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INDIANA SHERIFFS' SEX OFFENDER REGISTRYTo check on the location of a perpetrator incarcerated within the Indiana Department of Corrections click here: Effective January 1, 2003, Zachary’s Law requires sheriff departments to jointly establish and maintain the Indiana Sheriffs' Sex Offender Registry to provide detailed information about individuals who register as sex or violent offenders at Indiana sheriff departments (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department). The purpose of the registry is to inform the general public about the identity, location, and appearance of sex and violent offenders who live, work, or study in Indiana.
Zachary’s Law is named for Zachary Snider of Cloverdale, Indiana. Zachary was 10 years old when he was murdered by a convicted child molester in 1993. Indiana Code defines a sex and violent offender as:
The following sex and violent offenders are required to register with the Sheriff of the county that has jurisdiction where the offender intends to live, work or study for longer than seven days. (In Marion County offenders must register with the Indianapolis Police Department). That registration must occur within seven days of arriving in each jurisdiction where the offender intends to live, work or study.
When an offender registers with the Sheriff’s Department (or the Indianapolis Police Department), these authorities notify all other law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction in the area where the offender has registered. In addition to the detailed information about registered offenders, Zachary’s Law requires the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to keep Indiana’s Sex and Violent Offender Directory, a list of all offenders convicted of a sex or violent crime. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSWho is required to register in Indiana? Indiana law defines a sex and violent offender as: 1. An individual who has been convicted of any of the following offenses:
2. An individual who has been convicted of attempting to commit or conspiring to commit any of the above-listed offenses; 3. An individual who has been convicted of a crime, convicted of attempting to commit a crime, or convicted of conspiring to commit a crime under the laws of another state or in a military court that is substantially equivalent to any of the above-listed offenses; or A child who is at least 14 years of age and is on probation or parole or is discharged from a facility by the department of correction, discharged from a secure private facility, or discharged from a juvenile detention facility as a result of being adjudicated as a delinquent child for an act that would be an offense listed above if committed by an adult (see IC 31-37-1-1 to -2) http://www.ai.org/legislative/ic/code/title31/ar37/ch1.html and is found by a court to be likely to repeat an act that would be an offense listed above if committed by an adult (see IC 31-37-19-5 (b)(1)) The following sex and violent offenders are required to register with the Sheriff’s Department in the county where the offender intends to live, work or study for longer than seven (7) days. In Marion County, offenders must register with the Indianapolis Police Department.
Where do sex and violent offenders register? Each of the following registration requirements may apply to an offender depending on his or her particular circumstances: Offenders who reside in Indiana -- Must register with the Sheriff’s Department in the county where the offender resides. If an offender resides in more than one county, the offender must register with the Sheriff’s Department in each county. (In Marion County offenders must register with the Indianapolis Police Department). Offenders who own real property in Indiana and return to Indiana at any time -- Must register with the Sheriff’s Department in the county in which the real property is located. (In Marion County offenders must register with the Indianapolis Police Department). Offenders who work or carry on a vocation or intend to work or carry on a vocation in Indiana either full-time or part-time for more than 14 days in a row during any calendar year or for a total of more than 30 days whether or not they are in a row during any calendar year -- Must register with the Sheriff’s Department in the county where the offender is or intends to be employed or carry on a vocation. If an offender is or intends to be employed or carry on a vocation in more than one county, the offender must register with the Sheriff’s Department in each county. (In Marion County offenders must register with the Indianapolis Police Department). Offenders who are enrolled or intend to be enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis in any public or private educational institution in Indiana -- Must register with the Sheriff’s Department in the county where the offender is enrolled or intends to be enrolled as a student. (In Marion County offenders must register with the Indianapolis Police Department). When does registration occur? Registration must occur not more than seven (7) days after the offender arrives in each jurisdiction where the offender intends to live, work or study, either after being released from a secure facility or moving to Indiana from another state. Any time an offender changes the location of his/her address, place of employment or study the offender must re-register with the Sheriff who has jurisdiction in that location. When does the duty to register expire? Except as noted below, the duty to register expires ten (10) years after the date the offender is released from a penal facility or a secure juvenile detention facility, placed in a community transition program, placed in a community corrections program, placed on parole, or placed on probation, whichever occurred last. For individuals convicted of any of the following offenses, the duty to register is for life:
For an individual found to be a sexually violent predator by a court (see IC 35-38-1-7.5(b)) , the duty to register is for an indefinite period unless a court, assisted by a board of experts, finds that the offender is no longer a sexually violent predator. Are people who were convicted of a sex or violent offense before Indiana had a registration law required to register? Indiana’s sex and violent offender registration law initially required people convicted of specific sex offenses after June 30, 1994 and those convicted of certain violent offenses after June 30, 1998 to register with local law enforcement authorities in the communities where they intended to live, work, or study. Effective July 1, 2001, however, these dates were removed from Indiana’s sex and violent offender registration law. Consequently, offenders who may now be required to register because specific registration dates have been removed from the law may previously have been told that they did not need to register. Indiana law requires that offenders must be provided with all of the following forms of notice:
