Sex Offender Registry Overview

Requests by email, surface mail, or fax:

Please include the following information in your request:

• First and last name of each individual and one of the following: birth date, Social Security number, driver's license number or complete address
• The employer, camp or organization name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and contact person for DCJS to call if there are questions.

Fax: (518) 485-5805

Email: [email protected]

Mail: 
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
Sex Offender Registry
80 South Swan St.
Albany, New York 12210

Requests by phone:

• Employers, camp operators or volunteer organizations must have individuals’ first and last names and one of the following for each individual: complete address, birth date, driver’s license number or Social Security number.
• Call 800-262-3257, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday (excluding legal holidays).
• Registry staff will ask callers to provide their name, address and telephone number before requesting a search.

Requests to search 20 or more individuals must be made by email and names must be in an Excel spreadsheet attached to the email.

Excel spreadsheet requirements:

• The Excel spreadsheet must contain each individual’s first and last name and either a complete birth date or a Social Security number.
• The first row in the spreadsheet must contain the following fields formatted exactly as shown:
  • LastName (no space)
  • FirstName (no space)
  • Birth_Date (underscore): must appear as MM/DD/YYYY
    or
  • SSN: must be 9 numbers with no spaces or dashes

Email [email protected] with “800 # Search” in the subject line and the Excel document attached.

• The following information must be included in the email: employer, camp or organization name; address; telephone and fax numbers; and contact information for a person that Registry staff can call if there are questions.

Anyone who was on parole or probation or incarcerated for a sex offense on January 21, 1996, must register as a sex offender with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services ("DCJS"). In addition, offenders convicted of a sex offense on or after that date, or sentenced to probation, local jail, or state prison after that date, must register upon returning to the community.

Furthermore, offenders who establish residence in New York State but were convicted in other jurisdictions (e.g. federal, military, or another state/country) must register if they have been convicted of an offense that requires registration as determined by the New York State Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders.

Any offender who has moved to New York from another state or country must register with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services no later than 10 days after moving.

• Report annually where they live by signing and returning an annual verification form to DCJS within 10 days after receiving it.
• Notify DCJS in writing of a new address no later than 10 days after moving.
• Report in person to a local police agency to have a current photograph taken every three years (Level 1 and 2 offenders) or every year (Level 3 offenders)
• Notify DCJS in writing of any institution of higher education they are attending, enrolled, living or employed. Any change in status must be reported to DCJS no later than 10 days after the change.
• Provide in writing Internet service providers, Internet screen names and e-mail accounts.
• Level 3 offenders and offenders with a sexual predator designation must personally verify their addresses every 90 days with law enforcement. Law enforcement may at that time photograph a level 3 offender if that offender’s appearance has changed.

You should not scare them with details. Children may not be able to process the graphic nature of some offenses. DCJS has many teaching tools on its website for use when talking to children. If you believe that a crime is being committed by a sex offender, contact your local law enforcement agency immediately as you would do in any case of suspected criminal activity.

You may visit the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision website, which allows you to obtain information about inmates who are in a New York State prison.

You may also go to VINELink, which is the online version of VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday), the National Victim Notification Network and click on New York State to find individuals in local jails.

• Sexual predator - Has been convicted of a sexually violent offense as defined in section 168-a of the Correction Law and who suffers from a mental abnormality or personality disorder that makes him or her likely to engage in predatory sexually violent offenses.
• Sexually violent offender - Has been convicted of a sexually violent offense as defined in section 168-a of the Correction Law.
• Predicate sex offender - Has been convicted of a sex offense when the offender has been previously convicted of a sex offense.

Level 1 offenders (low risk) must register for 20 years, unless they have a designation (e.g. sexual predator, sexually violent offender, or predicate sex offender) in which case they must register for life. Level 2 offenders (moderate risk) and Level 3 offenders (high risk) must register for life.

Only Level 2 and 3 offenders have an obligation to provide the address of their employer.

Failure to perform any of the registration obligations is a felony level crime. A first conviction is punishable as a Class E felony; a second or subsequent conviction is punishable as a Class D felony.

Yes. They must notify DCJS no later than 10 days of establishing residency in New York, and then the Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders reviews their cases to determine if they have to register in New York State. If they are registerable, then a court where the offender resides will hold a hearing to determine his/her risk level.

Yes. However, they must notify DCJS of their new address no later than 10 days after the move. Additionally, offenders must notify the local police department where they have moved that they are now living in that area and comply with whatever sex offender requirements exist in the new jurisdiction.

The Sex Offender Registration Act does not restrict where a registered sex offender may live.

If an individual is under parole or probation supervision, state law may limit them from living within 1,000 feet of a school or other facility caring for children. Please see state Executive Law Section 259-c (14) and state Penal Law Section 65.10 (4a, 5, 5-a) for more information. Use this link to access state laws for more information.

A sex offender must provide (in writing) DCJS his or her new address no later than 10 days after moving. If you have information that an offender is not living at the reported address, you should contact your local law enforcement agency.

An individual who is adjudicated as a youthful offender or juvenile delinquent is not convicted of a crime, and his or her records are not available to the public. As a result, he or she is not required to be registered in New York State. However, a juvenile offender convicted of a sex crime is required to register.

Employers must abide by New York State, local, and federal laws when making hiring decisions with regard to individuals with criminal convictions, including individuals convicted of sex crimes. Pursuant to Article 23-A of New York’s Correction Law, most employers are required to conduct an individualized assessment of job applicants with criminal convictions, including those convicted of sex crimes, to determine whether a direct relationship exists between one or more of the prior crimes and the employment sought or whether granting the employment would involve an unreasonable risk to property or the safety or welfare of specific individuals or the general public.  If an individual has been found guilty of certain crimes, he or she will not be hired for certain jobs (see, Correction Law section 751). For instance, the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) does not allow a sex offender to work on an ice cream truck.

Certain convictions permanently disqualify a registered sex offender from driving a school bus.

DCJS cannot provide legal advice about the rights and duties of a landlord. You may wish to contact an attorney. If you do not have an attorney, you may contact the New York Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service at 1-800-342-3661.

1-800-942-6906

English, español and multi-language accessibility

Text: 844-997-2121

Live Chat: opdv.ny.gov

Deaf or hard of hearing: 711

• New York State Office of Victim Services
• New York State Office of Victim Services Resource Connect
• New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Office of Victim Assistance
• Probation Departments in New York City and 57 counties across the state employ probation officers who supervise individuals required to register as sex offenders. A judge orders conditions of supervision.
• Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE)
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
• Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
• U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System administers probation and pretrial services functions in the U.S. district courts to protect the community and bring about long-term positive change in individuals under supervision.