Sex Offender Registry Background

The Sex Offender and Crimes against Minors Registry (SOR) lists all offenders required to be registered in the Commonwealth and is available via Internet pursuant to Section 9.1-913 of the Code of Virginia. Registry information provided under this section shall be used for the purposes of the administration of criminal justice, screening of current or prospective employees, volunteers or otherwise for the protection of the public in general and children in particular Unlawful use of the information for purposes of intimidating or harassing another is prohibited and willful violation shall be punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. For purposes of this section, absent other aggravating circumstances, the mere republication or reasonable distribution of material contained on or derived for the publicly available Internet sex offender database shall not be deemed intimidation or harassment.

There are two categories of sex offenders in the Commonwealth of Virginia:

"VIOLENT SEX OFFENDER" "SEX OFFENDER"

As provided by As provided by law, registrations available through the Internet are for all sex offenders required to be registered in the Commonwealth, to include individuals convicted of violent sex offenses and sex offenses. For a complete listing of sex offenses which require registration in the "Sex Offender and Crimes against Minors Registry" click here. Individuals or entities entitled by statute to obtain sex offender registry searches in the Sex Offender category shall utilize Criminal History Record and/or Sex Offender Registry Name Search Request form SP-230 or the Sex Offender and Crimes against Minors Name Search Request form SP-266. These forms may be viewed, downloaded and/or printed by clicking here. The data contained in sex offender registrations is primarily based upon information furnished by source criminal record documents such as: criminal arrest fingerprint-based charge(s), court disposition(s) or a sentencing commitment court order(s) to the Department of Corrections. In addition, certain information is furnished by self-reporting of the sex offender. Additionally, offenders may have changed their address of residence, place of employment information, offender's vehicle registration information, or the offender's Internet communication name, electronic mail address information, any instant message or chat name and failed to notify the state or local police department, so their registration may not be in a current status as statutorily mandated. Sex offender registration and re-registrations are entered into the Registry immediately upon receipt.