Tennessee Sex Offender Registry Information

Details about the Tennessee sex offender registry can be obtained from the website http://www.tbi.state.tn.us, which has all the information useful for concerned parents of children living in Tennessee. Sex offenders can also learn how to go about the registration and all the norms.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is located in Nashville, Tennessee for victim assistance. The TBI maintains the electronic sex offender database and also manages the public sex offender registry website. TBI is also responsible for conduction of sex offender training for the purpose of local law enforcement and takes part in large scale sex offender “round-ups” on request.

Requirement for Registration:

Sex offenders need to register with the local sheriff’s office or police department of their resident county. Offenders who are released from prison should be registering with the Tennessee Department of Correction within 2 days before their release from incarceration.

Sexual offenders have to report annually between 7 days before and 7 days after their birthdays. They are compelled to report in person to their designated law enforcement agency when there is a change of residential address, higher learning institute, school, center, college or university address, or change of employment address. Violent sex offenders are required to report every three months.

Under the law 40-39-211, sex offenders whose victims were below 13 years of age are not allowed to set up a primary or secondary residence or any form of living accommodation near the victim. A sex offender who is a step parent of a minor below 13 years of age is also not exempted from such a law. Thus, if you are a sex offender having a victim below 13 years of age and are a step parent, you cannot live with minor children.

For individuals who are deemed violent sexual offenders as defined by T.C.A. 40-39-202 (25), registration is for life. For sex offenders, it is possible to file a request for terminating registration requirements with TBI headquarters in Nashville, ten years after the expiry of the offender’s sentence. Following this, the TBI removes the name of the offender from the sex offender registry and informs the offender that he/she is not bound to register any longer.

Other Registration Details

For annual registration, sex offenders have to pay an administrative fee of $150. Violent sex offenders need to pay the $150 administrative fee every year. Of the $150, $50 goes to TBI, while the rest of the amount, which is $100, goes to the agency where the individual registers.

If an individual fails to register or if the registration is not compliant with the regulations and is not updated, the individual can be penalized and the act could result in Class E felony. In case an offender is on parole, probation or any other alternative to incarceration, failure to abide by registration norms will result in the revocation of the sexual offender’s parole, probation or any other alternative to incarceration.