In 1996, the California legislature passed Megan’s Law ⁹ making the sex offense registry widely available to the public. Above all, it requires registering your name, current location, and past offenses. Of course, being registered is devastating to your personal relationships and professional future. In addition, if a registered sex offender decides to move, they must notify local authorities to update the registry within five days or they face further criminal offenses.  This law also authorizes local law enforcement to let the public know if a sex offender moves into their neighborhood and whether they are deemed a public safety risk.

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Sex crime registration offenses are categorized into three tiers, classified by severity of the crime. Depending on the tier, you may be eligible to removal the registration requirements. However, some sexual offense convictions require a lifelong registration.

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Tier 1 can include indecent exposure, misdemeanor sexual battery, misdemeanor child pornography, and other misdemeanor sex crimes.

• Adult sex offenders must register for ten (10) years. ¹⁰

• Minors must register for five (5) years. ¹¹

• After the required years, Tier 1 sex offenders may petition for removal from the registry.

 

Tier 2 can include incest, non-consensual sexual acts, oral copulation or penetration with a foreign object.

• Adult sex offenders must register for twenty (20) years. ¹⁰

• Minors must register for ten (10) years. ¹¹

• After the required years, Tier 2 sex offenders may petition for removal from the registry

 

Tier 3 is the most severe, including rape, pimping a minor and child pornography.

• Sex offenders at this tier must register for life and are not eligible to petition for removal.