL.
The site is not a business review site.
The site requires payment, to itself or to other agencies, to remove the content.

Free check

Does Google’s pay-to-remove policy cover this site?

Answer Google’s 3 requirements for the page you found. It runs in your browser: nothing is sent or stored.

Answer the 3 questions to see whether the policy fits.

Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent or saved.

What to send and what to expect

The exact URLs, plus details that show how the site is exploitative, such as a screenshot of the removal price.
Google removes only content about people, and reviews only the URLs you submit.
Google removes the result from Search only: the page can stay on the site, so ask the site as well.

If the site does not charge, write to it with proof of the outcome (template 3), and open the route finder’s mugshot preset for the full plan. Your state may also have rules on booking photos; a local lawyer can tell you.

Free plan for a mugshot page

Open the route finder at the mugshot case

Source pagesGoogle: Sites that charge for removal Google: Request removal of personal content Google: Removal request form

Google Search

Google’s rules for records pages: what it removes and what it keeps

Google removes results under its policies, not because a record is unflattering. Records pages meet its rules in a few cases, and it keeps others because they are valuable to the public.

Google routes for a records page
Case	Google route	What Google says
The page shows your phone, home address or email	Results about you, or the removal request form	No Remove result option for government or educational websites, online newspapers or business websites
It shows an ID, bank or card number, a signature image or a private record such as a medical record	The removal request form	Only the URLs you submit are reviewed; newsworthy content may stay
The site charges to remove it	The policy for sites with exploitative removal practices	All 3 requirements must be met
The copy is gone or changed	Refresh Outdated Content	Will not act on a live page that has not changed
You live where European data protection law applies	A right to be forgotten request	Weighs your public role, the source (government pages get heavy weight), the age of the information, criminal convictions and local rules on spent or expunged ones

An approved request sometimes hides the page only for searches with your name, when the page also holds content of value to the public or other people’s details. Google calls this a query-based removal.

Source pagesGoogle: Results about you Google: Remove my private info from Search Google: Sites that charge for removal Google: Refresh Outdated Content tool help Google: Right to be forgotten overview

People at risk

People at risk can keep a home address out of new government records

Address confidentiality programs give eligible people a substitute address that government agencies accept, keeping the home address out of the records they create.

California’s Safe at Home, run by the Secretary of State, serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, child abduction and elder or dependent adult abuse, plus some reproductive and gender-affirming health care workers and patients, and public employees in fear for their safety.
State, county and city agencies in California accept the substitute address, and participants can register as confidential voters.
Other states may run similar programs: search your state’s official website for address confidentiality.

If you are in danger

Call your local emergency number first. Removal can wait until you are safe.

Source pagesCalifornia Secretary of State: Safe at Home

Templates

Copy-ready requests for records

Replace everything in [square brackets], delete any line that is not true for you, and keep a copy of what you send.

Before you send anything

1 request per page or listing.
Attach the court document that proves what you say.
Share only the details a site needs to find your record.
Never pay a site before checking Google’s pay-to-remove policy.
Follow up once after 1 to 2 weeks if there is no reply.

General templates, not legal advice. Essentras is not a law firm.

Template 1: To the court clerk

When to use it: To ask which process and forms apply to your record. Clerks explain procedures; they do not give legal advice.

Question to the clerk

Subject: Question about sealing or clearing my record, case [case number]

Hello,

I was a party in case [case number], [case name], which ended on [date] with this outcome: [dismissed / acquitted / completed / other].

Could you tell me which forms or self-help pages explain how to ask the court to [seal / clear / correct] this record, and whether any personal identifiers in the public file can be redacted?

I am asking only about the process and the forms, not for legal advice.

Thank you,
[Full name]
[Reply email and phone]

Template 2: To a records or people-search site, with a court order

When to use it: When a court sealed, dismissed or cleared the record that a site still shows.

Removal request

Subject: Please remove an outdated court record about me

To the privacy or removal team at [site name],

Your page [exact URL] shows a record about me from case [case number] in [court].

