California Sex Offender Statistics (2026)
As of August 2026, we index about 62,900 sex-offender registry records in California — the 3rd-most of the 56 US jurisdictions, at 1.6 per 1,000 residents. These are counts of the records in our continuously updated index, rounded and dated — not California’s official figures.
California against the national average
Registrants we index, with the rate per 1,000 residents (2020 Census population). Neighboring jurisdictions are listed for scale; each links to its own statistics page.
| Jurisdiction | Registrants indexed (approx.) | Per 1,000 residents | Rank by count |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | ≈ 62,900 | 1.6 | 3rd |
| United States (all 58 registries) | ≈ 1,560,000 | 4.7 | — |
| Arizona | ≈ 13,200 | 1.8 | 19th |
| Nevada | ≈ 9,900 | 3.2 | 26th |
| Oregon | ≈ 2,010 | 0.5 | 48th |
Cite this: ≈62,900 sex-offender registry records indexed in California (1.6 per 1,000 residents) — Offendersearch, California Sex Offender Statistics (August 2026). https://offendersearch.app/sex-offender-statistics/california#headline
California at a glance
- About 62,900 registry records indexed, the 3rd-largest count of the 56 US jurisdictions.
- That is about 4% of the registrants we index nationwide.
- 1.6 per 1,000 residents, about 66% below the national average of 4.7.
- 41st by rate per resident among jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records.
- Largest local count among the cities we publish pages for: Los Angeles, about 4,684.
- Largest county count among the counties we publish pages for: Los Angeles County, about 14,064.
Against its neighbors
- California is about 14% below Arizona (1.6 vs 1.8 per 1,000).
- California is about 50% below Nevada (1.6 vs 3.2 per 1,000).
- California is about 235% above Oregon (1.6 vs 0.5 per 1,000).
Where California ranks
California holds the 3rd-largest count of registrants we index among the 56 US jurisdictions — just behind Florida (≈92,900) and ahead of Illinois (≈44,300). California's rate of 1.6 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents ranks 41st among the US jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records, against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000. California's rate is higher than 1 of its 3 neighboring jurisdictions in the table and lower than 2. Absolute size and per-capita rate order the states very differently — the full rankings are on the count ranking and the per-capita ranking.
Housing status (national estimate). No per-state housing figure is published here, because our housing data is a national sample estimate: across 6,668 sampled records nationwide, 5.7% of registrants with a known housing status were homeless or had no fixed address as of August 2026. That figure describes the country, not California — the breakdown is on the national statistics page.
Where California’s registrants live
The largest local counts among the California cities and counties we publish pages for, with the rate per 10,000 residents so places of different size compare fairly.
| City | Indexed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | ≈ 4,684 | 12 |
| Sacramento | ≈ 2,449 | 46.7 |
| San Jose | ≈ 1,862 | 18.4 |
| Fresno | ≈ 1,466 | 27 |
| San Diego | ≈ 1,461 | 10.5 |
| Bakersfield | ≈ 1,164 | 28.9 |
| Oakland | ≈ 1,034 | 23.5 |
| Stockton | ≈ 1,000 | 31.2 |
| County | Indexed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | ≈ 14,064 | 14 |
| Sacramento County | ≈ 6,744 | 42.5 |
| San Bernardino County | ≈ 4,217 | 19.3 |
| Riverside County | ≈ 3,755 | 15.5 |
| San Diego County | ≈ 3,391 | 10.3 |
| Santa Clara County | ≈ 2,802 | 14.5 |
| Orange County | ≈ 2,505 | 7.9 |
| Fresno County | ≈ 2,095 | 20.8 |
What these California numbers measure
Every figure on this page is a count of the registry records in our continuously updated index that carry a California address, rounded to three significant figures and dated to August 2026. Rates divide that rounded count by the 2020 Census population, so they describe scale, not precision to the last person. Local counts cover the cities and counties we publish pages for, not every town in the state.
Registry sizes are not a direct measure of risk. States set their own rules on who must register, for how long, and which registrants are shown to the public, so two states with similar populations can carry very different counts. Use the comparison for context, and a search for any question about a specific person or address.
California's registry publishes a full date of birth, so if you know the person's birthday a match can be confirmed precisely. With a common name, a matching date of birth is the fastest way to tell two people apart.
How to search California’s registry
California’s own public search is California Megan's Law (DOJ), which covers California only. California’s own search is organised county by county, so checking one name statewide means repeating the search one county at a time. A search here covers California and every other US registry in one pass, returns photographs and the official record link for each result, and can be narrowed to a city, county or ZIP — or run outward from a street address.
California registry search guide · Search by address · Alerts when someone moves in
California city figures
Cities where we publish a local count, largest first:
California county figures
California statistics, answered
How many registered sex offenders live in California?
As of August 2026, we index about 62,900 sex-offender registry records in California — the 3rd-most of the 56 US jurisdictions. That is a count of the records in our continuously updated index, not California's official figure: registries add, remove and amend records all the time, so the live answer for a specific person comes from a search, not a table.
How many sex offenders does California have per capita?
About 1.6 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents, using the 2020 Census population as the denominator. California's rate of 1.6 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents ranks 41st among the US jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records, against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000. A rate describes the size of a registry relative to population — jurisdictions differ in who must register, for how long, and which registrants they publish, so it is a scale comparison rather than a safety measure.
Which California city has the most registered sex offenders?
Among the California cities we publish local pages for, Los Angeles has the most registrants we index, at about 4,684, followed by Sacramento (about 2,449). Big cities lead on raw counts because they have more people; the per-10,000 column is the fairer comparison.
Which California county has the most registered sex offenders?
Among the California counties we publish pages for, Los Angeles County has the most registrants we index, at about 14,064. Each county page breaks that figure down by city.
How does California compare with neighboring states?
California's rate is higher than 1 of its 3 neighboring jurisdictions in the table and lower than 2. Rates differ partly because states set different rules for who must register, for how long, and which registrants are shown publicly, so a neighbor comparison describes registry size relative to population rather than relative risk.
Where can I search California's sex offender registry?
California's own public search is California Megan's Law (DOJ), which covers California only. A search here covers California and every other US registry at once, with photographs and links to each official record, and can be narrowed to a California city, county or ZIP.
Are these California's official registry numbers?
No — they are approximate counts of the registrants we index for California, rounded to three significant figures and dated to August 2026. Jurisdictions count different things (people, registrations, addresses) and publish on their own terms, so no single official national table exists. For a legal or research purpose that requires California's official figure, request it from the state registry authority.
Registry data is not a consumer report, and decisions made on it are regulated in that use.
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