Laws Concerning North Dakota Sex Offender Registration

The first law with regard to North Dakota sex offender was passed in the legislative session held in 1991. Since then various modifications have been made to the state laws. The state of North Dakota defines a ‘sex offender’ as someone who has committed and has been convicted of sexual offenses or has plead guilty to sexual crime charges. Every North Dakota sex offender need not register with the state. The requisitions for acquiring the status of a registered sex offender are outlined by the N.D.C.C. statute §12.1-32-15. If an individual living in North Dakota had been convicted of or plead guilty to the sexual offenses in another US state, he or she needs to register as well.

North Dakota Sex Offenses

The sex offenses that make the individual convicted eligible for registration are as follows:

•    Continuous sexual abuse
•    Luring minors by computer
•    Sexual assault (Class C Felony and Class A Misdemeanor)
•    Surreptitious intrusion
•    Gross sexual imposition
•    Corruption of minors
•    Sexual abuse of wards
•    Incest
•    Indecent exposure
•    Sexual performance by children (all offenses)
•    Sexual imposition

Each registered North Dakota sex offender is assessed for his or her ‘risk level’ and the details are kept in a state database. In case of offenders who are not serving a jail term, the risk assessment process is undertaken a few days after he or she is sentenced. In case of sex offenders who are under imprisonment, the assessment process takes place just before the release of the prisoner. If a convicted sex offender moves into the state of North Dakota and registers with the state, the risk assessment of the individual begins a few days after registration.

North Dakota Sex Offender Registration Period

The North Dakota sex offenders who are deemed as ‘low risk’ need to register for 15 years. ‘Moderate risk’ North Dakota sex offender registration is done for 25 years. ‘High risk’ North Dakota sex offender registration is done for lifetime. The information is verified every 6 months in cases concerning low and moderate risk offenders and every 3 months in cases involving high risk offenders.

North Dakota Sex Offender Registration Procedure

The registration of each North Dakota sex offender follows a certain procedure. The registration papers, with the address of the offender, are handed over to the individual sex offender at the time he or she leaves a court or a correctional facility. The office of the Attorney General of North Dakota receives a copy of the document and notifies the local police department and/or the sheriff’s office. The respective law enforcement agency is made aware of the offender’s future residence.

After a sex offender relocates he or she must submit the registration documents, duly completed, within 3 days to the local law enforcement agency. It is at this agency that the offender is fingerprinted and his or her photograph is taken. A copy of the completed form and copies of the fingerprint and photograph are then submitted at the office of the Attorney General of North Dakota. The information is then updated in the North Dakota sex offender list.

At the time of registration, the North Dakota sex offenders need to provide all information including full name, aliases, nicknames, date of birth, physical description, identifiers, offenses, case details, addresses, school address (if applicable), employment details, vehicle details, email addresses, social networking information and so on. Any change in the address of residence or employment must be reported within 10 days to the concerned authorities. This is done in order to keep a check on the whereabouts of a particular sex offender.

North Dakota Sex Offender Search

A North Dakota sex offender search offers information with regard to a number of sex offenders living in the state. The North Dakota sex offender details are categorized into the following sub-sections:

•    Search lifetime and high-risk offenders: http://www.sexoffender.nd.gov/addressradius.aspx
•    Sex offender notification system: http://www.sexoffender.nd.gov/OffenderNotification/index.aspx
•    Printable list of all offenders: http://www.sexoffender.nd.gov/publiclisting.aspx
•    Offenders near me: http://www.sexoffender.nd.gov/addressradius.aspx
•    Delinquent offenders: http://www.sexoffender.nd.gov/delinquentoffenders.aspx
•    Other offender links: http://www.sexoffender.nd.gov/otherlinks.aspx

For more information you can have a look at the http://www.sexoffender.nd.gov/index.shtml.