Sex Offender Search

A sex offender search will determine whether or not an applicant is required to register as a sex offender. This can be extremely important, especially when hiring for certain positions. Sex offender searches can be done on both a national and a state level. When searching on a national level, it will search registries in all states, as well as U.S. Territories. When searching on a state level, it will search only the registry in the applicant’s state of residence.

A sex offender search is best when combined with a criminal history check, as the sex offender database may not contain all relevant information; data in the registry depends on the state and information may be limited.

Examples of Industries That Might Require a Sex Offender Search:

• Education (or positions that interact with children)
• Legal
• Volunteers
• Financial
• Recreation
• Retail
• Staffing
• Management
• Health Services

The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) is a federal law that requires states to have a system in place that monitors, and tracks convicted sex offenders once they are released back into the community. Sex offenders are listed under three tiers based on the severity of the offense. Each tier also determines the number of years the offender must register.

• Tier 1 – must register for 15 years
• Tier 2 – must register for 25 years
• Tier 3 – must register for life

According to SORNA, the following are minimum standards:

• Extends the jurisdictions in which registration is required beyond the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the principal U.S. territories, to include also federally recognized Indian tribes.
• Incorporates a more comprehensive group of sex offenders and sex offenses for which registration is required.
• Requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
• Requires sex offenders to provide more extensive registration information.
• Requires sex offenders to make periodic in-person appearances to verify and update their registration information.
• Expands the amount of information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders.
• Makes changes in the required minimum duration of registration for sex offenders.

Click here for a map of SORNA implementation by state.

DISA’s sex offender registry checks will help provide employers with potential insight into an applicant’s previous noteworthy behavior. Checks may reveal information relative to applicants with histories of sexual crimes, the severity of those offenses, personal defendant identifiers, and arrest dates.