Are Sex Offenders Required to Register in a Different State?

If you are having to contend with the consequences of being accused of a sexual offense you will clearly need to appoint the most reliable sex crime attorneys around. That decision ensures you benefit from the sort of guidance and knowledge that can be crucial in achieving the best outcome.

One question that comes up regularly in this sort of scenario is whether sex offenders need to register their presence in a different state if they decide to move.

Here is a look at what you need to know on this point.

The requirements

First of all, it is important to understand that every state in the United States has a law that requires sex offender registration.

Even though sexual registration laws do tend to vary between states there is also a certain amount of unanimity that is imposed by the federal government.

What remains constant across the whole of the country is that a certain amount of identifying information has to be included in the sex offender registration details.

What you will find on all sex offender registers, regardless of the particular state the register refers to, is a level of detail that usually includes all of the following personal details -

The full name and any known aliases of the offender

Their residential address and any other work or relevant addresses associated with them

A record of their palm prints and fingerprints

A detailed physical description for identification purposes

A current photograph of the offender and their date of birth details together with social security number

It is also a requirement of the local law enforcement agency to ensure that they make the offender’s registration details available to the public and also share this data with the nationwide sex offender registration database.

How long is the information required to stay on the database?

State laws vary when it comes to how long an offender is required to remain on their register.

It is commonplace to see registration remain for a number of years and this often stretches to a decade or more.

A fundamental point about this registration process is that these online databases are captured forever on the internet and even when the public register is updated and a sex offender’s details are removed, they will most likely be found using a quick online search.

Anyone who finds themselves on the sex offender register will almost certainly suffer the consequences of this action for the rest of their life.

What happens when a sex offender moves between states?

To answer the headline question, any person who has been convicted of a sex offense is required to register in the state where they live.

If they move to another state they are required by law to register on both the original register and the relevant register that applies to the state they have subsequently moved to.

In other words, sex offender registration requirements follow you around from state to state, and wherever you live if you are a convicted offender you will have to comply with registration requirements.

There may be some potential anomalies with regard to registration compliance requirements. That is one reason why it is usually a smart move to get the help of a sex crime attorney for guidance.