Finding Sex Offender Records

Begin a search for sex offender records by visiting the United States Department of Justice website (http://www.nsopw.gov/Core/Conditions.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1). This site is a national portal that includes all 50 states and the various territories and tribal governments in U.S. jurisdictions. It is only limited by the information supplied from the jurisdiction in which the sex offender is registered. Each jurisdiction also hosts its own search portal for sex offender information.

There is never a charge to search sex offender registries. The search is instant and the database holds the names of more than 500,000 registered offenders. It is also national in nature and requires no more information than the offender’s name.

The search begins by entering the first and last names of the suspected sex offender. You may narrow the search by entering a particular state or tribal jurisdiction, or by ZIP code. A ZIP code search will produce the names of all registered sex offenders within the area; obviously, bigger cities will produce more hits from the database.

Clicking on a name in the search database will bring up information about the sex offender’s aliases, race, and age. You will also be able to view a physical description and a photo of the offender. In addition, there will be some details of the charges including the date of conviction and the date the person first registered as a sex offender. Most importantly, you will be able to find out the street address of the person.

The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) also maintains a National Sex Offender public website where you may search for information about sex offenders. The search process is similar to the U.S. Department of Justice search and uses the same databases, but you may search by state through the FBI website. Click on http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/registry.htm.

Viewing one of the national registries allows you to search by name across state jurisdictions, so if you do not know the current address of the registered sex offender you will find broader information in the national sex offender registry.

Background Information on Sex Offender Records

Megan’s Law was enacted in 1996 to give states broad discretion on who should be notified when a sex offender moves into a new neighborhood. This law does not require public notification for all offenders in all neighborhoods, but it got a start on creating national sex offender registries so the public could be more knowledgeable on keeping children safe.

The Department of Justice and the FBI websites were established in response to federal congressional acts. The databases were established in 1997 and are linked with local jurisdictions. There is no difference in information you will obtain through any search of the national sex offender registry, whether you go through a local portal or a national one.

Public notification of a sex offender moving into a neighborhood is only done in cases where the offender may pose a public threat, but all offenders must register with any new law enforcement officials within ten days of moving to a new neighborhood.