Remove Public Records from Internet for Free (2026)
Remove public records, court records, and arrest records from data brokers like Spokeo, BeenVerified & Google, free guide.
Instant Exposure Check for Public Records + 90 Brokers
Manual DIY Removal vs. OfflistMe Instant Request Generation
While opting out of Public Records directly is free under privacy laws, your personal data remains live across 90+ other people-search engines.
| Feature / Effort | Manual DIY Opt-Out | OfflistMe Instant Requests |
|---|---|---|
| Time required | ~22 Hours (15 min x 90+ sites) | ⚡ 30 Seconds |
| Number of forms to submit | 90+ separate web forms | 1-Click execution |
| Email & ID verifications | 90+ confirmation emails & ID steps | Sent directly from your inbox |
| Re-exposure monitoring | None (must re-check manually) | Continuous quarterly sweep |
| Subscription commitment | Free (High manual labor) | One-Time or Annual (No Sub Trap) |
What counts as a "public record"?
Public records are documents created or held by government agencies that are legally accessible to anyone. In the US context, these include: property deeds and tax assessments, voter registration filings, court records (civil and criminal), marriage and divorce filings, business registrations, bankruptcy filings, and in most states, professional license records. These records are public by law, they cannot be "deleted" from the government source. What you can do is prevent data brokers from republishing them on searchable commercial databases.
Step-by-step: How to remove public records from the internet
- Step 1: Identify which records are published. Search your name + city on Google. Note which sites are republishing your records, likely Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, Radaris, Intelius, Instant Checkmate, or court-record aggregators like PublicRecordsNow or CourtRecords.us. Copy the URLs.
- Step 2: Submit opt-out requests to data broker sites. Each of the major people-search sites republishing your records has a self-serve opt-out form. Work through the top 20, this removes the indexed, searchable copy even though the underlying government record remains. Use OfflistMe to generate all requests simultaneously.
- Step 3: Request de-indexing from Google. Once you have removed a listing from a broker site, use Google's "Results About You" tool at myaccount.google.com to request removal of the Google search result. Google processes most de-indexing requests within 1–2 weeks.
💡 Tip: Focus on Google de-indexing the pages that actually rank for your name, not every broker page matters equally. A page on page 5 of Google for your name has negligible real-world impact.
- Step 4: Address court records specifically. Criminal and civil court records are the most damaging type of public record. Many states now allow expungement of arrest records that did not result in conviction. Petition your state court for expungement, once granted, you can demand removal from court-record aggregators, and the county database that brokers scrape will no longer contain the record.
- Step 5: Contact the county recorder for property records. Some counties allow address suppression in property records for domestic violence survivors, law enforcement officers, and judicial officers. Check your county recorder's website for a "confidential address" or "address suppression" program.
What can and cannot be permanently deleted
| Record type | Can brokers be forced to remove it? | Can the source be deleted? |
|---|---|---|
| People-search profile (address, phone) | Yes. CCPA/GDPR opt-out | N/A (broker-created) |
| Court records (criminal) | Yes, after expungement | Yes, via state expungement petition |
| Court records (civil) | Often yes | Varies by state (rarely) |
| Property deed | Often yes | No, permanent government record |
| Voter registration | Often yes | Partial, address suppression available in some states |
| Bankruptcy filing | Rarely | No, federal PACER record |
The Faster Alternative: Automated Removal
Instead of navigating complex forms and uploading your ID to verify your identity (which exposes you to more risk), you can send a formal privacy request via email.
Click "Request Removal Now"
Go to our free tool to identify the brokers.
Select Data Brokers
We support widely known brokers like Whitepages, PeopleFinder, Spokeo, and others (covering 500+ in total).
Draft Email
OfflistMe drafts a privacy request in your default email app. Review the recipient, subject, and body, then send it yourself.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Scan for 500+ data brokers and draft removal requests in your browser, then review and send them from your own email.
Request Removal NowFrom $9one-time · Fixed request quotas · Share with family & friends free · No account needed