Sex Offender Registry — State by State

The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) searches every state at once — but it only shows what each state chooses to publish, and states differ enormously. The state guides below explain each registry's visibility rules, because 'not on the registry' can mean very different things.

All 51 jurisdiction guides linked below are maintained individually. Content reviewed July 30, 2026 by the SearchSystems editorial team.

How the States Differ

Publication rules are the real story. Minnesota publishes only Level 3 (highest-risk) offenders; Oregon's public site shows fewer than one in ten registrants; Washington's is run by the sheriffs' association rather than the state police; and California excludes whole categories by statute. In tier states, low-tier offenders are registered with police but invisible to the public.

Search behavior differs too: some states geo-search by address radius with maps and email alerts, others only take names. The state page tells you which tools exist and what the gaps are.

Pick Your State

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the national search enough?

NSOPW is the right first stop, but it inherits every state's publication limits. For address-radius alerts or non-published tiers, use the state tools in the guide.

Why did someone disappear from the registry?

Registration terms expire, tiers get reassessed, and some states allow removal petitions. Absence from the public site doesn't always mean absence from the registry.

Can I use registry data to harass someone?

No — every state criminalizes misuse. Registries exist for awareness and safety planning only.

Related National Directories

Related checks: criminal records, background checks, and arrest records.