How will the Sheriff’s Department know that a sex or violent offender who is scheduled to be released from a secure facility plans to move to the county in which the department has jurisdiction? Indiana law requires that prior to the offender’s release, an official of the secure facility must provide the offender’s name, offense, date of release or transfer, and expected address to the Sheriff’s Department (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) having jurisdiction in the area where the offender expects to reside. Will local law enforcement agencies in my city or town know that a sex and violent offender has registered with the Sheriff’s Department in my county? When an offender completes a registration form, the Sheriff’s Department (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) must notify every law enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the area where the offender resides. How often is a registered sex or violent offender’s address verified? At least once a year (or at least once every 90 days for individuals determined by a court to be sexually violent predators) the Sheriff’s Department (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) must mail a registration form to each offender to verify the offender’s address. If an offender fails to return a signed registration form by mail or in person, the Sheriff’s Department (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) is required to notify the prosecuting attorney and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. What happens if a registered offender changes the place where he or she lives, works, or studies in Indiana? Any time an offender changes the location of his/her address, place of employment or study the offender must re-register with the Sheriff who has jurisdiction in that location. In addition, if an individual who is required to register changes home address or the place where he or she stays in Indiana, the individual is required to submit a new registration form not more than seven (7) days after the address change to the Sheriff’s Department (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) with whom the individual last registered. The law enforcement authority with whom the individual last registered must inform the Sheriff’s Department in the new county (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) by sending them a copy of the new registration form so they can verify the new address. Similarly, if an individual who is required to register changes his/her principal place of employment, principal place of vocation, or campus or location where he/she is enrolled in school, the individual is required to submit a new registration form not more than seven (7) days after the change to the Sheriff’s Department (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) with whom the individual last registered. The law enforcement authority with whom the individual last registered informs the Sheriff’s Department in the new county (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) by sending them a copy of the new registration form. What happens if a sex or violent offender registered in Indiana moves to another state? If an individual who is required to register moves his/her residence, place of employment, or school enrollment to a new state, the Sheriff’s Department (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) is required to inform the state police in the new state. Are sex and violent offenders allowed to change their name? By law, individuals who are required to register as sex and violent offenders cannot petition the court for a change of name. If an individual who is required to register changes his or her name due to marriage, the individual must notify the Sheriff’s Department (or, in Marion County, the Indianapolis Police Department) by submitting a new registration form not more than thirty (30) days after the name change. Are sex and violent offenders allowed to live near schools? As a condition of probation or parole, sex and violent offenders are prohibited from living within 1,000 feet of school property for the period of probation or parole unless the offender has obtained written approval from the court or parole board. Are sex and violent offenders allowed to live near the person who was the victim of their offense? As a condition of probation or parole, sex and violent offenders are prohibited from residing within one (1) mile of the victim of the offender’s offense unless a waiver as been obtained from the court or parole board. What is the penalty for failing to comply with Indiana’s sex and violent offender registration law? A sex or violent offender who knowingly or intentionally fails to register commits a Class D Felony. The offense is a Class C Felony if the individual has a prior offense for failure to register. What should I do if I know or suspect that someone has committed a sex or violent crime or is not complying with Indiana’s sex and violent offender registration law? If you believe that someone has committed a crime (including failure to register as required by law) you should not hesitate to notify local law enforcement authorities in the area where you live (i.e., city or town police, county sheriff’s department, or the county prosecuting attorney’s office). These officials are authorized to investigate crime and enforce the law. Who can I turn to for assistance as a victim of a sex or violent offense? Many Indiana counties provide services for victims of crime. These services typically are provided through the county prosecuting attorneys office, local courts, or through a victim services agency. You can contact the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute’s Victim Services Division if you need assistance locating a service provider near you: Victim Services Division The Indiana Department of Correction provides a service whereby, upon request, victims and witnesses of crimes are notified in advance of an offender’s release from a state correctional facility. The contact for the notification program offered by the Indiana Department of Correction is as follows: Victim/Witness Notification Program Where can I find the Indiana laws that govern sex and violent offender registration and the sex offender registry? Indiana Code 36-2-13-5.5 [ http://www.ai.org/legislative/ic/code/title36/ar2/ch13.html#IC36-2-13-5.5 ] (Indiana Sheriffs’ Sex Offender Registry) is available on the internet and in college and university law libraries. Indiana laws also may be obtained by working with an attorney who represents your agency or organization. Who should I contact if I would like to see changes in Indiana’s sex and violent offender registration law? In response to feedback from their constituents and the general public at large, Representatives and Senators in the Indiana General Assembly address necessary changes in Indiana laws. The Web site for the Indiana General Assembly ( www.state.in.us/legislative ) provides information on how to contact your legislators based on where you live. Megan's LawThe History of Megan's Law The law, dubbed "Megan's Law," was changed to permit the release of this information to the public. California's version of Megan's Law went into effect on September 25, 1996. This law was implemented to allow viewing of sex offender information in order to allow potential victims to protect themselves and parents to protect their children. For additional sex offender search engines please see:
For additional information please see:
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