What You Need to Know About Sex Offender Registry Laws by State
Sex Offender Registry Laws may differ depending on each state. Here’s what you need to know about sex offender registry laws by state.
Sex Offender Registry
Sex offender registries are databases containing information on registered sex offenders. Generally, the information includes the offender’s name, photo, address, and specific offense details. State laws can differ in the duration of registration requirements and limitations on residency or employment.
Related: New York Sex Offender Registry Laws
Sex Offender Registry Laws by State
| State | Sex Offender Duration of Registration Requirement | Limitations on Residency or Employment for Sex Offenders |
| Alabama | – Life | – Adult criminal sex offenders: may not live or work within 200 feet of a school or child care facility, shall not remain within 100 feet of any victims
– May not loiter or work within 500 feet of a school or child care facility, playgrounds, athletic field, may not live where minor resides unless offender is parent, grandparent or stepparent |
| Alaska | – Life: recidivists/aggravated offenses
– 15 years: all others upon proof of unconditional discharge of sentence |
– None |
| Arizona | – Life
– 10 years (depending on recidivist status) |
– None |
| Arkansas | – Life | – Registered offender: prohibited from living near school, public park, youth center, or daycare |
| California | – Life | – Registrants who apply or accept a position with direct and unaccompanied access to minor children must disclose their status as a registrant
– No registrant convicted of a crime against a victim under age 16 may work in a position with direct and unaccompanied access to minor children |
| Colorado | – Life | – None |
| Connecticut | – Life
– 10 years (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Delaware | – Life: tier III/recidivists
– 25 years: tier II – 15 years: tier I |
– None |
| District of Columbia (D.C) | – Life
– 10 years (running from placement on probation or parole, or completion of community supervision) (depending on offense/recidivist status/sexual psychopath status) |
– None |
| Florida | – Life | – A state agency must conduct a search of the person’s name against the registration information prior to making any decision to appoint or employ a person to work at any place where children regularly congregate
– Sexual predators: commit a 3rd degree felony if they work at any place where children regularly congregate |
| Georgia | – Life | – May not reside or loiter within 100 feet of any area where minors congregate, may not work at any child care facility, church, school or by any businesses located within 1000 feet of such facility
– Sexually dangerous predators: may not recieve employment from any business or entity within 1000 feet of an area where minors congegrate |
| Hawaii | – Life | – None |
| Idaho | – Life | – Adult and juvenile sex offenders: may no apply for or accept employment at day care center of family day care home |
| Illinois | – Life
– 10 years (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– Child sex offenders: unless they are the parent or guardian of a minor on the premise, they may not enter a school building or loiter within 500 feet of a school building |
| Indiana | – Life
– 10 years (from later of release from incarceration/placement on community supervision) (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Iowa | – Life
– 10 years – special sentence term (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– May not reside within 2000 feet of an elementary or secondary school or child care facility |
| Kansas | – Life
– 25 years – 15 years (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Kentucky | – Life
– 20 years (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– May not reside within 1,000 feet of a school or licensed day care facility |
| Louisiana | – Life
– 25 years – 15 years (depending on offense/district attorney motion for finding of substantial risk of committing another offense) |
– May not be physically present or reside within 1,000 feet of any public or private elementary school, public park or recreational facility |
| Maine | – Life: tier III, recidivists
– 25 years: tier II – 15 years: tier I |
– None |
| Maryland | – Life: tier III
– 25 years: tier II (from release/placement on conditional statement) – 15 years: tier I – 5 years: certain juvenile offenses |
– None |
| Massachusetts | – Life
– 20 years (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Michigan | – Life: tier III
– 25 years: tier II – 15 years: tier I |
– May not work or loiter within a student safety zone |
| Minnesota | – Life
– 10 years (depending on conviction/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Mississippi | – Life | – Prohibited from owning, operating, working for or volunteering at a child care service
– May not reside within 1500 feet of a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school or childcare facility |
| Missouri | – Life: tier III
– 25 years: tier II – 15 years: tier I |
– Shall not be present in or loiter within 500 feet of any school building |
| Montana | – Life | – Level 3 offender: restricted from living in the proximity of a preschool, elementary or high school, licensed day-care center, church or park |
| Nebraska | – Life
– 25 years – 15 years (depending on offense/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Nevada | – Life: tier III
– 25 years: tier II – 15 years: tier I |
– None |
| New Hampshire | – Life: tier II, tier III
– 10 years: tier 1(from later of conviction/release) |
– None |
| New Jersey | – Life | – None |
| New Mexico | – Life
– 10 years (from later of release/placement on supervision) (depending on offense/recidivist status) |
– None |
| New York | – Life: level 2/3/sexual predator, violent, predicate offender
– 20 year: level 1 (from latter of date of conviction/release of custody) |
– May not operate, receive employment or dispense goods for sale at retail on a motor vehicle engaged in retail sales of frozen desserts |
| North Carolina | – Life
– 30 years (from latter of conviction/release from custody) (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– None |
| North Dakota | – Life
– 25 years – 15 years (depending on offense/risk classification/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Ohio | – Life: tier III
– 25 years: tier II – 15 years: tier I |
– May not establish residence or occupy residential premises within 1000 feet of any school |
| Oklahoma | – Life: level 3, habitual, aggravated offense
– 25 years: level 2 – 15 years: level 1 |
– May not establish residence within 2000 feet of any public or private school or educational institution (not required to move if they lived there prior to conviction) |
| Oregon | – Life | – May not reside near locations where children are the primary occupants or users
– May not live with other sex offenders unless authorized |
| Pennsylvania | – Life: tier III/sexually violent person/”juvenile”
– 25 years: tier II – 15 years: tier I |
– None |
| Rhode Island | – Life
– 10 years (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– None |
| South Carolina | – Life | – None |
| South Dakota | – Life | – May not establish a residence or reside within a community safety zone |
| Tennessee | – Life | – May not establish a primary or secondary residence or any other living accommodation within 1,000 feet of any school, day care center or child care facility |
| Texas | – Life
– 10 years (depending on offense) |
– None |
| Utah | – Life
– 10 years (following completion of sentence) (depending on offense/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Vermont | – Life
– 10 years (depending on offense/recidivist status/designation) |
– None |
| Virginia | – Life | – None |
| Washington | – Life (indefinite)
– 15 years – 10 years (from latter of conviction/release) (depending on offense/recidivist status) |
– None |
| West Virginia | – Life
– 10 years (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Wisconsin | – Life
– 15 years (depending on offense/SVP status/recidivist status) |
– None |
| Wyoming | – Life | – None |
Related: New York Statute of Limitations on Sex Crimes
All information is accurate as of July 6, 2022. Sex offender registry laws are subject to change. An individual should consult the state website to verify the current state law(s).
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