How to search the sex offender registry in any US state.
One plain guide per jurisdiction: what to type, what each result means, and how to confirm it at the official registry. Or skip the reading and search now.
Three things to know before you search a sex offender registry. They decide whether you find the right person.
Leave the state off unless you are sure
Pick a state and the search stays in that state; leave it off and one search covers all 58 registries. Every result tells you which registries answered, so you know what was checked.
A birth date helps, but not equally everywhere
39 of 56 jurisdictions publish the full date of birth; the rest publish only a year or an age. Every result says how closely it matched, so you know how sure to be.
One jurisdiction is rarely enough
Registration follows the person. A single-state search will not surface a registration in a prior state of residence, which is why searching every US registry at once matters.
States where a date of birth search matches the full date. The most precise searches.
A full birth date confirms the person, so someone with the same name but a different birthday is ruled out. The record comes back labelled as a full-date match.
States where a date of birth search matches the birth year
A same-year namesake arrives flagged as one rather than quietly accepted.
States where registry searches match on age
The registry lists an age, so a match is within a year or two. Check the photo.
States with mixed date of birth precision
Some records have a full birth date and some do not; each result says which.
How to search the sex offender registry by name. Four steps, about a minute.
Run it from your personal dashboard with a free account; a Background Check is $9.99, paid once.
Start with the name
First and last name. Misspellings, nicknames and aliases are matched automatically.
Add a date of birth or age
This is what separates the person you mean from someone who shares the name.
Add a place if you know it
A state, city or ZIP narrows the answer further. Leave it off to search all 58 registries, which is the right default when you do not know where someone has lived.
Read the label and open the record
Each possible match says what lined up. Confirm on the linked official registry record.
What each match label means on a sex offender search. And what to do next.
Which label is possible depends on what each state publishes, which is why the guides above are grouped by it.
| Label | What matched | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Match · full birth date | Name and full date of birth | Confirm the photograph and record |
| Possible · birth year | Name and birth year | Check the photograph, age and address |
| Possible · age | Name and published age, within the tolerance you set | Verify with more detail |
| Name only | Name only | Treat as a lead, never as a match |
Why a one-state search can miss a registered sex offender. People move.
A person registers where they live, work or study, and moves between states are common. Someone convicted in one state may be registered in a second today, or listed in both. A search of one state answers only for that state. Searching all 58 registries at once, with duplicates merged, answers the question most people are actually asking: is this person registered anywhere?
Each state also decides who must register, for how long, and who appears publicly. Read how sex offender registries work and sex offense types.
Fictional sample record, for illustration.
How to search for sex offenders by address or ZIP code. The count near you is free.
To see who is registered near a place rather than check a person, search by ZIP code or by address with a radius. Results list each registrant with a published address in the area, with a photograph and the official record. People registered as transient or without a fixed address cannot be placed by location, so pair an area search with a ZIP search when completeness matters.
Sex offenders near me ›What sex offender registries publish about each registrant. Usually a name, photo and address.
Each state decides what its public registry shows, so a record from one state can look very different from another. Most publish a name, a photograph and a registered address. Many add aliases, a physical description, offense details and the registrant’s tier or risk level. Some publish a full date of birth, others only an age or a birth year, which is why the guides above are grouped by date of birth precision.
OffenderSearch returns each record in one consistent shape and links every record to the registry that published it. If a state does not publish a field, the record says so rather than guessing.
The registry identity gap ›Other background check how-to guides. Plain answers to common questions.
How to read a background check
What each section of a report means, and what it does not prove.
Read the guide ›GuideWhat shows up on a background check
Registry records, court cases, bookings and what is usually left out.
Read the guide ›GuideHow to dispute a background check
Your rights and the steps when a report about you is wrong.
Read the guide ›GuideHow long a background check takes
What drives turnaround, from instant searches to court checks.
Read the guide ›How to search the sex offender registry for free. What costs nothing, and what is optional.
Your count
How many registered sex offenders live near your address. No card.
See everyone near you
Names, photographs, offenses and distance for everyone within 30 miles of one address, on a map and as a PDF. Pay once, open for 30 days.
Family Watch
Up to 3 addresses — home, school, grandparents — each unlocked, plus an email when someone registers, moves in or moves out nearby. Or $6.99 a month. Cancel any time.
How to confirm a sex offender registry result at the official state site. Every match links to the record that published it.
- Open the match. Check the photo first, then the age or date of birth.
- Open the official record. It opens that person's entry on the state registry that published it.
- Act on what the state shows. If the state record differs, the state record wins.
Sex offender registry search FAQ. Quick answers.
Can I search the sex offender registry without a date of birth?
Yes, by name alone, but every result will be a name-only match. Add an age, a birth year or a location to narrow it.
How do I check if someone is a registered sex offender in another state?
Search without a state and the request covers all 58 registries at once, with each record labelled by the registry that holds it.
Why does the same person appear in two states?
People can be registered in more than one state, for example after a move. Duplicates are merged into one result that lists each registry holding the person.
What if I think a record is wrong?
The registry that published it is the authority. Ask it to correct the entry, then tell us through our correction channel.
Can I search by a partial name?
Yes. Prefix matching finds names that start with what you type, and misspellings and nicknames are matched automatically. Expect more possible matches, and use a date of birth or location to narrow them.
Do I need to know which state someone lives in?
No. Leave the state off and one search covers all 58 registries. Add a state only to narrow a common name.
Is the search free?
The count of registered sex offenders near your address is free, with no card. Checking one person is a Background Check: $9.99, paid once.
Can I use a registry search to screen a tenant or employee?
No. Those decisions need an FCRA-regulated report, which screening companies run through FCRA Partner Access.
Search the sex offender registry in every state. One name, 58 registries.
A photo and the official record on every match. A Background Check is $9.99, paid once.