On [date], the court [sealed / dismissed / cleared] that record. A copy of the order is attached.

Please remove the record [and my profile] from your site and any affiliated sites, and confirm when it is done. If you need to verify my identity, tell me what you need and I will send only that.

[Full name]
[Reply email]

Template 3: To a mugshot or arrest site that does not charge

When to use it: Attach proof of the outcome. Never pay a site that asks for money; check Google’s policy first.

Removal request

Subject: Removal request: [page title or booking date]

Hello,

The page [exact URL] shows my booking photo and arrest details from [date].

[Choose what is true: The charges were dismissed on [date] / I was acquitted on [date] / The record was sealed on [date].] Proof is attached.

Please remove the page, or at least the photo and my name, and confirm when it is done.

[Full name]
[Reply email]

Template 4: Text for Google’s pay-to-remove policy

When to use it: Paste it into Google’s removal request form when all 3 requirements are met.

Request text

The page below is about me: [URL]. The site is not a business review site. It requires payment to remove the content: [quote the price or the removal offer and say where it appears; a screenshot is attached]. Please remove this result under your policy for sites with exploitative removal practices.

Template 5: To a background check site without an opt-out form

When to use it: Send it to the privacy contact in the site’s privacy policy.

Opt-out request

Subject: Request to remove my listing and stop selling my information

To the privacy team at [company],

Please remove my listing at [profile URL or URLs] and stop selling or sharing my personal information.

To find my records: [full name and past names], [current and past cities].

[If a privacy law where you live gives you a right to deletion, name it here. Leave this line out if you are not sure.]

Please confirm when it is done.

[Full name]
[Reply email]

Template 6: Follow-up

When to use it: After 1 to 2 weeks without a reply.

Follow-up

Subject: Following up: [original subject]

Hello,

I am following up on my request of [date] about [URL]. Please tell me whether the record has been removed, or why not.

Thank you,
[Full name]

Avoid a denial

Mistakes that keep a record online

Each line is a rule the source states on its own page.

Mistakes that keep a record online
Mistake	What happens	Do this instead
Paying a mugshot site before checking Google’s policy	You may pay for a removal Google’s free policy could cover in Search	Check the 3 requirements and file with Google firstSource pages: Google: Sites that charge for removal
Asking Google to remove a court or agency page through Results about you	There is no Remove result option for government websites	Work on the source through the court, or use the right to be forgotten where it appliesSource pages: Google: Results about you
Expecting a court order to update every website	Copies can stay, and data can reappear when sites refresh from public records	Send the order to each site (template 2), then refresh GoogleSource pages: FTC: What to know about people search sites
Counting on DROP to delete public-record data	Brokers may keep exempt data, such as vehicle, real estate or voting records	Opt out site by site and use Google’s toolsSource pages: CalPrivacy: If data brokers keep your data
Opting out of 1 listing when the site has several	The other listings stay up	Opt out of each listing URLSource pages: Spokeo opt-out
Refreshing Google before the copy changed	Denied as Content still on page	Wait until the site removes it, then fileSource pages: Google: Why refresh requests are denied
Following an old opt-out link	The page may be gone: radaris.com now shows a court notice instead	Start from the site’s current footer or privacy pageSource pages: radaris.com notice

Optional help

Prefer to hand it over? What Essentras does and what it costs

Everything above works without us, and court filings belong with the court or a lawyer. Where we help is the copies and the search results: mapping them, filing the requests and following up.

Remove your name from Google

$1,650 flat

We map what ranks for your name, sort each result by route, and pursue removal or de-indexing through Google’s official channels and the sites, with updates. Refund terms are shown at checkout; Google and site owners decide.

See the service

Often added

Not ready yet?

Essentras sells these services and is not a law firm. Nobody, including us, can promise that Google, a court or a site will agree.

