Mug shot

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A mug shot (also known as a mugshot, head shot, or, properly, booking photograph) is a photographic portrait taken immediately after one is arrested. Most mug shots are two-part, with one side-view photo, and one front-view.

Commonly, the accused is asked to hold a card with their name, the date, and other information on it. The purpose of the mug shot is to allow law enforcement to have a photographic record of all arrested individuals to allow for identification by victims and investigators. As such, the photograph(s) are automatically entered into the public domain in the United States, and can be obtained by anyone through the Freedom of Information Act, except for when the arrestees' record has been sealed.

The term derives from mug, an English slang term for face, dating from the 18th century. Another source suggests the term comes from mug, as in grimace, because early subjects would try to reduce their mugshot's value for later identification by grimacing or otherwise twisting their facial muscles (mugging).

The phrase has also come to refer to any small picture of a face (portrait) used for any reason. Template:Commons

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