Santa Barbara County Sex Offender Search

Santa Barbara County sex offenders register with the Sheriff's Office. Visit sbsheriff.org for current contact information and procedures. This coastal county handles registration through the sheriff's department. Most offenders update once per year within five days of their birthday. Transients register every 30 days. Sexually violent predators report every 90 days. You can search for local offenders on the California Megan's Law website using a city name or street address. Results include photos, physical descriptions, and conviction details. Santa Barbara County stretches from the coast to inland valleys. The tier system affects registration duration. Ten years for Tier One. Twenty years for Tier Two. Life for Tier Three under California law.

Sheriff Registration Office

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff handles sex offender registration. Contact the sheriff for current procedures and office hours. The office processes registrations in person. Staff are trained in state laws. Offenders bring ID and proof of address. A deputy fills out forms and takes a photo. All data goes into the state system that feeds the Megan's Law website.

First-time registrants report within five working days after release from custody. That deadline is set by state law. Missing it is a crime. The initial registration includes your address, employment details, vehicle information, and internet identifiers. The deputy verifies your ID and enters the data into the California Sex and Arson Registry.

Annual updates happen near your birthday. You have five working days before or after the date. Bring updated information about any changes. New address, new job, new car, new email accounts. All must be reported. The deputy updates the system and takes a new photo. No fees apply to registration in California. State law prohibits charging for this service.

Transients without permanent addresses register every 30 days. They report where they are staying. Sexually violent predators register every 90 days regardless of housing status. The sheriff conducts compliance checks throughout the county. Deputies visit addresses to confirm offenders live where they claim. If someone moves without updating, the sheriff issues a warrant.

California Megan's Law

You can search for Santa Barbara County sex offenders at meganslaw.ca.gov. Enter a city name like Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, or Lompoc. Or type a street address. The map shows pins for each offender near that location. Click a pin to see the profile. It includes a photo, physical description, conviction information, and registration tier.

Most offenders have full addresses posted. Some only show a zip code. A few are marked undisclosed per court order. The law decides who gets listed and how much detail appears. Not every registered sex offender shows up on the public site. Some are excluded based on the type of crime or their age when convicted. But the most serious cases usually appear.

Santa Barbara County has coastal cities and inland towns. Offenders live throughout the county. The Megan's Law site covers all locations. You can search the whole county or focus on one city. The site also has special search options for schools and parks. It draws a radius around those places and lists offenders within that distance.

Registration Requirements

When you register in Santa Barbara County, bring valid photo ID. A California driver license or state ID card works. You need proof of residence. A lease, utility bill, or mail with your name and address helps. If you own a vehicle, have the registration ready. List all email addresses and social media accounts. State law requires disclosing internet identifiers.

The deputy fills out forms with you. They enter data into the computer. A photo is taken. You sign paperwork confirming everything is correct. If your information changes later, report it within five working days. That includes new addresses, new jobs, new vehicles, and new online accounts. Keeping the registry accurate is your legal duty.

State DOJ Resources

The California Department of Justice runs the statewide sex offender registry. Visit oag.ca.gov/sex-offender-reg for policy information and forms. Offenders can download the Application for Exclusion from Internet Disclosure if they qualify. The DOJ reviews requests and issues decisions. Processing takes 30 to 90 days or longer depending on case volume.

Other forms include the Internet Identifier Registration Form for reporting new email or social media accounts. There is also a DOJ Online College Course Registration Form. The DOJ publishes FAQs about Senate Bill 384, which created the tiered registration system in 2021.

Tier One offenders register for ten years. After that, they can petition the court to end their registration requirement. Tier Two offenders register for twenty years before they can petition. Tier Three offenders register for life with no option to petition unless they receive a pardon. The court decides whether to grant relief based on the facts of each case.

CDCR Inmate Lookup

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation operates CIRIS at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov. This tool lets you look up someone in state prison. Enter a name or CDCR number. The system shows current custody status, location, admission date, and parole hearing dates. This helps if you want to know when someone will be released.

Once released, they have five working days to register with the local sheriff. CDCR also supervises sex offender parolees with GPS devices. All parolees wear ankle monitors. The Sex Offender Management Program combines supervision, treatment, and electronic tracking.

National Registry

The U.S. Department of Justice maintains a national search tool at nsopw.gov. This database covers all 50 states plus U.S. territories. Use it to check if someone registered in another state before moving to California. The national registry does not replace the California Megan's Law site but adds another layer of information.

Offenders who move between states must register in each new location. The national tool helps track these movements. If you are researching someone with a multi-state history, start here. Then check the California site for current local data.

Registration Laws

Penal Code Section 290 requires sex offender registration. This law lists crimes that trigger the duty to register. Rape, lewd acts with minors, sexual battery, kidnapping for sexual purposes, indecent exposure, and possession of child pornography are all included. Anyone convicted of these offenses must register.

The three-tier system took effect on January 1, 2021. Senate Bill 384 created this structure. Lower-level offenses get Tier One with ten years of registration. Mid-level offenses get Tier Two with twenty years. The most serious crimes get Tier Three with lifetime registration.

Penal Code Section 290.46 requires the DOJ to publish sex offender information online. This statute creates the legal basis for the Megan's Law website. It also sets rules for what data can be disclosed.

Update rules come from Penal Code Section 290.012. Most offenders update annually within five working days of their birthday. Sexually violent predators update every 90 days. Transients update every 30 days. Failing to update on time is a criminal offense.

Santa Barbara County Cities

Santa Barbara County includes cities like Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Carpinteria, and Goleta. No cities in this county have populations over 100,000. All sex offenders register with the Sheriff's Office regardless of which city they live in.

Note: Only cities with populations over 100,000 have dedicated pages on this site.

Nearby Counties

Santa Barbara County borders several other counties. To the north is San Luis Obispo County. To the east is Ventura County and Kern County. To the south is Ventura County. To the west is the Pacific Ocean. Each county has its own registration system.