Santa Clara County Registered Sex Offenders

Santa Clara County sex offenders register at the Sheriff's Office at 55 West Younger Avenue in San Jose. Call 408-299-2217 for appointments. This Silicon Valley county has a large population and multiple cities with police departments that handle registration. 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 Clara County includes San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and other cities. The tier system affects registration duration under state law.

Sheriff Records Services

The Santa Clara County Sheriff handles sex offender registration at 55 West Younger Avenue in San Jose. Call 408-299-2217 for appointments. The office requires appointments for registration services. 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.

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.

Transients without permanent addresses register every 30 days. Sexually violent predators register every 90 days. The sheriff conducts compliance checks. If someone moves without updating, they issue a warrant. Registration violations are prosecuted as crimes in Santa Clara County.

California Megan's Law

You can search for Santa Clara County sex offenders at meganslaw.ca.gov. Enter a city name like San Jose, Sunnyvale, or Santa Clara. 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 Clara County is densely populated with urban and suburban areas. 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.

City Police Registration

San Jose Police Department handles registration for city residents. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety processes registrations at 700 All America Way. Hours are daily from 9:00 PM to 3:30 PM. Call 408-730-7100. Santa Clara Police Department handles registration at 1500 Warburton Avenue. Call 408-615-4700. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Other cities in the county may have their own police registration units or use the county sheriff. If you live in a city with a police department, call them first to confirm where you register. Unincorporated areas use the county sheriff.

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.

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.

CDCR Inmate Search

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.

Once released, they have five working days to register. CDCR supervises sex offender parolees with GPS devices. All parolees wear ankle monitors.

National Registry

The U.S. Department of Justice maintains a national search tool at nsopw.gov. This database covers all 50 states. Use it to check if someone registered in another state before moving to California.

Registration Statutes

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, and other offenses are included.

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.

Update rules come from Penal Code Section 290.012. Most offenders update annually. Sexually violent predators update every 90 days. Transients update every 30 days.

Cities in Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County includes several large cities. San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara all have populations over 100,000. Other cities include Palo Alto, Mountain View, Milpitas, and Cupertino. Most cities have their own police registration units.

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

Nearby Counties

Santa Clara County borders several other counties. To the north is Alameda County and San Mateo County. To the south is Santa Cruz County and San Benito County. To the east is Stanislaus County.