Los Angeles Sex Offender Records
Sex offenders in Los Angeles must register with the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPD REACT unit handles sex offender registration at multiple locations throughout the city. Anyone required to register under California Penal Code Section 290 must do so within five working days of moving to Los Angeles. After that, most offenders update once per year within five working days before or after their birthday. Transients update every 30 days. Sexually violent predators update every 90 days. You can search for Los Angeles sex offenders on the state Megan's Law website. The public database shows photos, addresses, and conviction details for registered offenders.
Los Angeles Sex Offender Quick Facts
LAPD REACT Unit
The Los Angeles Police Department operates the REACT unit for sex offender registration. REACT stands for Registration Enforcement and Compliance Team. Call 818-374-9675 for information about registration. The unit has multiple locations across the city. Offenders register at the location closest to where they live.
You must appear in person to register. Bring valid ID and court documents related to your conviction. Officers collect your current address, employment information, vehicle details, and internet identifiers. They take a new photo. All data is reported to the California Department of Justice. The DOJ updates the public Megan's Law website daily based on reports from local agencies.
No fees apply to sex offender registration in California. State law prohibits charging any fee for this process. This rule covers the initial registration and all annual updates. If an agency tries to charge a fee, report the violation to the Department of Justice.
The registration process takes about an hour. The officer will explain your registration tier and update schedule. Tier One offenders register for at least ten years. Tier Two offenders register for at least twenty years. Tier Three offenders register for life. Some offenders can petition the court to end registration after completing the minimum period.
Los Angeles County Resources
Los Angeles is the largest city in Los Angeles County. The county probation department supervises some sex offenders through a specialized program. This program monitors high-risk individuals and conducts compliance checks. It works with local police to verify addresses and ensure compliance with registration requirements.
Los Angeles County has over 80 incorporated cities. The LAPD handles registration for areas within the city of Los Angeles. Other cities like Long Beach, Pasadena, and Inglewood have their own police departments. Unincorporated areas and contract cities use the county sheriff. If you move from Los Angeles to another city in the county, register at the new location within five working days.
California Megan's Law Website
Search for Los Angeles sex offenders at meganslaw.ca.gov. This is the official California sex offender registry. You can search by address, zip code, or name. Enter a Los Angeles address to see offenders living nearby. The map tool shows pins for each registered person within the radius you select. Click a pin to view the full profile.
Each profile includes a photo, physical description, date of birth, and verified address. The site lists the crimes that led to registration. Most profiles show the person's registration tier. Some offenders are excluded from the public website by court order. These people still register with local police, but their information does not appear online. The law protects certain juvenile offenders and some low-level misdemeanor offenders from public disclosure.
Before you search, you must read a disclaimer. The site warns that misusing registry information is a crime. Do not use the data to harass or harm an offender or their family. Penalties are serious. Using the data to commit a misdemeanor brings fines between $10,000 and $50,000. Using it to commit a felony brings five years in prison. Civil lawsuits are also possible.
Registered sex offenders cannot use the search function. Anyone required to register who accesses the tool faces a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. The law aims to prevent offenders from using the system to locate other registrants or potential victims.
Compliance and Supervision
LAPD officers conduct compliance checks on registered sex offenders. They visit the addresses offenders have reported to verify people live where they say they do. These checks help keep the registry accurate. If an offender moves without updating their registration, police can issue a warrant. Registration violations are prosecuted as felonies or misdemeanors depending on the circumstances.
Some offenders wear GPS ankle monitors. California requires all sex offender parolees to be tracked with electronic devices. The CDCR Sex Offender Management Program has used GPS monitoring since 2008. The system alerts parole agents if the person enters a restricted area like a school or park. This program is one of the largest GPS monitoring efforts by a single law enforcement agency in the United States.
High-risk offenders receive enhanced supervision. They may have additional restrictions on where they can live or work. Some must participate in treatment programs as a condition of parole or probation. Parole agents work with local police to keep tabs on these individuals. The goal is to protect the community while helping offenders comply with the law.
California Registration Laws
California Penal Code Section 290 is the Sex Offender Registration Act. This law lists all crimes that require registration. Examples include rape, lewd acts with minors, sexual battery, indecent exposure, and possession of child pornography. The law also covers attempts and conspiracies to commit these offenses.
Senate Bill 384 created a three-tier system that took effect on January 1, 2021. Before that date, most sex offenders registered for life. Now they are divided into tiers based on the severity of their crime. Lower-level offenses like misdemeanor sexual battery fall into Tier One with a minimum of ten years. Mid-level crimes like lewdness with a minor under 14 are Tier Two with a minimum of twenty years. Serious offenses like rape and crimes involving force are Tier Three with lifetime registration.
Tier One and Two offenders can petition the court to end registration after the minimum period. The court has 60 days to respond to the petition. If granted, the person is removed from the public website and no longer has to register. Tier Three offenders cannot petition. They register for life unless they receive a pardon or other legal remedy.
Penal Code Section 290.012 sets update requirements. Most offenders update once per year within five working days of their birthday. Sexually violent predators update every 90 days. Transients with no permanent address update every 30 days. The law says no entity may charge fees for registration. This prohibition is mandatory statewide.
Penal Code Section 290.46 mandates internet disclosure through the Megan's Law website. The Department of Justice publishes information on most registered sex offenders. The statute specifies what data can be disclosed, including name, photo, address, and conviction details. Some categories of offenders are excluded from public view by law.
Other Los Angeles County Cities
Many other large cities in Los Angeles County have their own registration offices. Long Beach uses the Long Beach Police Department. Pasadena, Torrance, Inglewood, and Pomona also have dedicated police department registration units. Lancaster and Palmdale use the Los Angeles County Sheriff. If you move to a different city, register at the new location within five working days.
Additional Information
The California Department of Justice oversees the statewide sex offender registry. Visit oag.ca.gov/sex-offender-reg for information about registration laws, forms, and updates. You can download the Application for Exclusion from Internet Disclosure if you qualify. Other forms cover internet identifier registration and college course enrollment.
CDCR operates the California Incarcerated Records and Information Search system. Use this tool at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov to look up individuals in state custody. Search by name or CDCR number. Results show the person's age, admission date, current location, and parole hearing dates.
The national sex offender registry at nsopw.gov searches all 50 states. Use it to check if someone registered in another state before moving to California. The database is managed by the U.S. Department of Justice. It combines data from local, state, and federal sources into one search tool.