FAQ

Removing public records: FAQ

Can I remove my information from public records?▾

Usually not from the government’s own record. Courts and agencies keep many records public by law: a federal bankruptcy court’s FAQ says it cannot remove names because all records and hearings are public. A court can seal or clear some records, and some identifiers in court filings can be redacted. What you can remove is the copies on people-search sites and some Google results.

How do I get a court record off the internet?▾

Start with the court: ask whether sealing or record clearing applies, through its self-help pages or a lawyer, because the rules differ by state. Then send any order to each site that copied the record, opt out of people-search sites, and ask Google to refresh results once copies change. A court record that stays public can only be pushed down.

Will sealing or expungement remove my record from people-search sites?▾

Not by itself. A court order changes the court’s record, but sites that already copied it may keep showing it. Send the order to each site with a removal request, opt out of every listing, and then use Google’s Refresh Outdated Content tool for results that still show the old page.

Should I pay a mugshot website to remove my photo?▾

Check Google’s policy first. Google may remove results from sites that demand payment for removal when you are a subject of the content, the site is not a business review site, and it requires payment to remove it. Google removes the result from Search only, so also ask the site, with proof of the outcome, to take the page down.

Does California’s DROP delete public records?▾

No. DROP sends 1 deletion request to over 600 registered data brokers, but CalPrivacy says brokers may keep data that is exempt under the law, such as public records like vehicle or real estate ownership or voting records. The government record itself is not touched. Use each site’s opt-out and Google’s tools for what stays.

Can Google remove a court record from search results?▾

Rarely. Results about you offers no Remove result option for government or educational websites, and Google keeps information valuable to the public. Google can act when the page shows ID or financial numbers, doxxes you or sits on a pay-to-remove site, and in countries applying European data protection law you can ask for delisting from searches for your name.

How long does it take to remove a public record from the internet?▾

Each step has its own clock. Courts set their own timing for sealing. Spokeo states 24 to 48 hours for an opt-out and ThatsThem typically 72 hours. DROP brokers have up to 90 days to report. Google states no timeline for its removal form; refresh requests can sit in Pending for a few days.

Can I hide my home address in property or voter records?▾

Usually only through a program for people at risk. California’s Safe at Home, for example, gives eligible survivors of domestic violence, stalking and other crimes, and some others, a substitute address that state, county and city agencies accept, and lets them register as confidential voters. Check whether your state runs a similar program.

Do I need a lawyer to remove a public record?▾

For sealing or clearing a court record it often helps: California’s courts call the law complicated and suggest legal help if you get stuck. You do not need a lawyer to opt out of people-search sites, use Google’s tools or send the letters on this page. Essentras is not a law firm.

Sources, checked on 18 Oct 2026

Every rule on this page comes from these pages, read on 18 Oct 2026, and each site’s own opt-out page. No state statute, fee or court timeline is stated, because we could not read them on official pages.

FOIA.gov: Frequently asked questions. No date shown.
U.S. Courts: Court records. No date shown.
U.S. Courts: Privacy policy for electronic case files. Rules effective 1 Dec 2007.
U.S. Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Illinois: name removal FAQ. No date shown.
California Courts self-help: Clean your record. No date shown.
California Secretary of State: Safe at Home. No date shown.
FTC: What to know about people search sites. July 2022.
CalPrivacy: Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP). No date shown.
CalPrivacy: How DROP works. No date shown.
CalPrivacy: If data brokers keep your data. No date shown.
Google: Sites that charge for removal. No date shown.
Google: Request removal of personal content. No date shown.
Google: Remove my private info from Search. No date shown.
Google: Results about you. No date shown.
Google: Refresh Outdated Content tool help. No date shown.
Google: Why refresh requests are denied. No date shown.
Google: Right to be forgotten overview. No date shown.
Spokeo: Opt out your listing. No date shown.
ThatsThem: Opt out. No date shown.
radaris.com: court order notice. Final judgment 27 Aug 2026, as the notice states.

Next steps

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General information, not legal advice. Essentras is not a law firm and is not affiliated with any court, agency, Google or site named here. Courts, agencies, sites and Google decide every request; nobody can promise an outcome.

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