How to Remove Your Name from the Retail Theft Database

If you believe that your name is in the national retail theft database, how can you get them to remove your name from the database?

If you know that your name is included in a national retail theft database, the next question is whether they have the right to list your name.

If you were an adult when the alleged offense was committed and you either signed a confession at the store, or you were convicted of the offense in court, they can list you on that basis and are not likely to remove the listing. They are operated in the manner of credit reporting agencies, so in most cases the information will drop off in approximately seven years.

If you were a minor when the alleged offense was committed, you won't be listed.

If you were listed in error, whether due to a charge to which you did not confess and for which you were acquitted, or due to a mistake by the store or database, you can dispute the entry just as you can dispute any other credit reporting error. If this is a matter of identity theft, they may require documentation to support your claim that the person who was caught shoplifting and claimed to be you was not, in fact you.