Is it possible to get off a sex offender registry?
It’s possible. For some people, being charged with a sex crime doesn’t mean a lifetime on the registry. There are laws that do provide for the removal of a person’s information from these registries. The way to remove a registry are based in state law, though there is a federal law that does attempt to standardize removal laws. Only eight states currently follow the federal law.
What is the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006?
The act states that sex offenders are classified into three different tiers. Those who keep a clean record are tier one offenders. After 10 years, they may request the removal of their information from the registry. Tier two offenders may request removal after 25 years, and tier three offenders must stay on the registry for life.
There are many states that don’t follow this format, and in those cases, the way to get your name removed from a registry would be to appeal using one of several options. One would be to appeal because an offense is no longer a crime. If the crime wasn’t sexual in nature, you can also appeal. If your probation is over, if you have had a long period of time without reoffending, or if you have an expunged record, you may ask to have your information removed from the registry. The same applies if you were under the age of 18 when you were convicted.
If a conviction is overturned or you are pardoned, then your name must be removed by law.
Source: Findlaw Blotter, “Possible to Get Off Sex Offender Registry?,” Stephanie Rabiner, Esq., accessed June 01, 2016