Sex offender registry: Search database in every U.S. state
Registered sex offenders eyeing residency in Kemah now face tighter restrictions following a unanimous decision by the city council to amend local ordinances.
Previously, these individuals were prohibited from living within 500 feet of places frequented by children, such as parks or schools. However, after two May council sessions, that boundary has been extended to 1,000 feet.
SUGGESTED: Kemah ordinance keeps sex offenders further away from children
City officials say they initiated the amendment in response to a noticeable rise in registered sex offenders settling in areas neighboring Kemah.
Galveston County currently hosts 746 registered sex offenders, with five of them residing in Kemah, as per the Department of Public Service's Sex Offender Registry.
(Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
How to check sex offender registries in each state
Every state has a searchable Sex Offender Registry. You can search by location, or name of the offender in most cases. Moving, booking a short-term vacation rental off the beaten path or sending your kids away to school? There are a lot of reasons you may want to search the registry and see who lives around you.
Alabama: https://www.alea.gov/node/270
Alaska: https://sor.dps.alaska.gov/Registry/Search
Arizona: https://www.azdps.gov/services/public-services-center/sex-offender-compliance
Arkansas: https://sexoffenderregistry.ar.gov/public/#/disclaimer?returnUrl=%2Flocation
California: https://oag.ca.gov/sex-offender-reg
Colorado: https://apps.colorado.gov/apps/dps/sor/
Connecticut: https://sheriffalerts.com/cap_office_disclaimer.php?office=54567
Delaware: http://sexoffender.dsp.delaware.gov/
Florida: https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/sops/search.jsf
Georgia: https://gbi.georgia.gov/georgia-sex-offender-registry
Hawaii: http://sexoffenders.ehawaii.gov/sexoffender/search.html
Idaho: https://www.isp.idaho.gov/sor_id/
Illinois: http://www.isp.state.il.us/sor/
Indiana: http://www.icrimewatch.net/indiana.php
Iowa: https://www.iowasexoffender.gov/
Kansas: http://www.kbi.ks.gov/registeredoffender/
Kentucky: http://kspsor.state.ky.us/
Louisiana: https://lsp.org/community-outreach/sex-offender-registry/
Maine: http://sor.informe.org/cgi-bin/sor/index.pl
Maryland: http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/sorSearch/
Massachusetts: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/sorb/
Michigan: https://mspsor.com/
Minnesota: https://coms.doc.state.mn.us/publicregistrantsearch
Mississippi: http://state.sor.dps.ms.gov/
Missouri: https://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/CRID/SOR/SORPage.html
Montana: https://app.doj.mt.gov/apps/svow/
Nebraska: https://sor.nebraska.gov/
Nevada: https://sexoffenders.nv.gov/ConditionsOfUse.Aspx
New Hampshire: http://business.nh.gov/nsor/
New Jersey: https://www.njsp.org/sex-offender-registry/
New York: http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor/
North Carolina: http://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov/
North Dakota: http://www.sexoffender.nd.gov/
Ohio: https://www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=55149&disc=
Oklahoma: https://sors.doc.ok.gov/svor/f?p=119:1
Oregon: https://sexoffenders.oregon.gov/
Pennsylvania: http://www.pameganslaw.state.pa.us/
Rhode Island: https://risp.ri.gov/safety-education/sex-offenders
South Carolina: http://scor.sled.sc.gov/ConditionsOfUse.Aspx?MainPage=0
South Dakota: https://sor.sd.gov//
Tennessee: https://sor.tbi.tn.gov/home
Texas: https://publicsite.dps.texas.gov/SexOffenderRegistry
Utah: http://corrections.utah.gov/index.php/community/probation-parole/sex-offender-registry
Vermont: http://vcic.vermont.gov/sor
Washington: www.wasor.org
West Virginia: https://apps.wv.gov/StatePolice/SexOffender#Basic
Wisconsin: https://appsdoc.wi.gov/public/offenders
Wyoming: https://wyomingdci.wyo.gov/criminal-justice-information-services-cjis/sex-offender-registry
National Sex Offender Website: https://www.nsopw.gov/
The registries were created as the result of Megan's Law. Named after Megan Kanka, a tragic victim of sexual violence, Megan's Law emerged as a subsection of the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act of 1994. Initially, this law mandated sex offenders to register with local law enforcement, but it took the devastating loss of Megan to catalyze broader community awareness and action.
In response to Megan's murder, states swiftly enacted legislation to ensure compliance with both the registration mandates of the Jacob Wetterling Act and the community notification requirements outlined in federal Megan's Law. These state-level measures, often referred to as "Megan's Laws," represent a unified effort to bolster public safety.
The essence of Megan's Law lies in community notification, compelling law enforcement authorities to disseminate information regarding registered sex offenders to the public. While individual states retain autonomy in determining the specifics of information disclosure and dissemination methods, common data shared include the offender's name, photograph, address, date of incarceration, and conviction details.
Platforms such as social media, particularly Facebook, have become instrumental in circulating this vital information. Additionally, free public websites, newspapers, pamphlets, and other mediums serve as conduits for public awareness.
At the federal level, Megan's Law imposes strict obligations on individuals convicted of sex crimes involving children. Upon release from custody, be it prison or a psychiatric facility, offenders are mandated to notify local law enforcement agencies of any changes in residence or employment. This notification requirement may endure for a predetermined period, typically a minimum of ten years, or indefinitely. Furthermore, some states extend registration requirements to all sex offenses, regardless of the involvement of minors.
Noncompliance with registration or failure to update information constitutes a felony in most jurisdictions, underlining the gravity of adherence to Megan's Law provisions.