Georgia Sex Offender Registration Process

Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 42-1-12) requires that those mandated to register as sex offenders follow a series of steps to stay in compliance with the law:

• First, the offender must provide the required registration information to the appropriate official before being released from prison or placed on parole, supervised release, or probation.

• Next, the offender must register in person with the sheriff of the county in which they reside within 72 hours of being released from prison or placed on parole, supervised release, or probation. (If the offender is homeless, they must register with the sheriff in the county in which they sleep and provide the location in which they sleep.)

• If the offender moves to another residence, they must provide information regarding their new address to the sheriff in the county in which they last registered 72 hours prior to moving. In addition, they must register with the sheriff in their new county of residence within 72 hours of moving there. (If the offender is homeless, they must provide information on their new sleeping location to both the sheriff in the county where they last registered and the sheriff in their new county within 72 hours of changing locations.)

• An offender from out of state must register with the sheriff in the county in which they reside within 72 hours of moving into Georgia.

• An offender moving from Georgia to another state must register their new address with both the sheriff of the county in which they last registered (in Georgia) and the designated law enforcement agency in the new state within 72 hours of establishing residence in that state.

• If any of the offender's registration information (other than their address or sleep location) changes, the offender must update their registration information with their local sheriff within 72 hours of any such change.

• The offender must renew their registration information every year, by reporting in person to the sheriff of the county in which they reside within 72 hours of their birthday to be photographed and fingerprinted.

• In addition to the requirements mandated for all sexual offenders, anyone classified as a “sexually dangerous predator” must also report to their local sheriff six months following his or her birth month and update or verify registration information.

• The offender must comply with all registration requirements for their entire life, excluding periods of incarceration (unless they gain removal from the sex offender registry).
  

If an offender fails to meet these requirements – whether by not registering, providing false information, moving without notifying the sheriff, or breaking any other of these rules – they can be found guilty of Failure to Register As A Sex Offender.

A conviction for this offense is a felony and can be punished by one to 30 years in prison for a first offense and five to 30 years in prison for a second offense. Anyone found to have helped a sex offender avoid registration requirements can be charged with Harboring, Concealing, or Withholding Information Concerning A Sexual Offender, which is also a felony.