Appendix: Conviction-based registries by state

 

This table accompanies the briefing, When bad policies spread: The expansion of the “sex offense registry” model to other convictions. It covers 22 states and D.C. that have created or expanded registries to include conviction types beyond those required by federal law.

Every state is required to maintain a public registry of people convicted of certain sex-based offenses, and we found that nearly half of all states maintain some sort of registry or database of people convicted of even more types of convictions, despite the overwhelming evidence that registries do not prevent victimization and actually cause additional harm. Note that this list may not be comprehensive; it is intended to give a sense of the reach of these conviction-based registries.

Unless otherwise noted, the registries in this table are public and come with individual registration requirements — that is, actions they must personally take to comply with the law. The duration of the requirement to register shown in this table is the “default” duration according to the statute; in most cases, a person can petition to have their information removed from the registry sooner, after a certain period of compliance and with no new convictions. Registration fees may be determined by registering agencies rather than stipulated by law.

Registry 1 Registry 2 Registry 3
State Registry Duration and fees Comments Registry Duration and fees Comments Registry Duration and fees Comments
Ala. Drugs 7 or 10 years depending on conviction. No fee. Individuals with qualifying convictions are automatically entered into and removed from this tracking system. Law enforcement and stop-sale alert use only.
Calif. Arson 5 years to lifetime depending on date of conviction. If adjudicated in juvenile court, registration until age 25 or until records are sealed. No fee mentioned in statute. Law enforcement use only. Gang affiliation 5 years. No fee mentioned in statute. Law enforcement use only. Firearms Registration required as long as someone is prohibited from owning a firearm. No fee. This is a system for tracking firearms and their owners which is cross-checked with databases indicating prohibited status, such as felony or certain misdemeanor conviction, being placed under a restraining order, or having a serious mental illness. It is populated and managed automatically; there are no individual registration requirements.
Conn. Deadly weapons No limit to the duration. No fee mentioned in statute. Law enforcement use only.
D.C. Firearms 2 years. No fee mentioned in statute.
Del. Animal abuse 5 or 15 years depending on conviction. No fee. Individuals with qualifying convictions are automatically entered into and removed from this tracking system.
Fla. Violence (“career offender”) Lifetime registration. No fee mentioned in statute. Any felony (also tracks gang affiliation) Duration not specified in statute. No fee mentioned in statute. Law enforcement use only. If the felony conviction is for an offense that was found to have been gang-related, individuals must disclose that information when registering. Soliciting for prostitution Not applicable. This registry struggled with implementation challenges, resulting in fewer entries than anticipated. The law was repealed as of Jan. 1, 2024.
Hawai‘i Non-sexual crimes against children (“offender against minors”) Lifetime registration. No fee mentioned in statute. These conviction types are included on a combined registry that includes the state's registry for people convicted of sex-based offenses.
Ill. Combined: Violence and non-sexual crimes against children (“murderer and violent offender against youth”) 10 years or lifetime registration, depending on conviction. One-time $20 registration fee and $10 annual renewal fee. Drugs (“methamphetamine manufacturer”) Duration not specified in statute. No fee. Individuals with qualifying convictions are entered into this registry by the State Police through information sharing with circuit court clerks and the Director of Corrections. There is no individual requirement to register. Arson 10 years. No fee. Individuals with qualifying convictions are entered into this registry by the State Police. There is no individual requirement to register.
Ind. Violence 10 years or lifetime registration, depending on conviction. Registration fee of up to $50 annually, set by the county, plus an address change fee of up to $5 per address change. These conviction types are included on a combined registry that includes the state's registry for people convicted of sex-based offenses.
Kan. Combined: Violence and drugs 15 years or lifetime registration, depending on conviction(s). $30 per registration per county. These conviction types are included on a combined registry that includes the state's registry for people convicted of sex-based offenses.
La. Violence (“violent offenses against peace officers” and “terrorism”) 10 years. No fee mentioned in statute. Law enforcement use only. According to a 2023 Auditor's report, this registry struggled with implementation challenges, resulting in fewer entries than anticipated. Improvements were recommended. Arson 10 years or lifetime registration, depending on number of convictions. No fee mentioned in statute. Law enforcement use only. Non-sexual crimes against children (“child abuse and neglect”) 10 years or lifetime, depending on number of convictions. No fee mentioned in statute. This registry provides limited information to the public. It is searchable by phone number, email address, and online screen names. It will indicate whether the search term is affiliated with someone on the registry.
Mich. Drugs (“methamphetamine-related offense”) 5 or 10 years, depending on the conviction. No fee. This tracking system is used to generate stop-sale alert at retail outlets. The State Police facilitate information sharing between courts and the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators. There is no individual requirement to register. Non-sexual crimes against children (“child abuse and neglect”) Lifetime. No fee. These conviction types are included on the state's Central Registry, maintained by Children's Protective Services, even if they did not originate with CPS cases. The registry is for use by employers of child care providers, but parents are also able to submit requests to learn whether an individual is on it. Information is submitted by the court. There are no individual registration requirements.
