Georgia Conditions of Use

In accordance with O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is the central repository for Georgia's Violent Sexual Offender Registry. This registry holds information pertaining to sex offenders who have been released from prison, placed on probation, parole, or supervised release after July 1, 1996.

According to the provisions of O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12, an offender will be notified by the Department of Corrections, the Georgia Board of Pardons & Paroles, and/or Private Probation Agencies that he/she must register as a sex offender with the Sheriff or Sheriffs at their:

  • county of residence;
  • county of employment; and
  • county where attending school.

The following offenders are required to register:

Offenders placed on probation, parole, supervised release or released from prison after July 1, 1996, for one or more of the following offenses:

  • O.C.G.A. § 16-6-1 Rape
  • O.C.G.A. § 16-6-2 Sodomy (against a minor); Aggravated Sodomy (against a minor or an adult)
  • O.C.G.A. § 16-6-3 Statutory Rape (unless the age of the perpetrator is 18 years of age or younger)
  • O.C.G.A. § 16-6-4 Child Molestation; Aggravated Child Molestation
  • O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5 Enticing a child for indecent purposes
  • O.C.G.A. § 16-6-22.2 Aggravated Sexual Battery
  • Kidnapping of a minor, except by a parent
  • False imprisonment of a minor except by a parent
  • Criminal sexual conduct toward a minor
  • Solicitation of a minor to engage in sexual contact
  • Use of a minor in sexual performance
  • Solicitation of a minor to practice prostitution
  • Any conviction resulting from an underlying sexual offense against a victim who is a minor
  • Use of a minor to engage in any sexually explicit conduct to produce any visual medium depicting such conduct
  • Creating, publishing, selling, or distributing any material depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct
  • Transmitting, making, selling, buying, or disseminating by means of a computer any descriptive or identifying information regarding a child for the purpose of offering or soliciting sexual conduct of or with a child or the visual depicting of such conduct
  • Any conduct which, by its nature, is a sexual offense against a minor (this language replaces O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12 (a)(4)(A)(vii)

Offenders convicted in a federal court, military court or a court of another state or territory for any offense which under the laws of this state would be classified as a violation of O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12 and the offender will be establishing residence in the State of Georgia.

Sexually violent predators who suffer from a mental abnormality or a personality disorder that would make the person likely to engage in a predatory sexually violent offense. Sexual predators are determined by the sentencing court with the approval of the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board.

Sexual offenders will remain on the registry for a period of ten (10) years and shall receive a verification form each year on the anniversary of their initial registration. Sexual predators are required to verify their information every 90 days and remain on the registry for life.

As of July 1, 1999, sexual offenders who have more than one prior conviction for an offense listed in O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12, or who have been convicted of an aggravated offense such as aggravated child molestation, will remain on the registry for life and shall receive a verification form each year on the anniversary of their initial registration.

If the offender is enrolled, employed or carries on a vocation at an institution of higher education in this state, he/she shall provide the name, school address, or enrollment status. The offender shall give the new information to the Sheriff or Sheriffs with whom he/she last registered and the Sheriff or Sheriffs of the county to which he/she are changing residence address, employment address, vocation address, school name, school address, or enrollment status not later than ten days after the information has changed.

If an offender moves to another county in the State of Georgia, he/she is required to register with the Sheriff of his/her new county of residence in addition to notifying the Sheriff of his/her previous county of residence.

If an offender moves to another state, he/she is required to report to the Sheriffs office he/she last registered with in the State of Georgia and to the designated law enforcement agency in his/her new state of residence.

"Any person who is required to register under this Code section and who fails to comply with the requirements of this Code section or who provides false information shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than three years; provided, however, that upon the conviction of the second or subsequent offense under this subsection, the defendant shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than three years or by a fine in an amount of up to $100,000.00, or both." (O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12(h).

O.C.G.A. § 42-1-12 (i)(3) states "the Georgia Bureau of Investigation or any sheriff maintaining records required under this code section shall release relevant information collected under this code section that is necessary to protect the public." However, due to the fact this information is continually changing, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation makes no expressed or implied guarantee concerning the accuracy of this information.