How We Handle Your Personal Information
recentarrests.org/ takes data protection seriously. This page sets out what we collect from you as a visitor, why, and the rights you have under federal and state privacy laws — including a clear note about how publicly-published arrest records held by sheriff’s offices and jails fit in.
What’s on this page
- Who we are
- Scope of this policy
- Information we collect
- Public-records carve-out
- FCRA — we are not a CRA
- How we collect it
- Why we collect it
- Who we share with
- “Sale” and “sharing”
- Cookies and analytics
- Retention
- State privacy rights
- How to exercise rights
- Children — COPPA
- Security
- International visitors
- Changes to this policy
1. Who We Are
recentarrests.org/ is an independent informational guide that publishes practical, step-by-step instructions for accessing US arrest records, inmate locators, mugshots, and jail rosters at the federal, state, and county level. We are the business and the controller for the personal information described on this page.
For any privacy-related question, contact us at info@recentarrests.org with the subject line “Privacy request” and we will respond within the time limits set out below.
2. Scope of This Policy — Important
This privacy policy covers personal information about you, the visitor to recentarrests.org/. It does not cover the public-record arrest data, booking photographs, or jail-roster entries published by US sheriff's offices, county jails, state corrections departments, or the federal Bureau of Prisons. Those are held and published by the agencies themselves under federal and state public-records law. recentarrests.org/ does not host, mirror, or republish those databases. Concerns about a specific record on a sheriff's, jail's, or corrections-department's portal must be raised with that agency directly — and, where the record qualifies for sealing or expungement, with the court that adjudicated the case.
3. The Personal Information We Collect About You
| Category | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Email address, name (if provided), IP address | You · Your browser, automatically |
| Contact content | The content of messages you send us | You — when you email us or use a contact form |
| Internet/network activity | Pages visited, time on page, click paths, referring URL | Cookies and analytics, when you consent |
| Device and technical data | Browser, device type, OS, approximate location from IP | Your browser, automatically |
| Inferences | Aggregate inferences about which content is most useful | Derived from analytics, where consented |
| Advertising identifiers | Identifiers used to limit ad frequency and measure ad performance | Third-party advertising networks, when you consent |
We do not collect Sensitive Personal Information — no Social Security numbers, government identification numbers, financial accounts, precise geolocation, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, union membership, contents of mail/email/text, genetic data, biometric data, sex-life or sexual-orientation data, or specific health information about you. We do not ask for it and you should not send it through our contact channel.
We do not collect or retain criminal-history data about visitors. Searches you perform on third-party sheriff or jail portals via links on our site are between you and that agency — we don’t see or log those searches.
4. Public Arrest Records — Held by Government Agencies, Not by Us
Arrest records, booking photos (mugshots), and jail-roster data are public records in most U.S. jurisdictions under state public-records statutes and the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552. Each sheriff's office, county jail, state corrections department, and the federal Bureau of Prisons publishes its own data on its own portal. recentarrests.org/ does not host, mirror, or republish those records — we link to the official agency portals. If you are concerned about a record published on a government portal, contact that agency's records custodian. If your case has been sealed or expunged by court order, the court order is your strongest tool — provide it to the agency and to any third-party sites republishing the record.
5. We Are Not a Consumer Reporting Agency Under the FCRA
recentarrests.org/ is not a Consumer Reporting Agency as defined by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), 15 U.S.C. §1681 et seq. We do not assemble or evaluate consumer information for the purpose of furnishing Consumer Reports. The site is an informational guide to public arrest-record portals; the actual data is published by sheriff's offices, jails, and corrections departments themselves.
Arrest information from this site (or from any portal we link to) must not be used to make decisions about employment eligibility, tenant screening, consumer credit, insurance underwriting, or any other “permissible purpose” listed in 15 U.S.C. §1681b. The FCRA also prohibits Consumer Reporting Agencies from reporting non-conviction arrest records older than seven years for jobs paying under $75,000 per year (15 U.S.C. § 1681c). Violations carry private rights of action with statutory damages.
For uses that require an FCRA-compliant Consumer Report, you must use a properly-credentialed Consumer Reporting Agency that follows FCRA notice, dispute, and adverse-action procedures.