Minn. Violence 10 years or lifetime registration, depending on conviction. No fee mentioned in statute. These conviction types are included on a combined registry that includes the state's registry for people convicted of sex-based offenses. The statute requires people charged with (but not convicted of) eligible offenses to register if they are convicted of any crime "arising out of the same set of circumstances." A publicly accessible database shows information about "Level III risk" individuals and those who have been out of compliance for 30 days or more. Combined: domestic violence, gang affiliation, non-sexual crimes against children, firearms (“crimes against the person”) 10 years or lifetime, depending on number of convictions. No fee mentioned in statute. These conviction types are included on a combined registry that includes the state's registry for people convicted of sex-based offenses. This statute requires individuals with certain criminal histories to register if they are convicted of a broader list of crimes, including domestic assault, crimes committed for the benefit of a gang, malicious punishment of a child, or unlawful possession of a firearm, among others. A publicly accessible database shows information about "Level III risk" individuals and those who have been out of compliance for 30 days or more. Drugs (“methamphetamine manufacture”) 15 years. No fee. This is part of the state's Public Criminal History database. Individuals with qualifying convictions are automatically entered into and removed from this tracking system.
Mont. Combined: violence, drugs (methamphetamine manufacture), domestic violence, and arson 10 years or lifetime registration, depending on subsequent convictions. Fees are determined by registering agencies. In at least one county (Ravalli) the fee is $25. These conviction types are included on a combined registry that includes the state's registry for people convicted of sex-based offenses.
N.D. Non-sexual crimes against children (“offenders against children”) 15 years to lifetime registraton, depending on risk level and number of convictions. No fee mentioned in statute. These conviction types are covered by the same statute that outlines registration requirements for sex-based convictions, but appear in a separate data file.
Nev. Combined: violence, any felonies (“Convicted person registration”) Duration not specified in statute. No fee mentioned in statute. Law enforcement use only. Individuals convicted of a Category A felony, or the equivalent in any jurisdiction, are required to register. Individuals convicted of two or more felonies of any kind are required to register.
Ohio Violence 10 years. $50 enrollment fee, $25 annual renewal fee. Law enforcement use only. Arson 10 years to lifetime registration, with lifetime registration as the default. $50 registration fee and $25 annual renewal fee. Law enforcement and firefighting agency use only. “Habitual OVI/OMWI offenders” No limit to duration in statute. No fee. Individuals with five or more qualifying convictions within 20 years are automatically entered into this registry.
Okla. Violence 10 years or lifetime registration, depending on number of convictions. No fee mentioned in statute. Individuals required to register may not work with children or work on school premises. Drugs (methamphetamine-related) 10 years. No fee mentioned in statute. This registry is used to generate stop-sale alerts but is also publicly accessible. Individuals with qualifying convictions are entered into and removed from the registry automatically, unless they were convicted out-of-state.
Tenn. Drugs 10 years. No fee mentioned in statute. This registry is used to generate stop-sale alerts but is also publicly accessible. Individuals with qualifying convictions are entered into and removed from the registry automatically. There is no individual registration requirement. Domestic violence (“persistent domestic violence offenders”) 5 to 20 years depending on number of prior convictions. $150 registration fee. This is a new registry as of 2026. Animal abuse 2 or 5 years depending on subsequent conviction. No fee. Individuals with qualifying convictions are automatically entered into and removed from this registry. There is no individual registration requirement.
Texas Combined: Violence and domestic violence (“continuous violence against the family”) Duration not specified in statute. No fee mentioned in statute. Individuals with qualifying convictions are automatically entered into and removed from this registry. There is no individual registration requirement.
Utah Non-sexual crimes against children (“child abuse”) 10 years or lifetime registration, depending on conviction(s). Annual fee of $125 (as of July 2026) or (thereafter) an amount set by the Dept. of Public Safety, plus a fee of up to $25 for the registering agency. These conviction types are included on a combined registry that includes the state's registry for people convicted of sex-based offenses. “White collar crime” 10 years to lifetime registration, depending on number of conviction(s). No fee mentioned in statute.
Va. Non-sexual crimes against children (“crimes against minors”) Must register until court order terminates registration requirement or for lifetime, depending on conviction(s). No fee mentioned in statute. These conviction types are included on a combined registry that includes the state's registry for people convicted of sex-based offenses. Animal abuse No limit to duration specified in statute. No fee mentioned in statute. This statute allows local governments to create and maintain their own public registries. The City of Richmond and Henrico County have established registries. “Dangerous dog” Registration required for the life of the dog. $150 to register, $85 to renew annually. Public registry of dogs declared "dangerous" by local courts. Animal control departments are responsible for making sure dogs are registered (they collect information and evidence from owners and enter registration information with them).
W. Va. Combined: Non-sexual crimes against children and vulnerable adults (“central abuse registry”) 10 years. $125 annual fee. These conviction types are included on a central registry maintained by the State Police. The registry is for use by law enforcement, school systems, Child Protective Services, and other authorized requestors.

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