6. How We Collect Personal Information
- Directly from you — when you email us, complete a contact form, or set cookie preferences
- Automatically — when you visit the site, your browser sends standard technical information so the page can load
- From third-party services we use — analytics and advertising providers, but only after you have given consent through our cookie banner
7. Business Purposes for Collection and Use
- Providing the website and its content
- Responding to questions, corrections, sealing/expungement removal requests, and feedback
- Securing the site and protecting against abuse, fraud, and unauthorized access
- Auditing interactions and measuring site performance (analytics, where consented)
- Supporting display advertising that funds the site (where consented)
- Complying with legal obligations and responding to lawful requests
We do not use personal information for automated decision-making with legal or similarly significant effects, and do not engage in profiling within the meaning of state privacy laws.
9. “Sale” and “Sharing” of Personal Information
We do not sell personal information for money. However, under CCPA/CPRA the term “sale” is broad, and use of certain advertising cookies may meet the CCPA/CPRA definition of “sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising.” Where that applies, you have the right to opt out — see Section 12 for state-by-state procedures.
The site honors the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal as a valid opt-out of “sale” and “sharing” under CCPA/CPRA, the Colorado Privacy Act, the Connecticut Data Privacy Act, and similar laws that recognize universal opt-out mechanisms.
10. Cookies, Analytics, and Advertising
For full detail — including the cookies used, third-party services, and how to manage them — see our Cookie Policy. Key controls: the cookie banner, the “Cookie settings” link in the footer, browser-level controls, and industry opt-outs (NAI, DAA).
11. How Long We Keep Personal Information
| Category | Retention |
|---|---|
| Email correspondence and contact-form messages | Up to 24 months from last contact, then deleted unless an active matter (e.g., expungement removal request) requires longer retention |
| Sealing/expungement removal requests + supporting court orders | Retained as evidence of the removal action for the period required by applicable law and our records-retention policy; access is restricted to our editorial and legal team |
| Server access logs (IP addresses, request data) | Up to 90 days, then aggregated or deleted |
| Analytics data | Aggregated; identifiable data retained no longer than 14 months |
| Cookie consent records | 12 months from when you set your preference |
| Backups | Rotating backups deleted on a 30–90 day cycle |
12. U.S. State Privacy Rights
recentarrests.org/ is accessible from across the U.S. Visitors from states with comprehensive privacy laws have rights under those laws:
| State | Law |
|---|---|
| California | CCPA / CPRA — access, delete, correct, opt out of sale/sharing, limit use of sensitive PI |
| Texas | Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA) |
| Florida | Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR) |
| Virginia | Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) |
| Colorado | Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) — recognizes Universal Opt-Out Mechanisms |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA) |
| Utah, Oregon, Montana, Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, NJ, NH, KY, MN, MD, RI, DE | Comprehensive state privacy laws (effective dates vary) |
Right to access
Confirm processing and access your personal data.
Right to correct
Correct inaccuracies in your personal data.
Right to delete
Delete personal data we hold, subject to legal exceptions.
Right to portability
Obtain a copy in a portable, technically feasible format.
Right to opt out
Opt out of targeted advertising, sale, and decision-making profiling.
Right to non-discrimination
You will not be denied service or charged more for exercising these rights.
13. How to Exercise Your Rights
For all privacy requests, email info@recentarrests.org with subject line “[State] privacy request.” Include enough information for us to identify the data you’re asking about. We may need to verify your identity before responding — most commonly by confirming you control the email address that submitted the request. We respond within the period required by the applicable law (typically 45 days, with possible extensions).
14. Children — COPPA Compliance
This site is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. We comply with the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. §§6501–6506, and its implementing regulations at 16 C.F.R. Part 312. We do not publish information about juvenile arrest records or sealed juvenile court records, consistent with state juvenile-confidentiality statutes. If we learn we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete it promptly.
15. Security
We apply technical and organizational measures appropriate to the risk: encryption of data in transit (HTTPS across the site), access controls on administrative tools, regular software updates, secure authentication for our editorial team, and contractual security commitments from vendors. If we become aware of a breach involving your personal information, we will notify you and applicable authorities consistent with state breach-notification laws.
16. International Visitors (GDPR / UK GDPR)
The site is operated for a U.S. audience but is accessible globally. EU and UK visitors have rights under the EU GDPR and UK GDPR — access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection. UK residents may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk.
17. Changes to This Policy
We update this policy when our practices change or when state privacy laws change. The “Last reviewed” date at the top reflects the current version. Substantive changes will be flagged on the homepage banner for at least 30 days. This policy is read alongside our Cookie Policy, Terms of Service, and Disclaimer.
Questions About Your Personal Information?
Email us. We respond to general privacy questions within seven business days, and to formal state-law requests within the deadline set by the applicable law.
📧 info@recentarrests.org