How To Use SD's New Sex Offender Registry
For years, information about South Dakota sex offenders was only available at local sheriff's offices in smaller communities.
But now, names, addresses, and pictures are all available online through the Attorney General's new website. This new website is easier to use, and hailed by law enforcement as a major step forward for public safety in South Dakota.
You can search for sex offenders two ways: by text or by using a map.
When searching by text, you simply enter whatever information you know. If you want to see what sex offenders live in an area, you can leave the first name and last name fields blank and just type in a street and city. Click search, and a list of sex offenders who meet that criteria will appear. You can click on each listing for more information about each person.
Searching by map can visually show you how many sex offenders live in your area. Just type in the city or county and a map of that area will appear. Each of the red dots on the map represents one sex offender.
If you click on a dot, that offender's name will appear below the map. Clicking on the words "view details" will bring up more information about that specific sex offender, including their address and picture.
The site also includes contact information for law enforcement agencies for each county across South Dakota, and a link to the National Sex Offender Registry.
Community Watch comments:
Great job South Dakota! Let's help keep each other safe and aware!
The Division of Criminal Investigation is mandated by state and federal laws to establish and maintain a registry of convicted sex offenders living in South Dakota. The purpose of this registry is to provide information to the public regarding offenders living within their community.
In 1994 South Dakota began its state sex offender registry and since that time many changes have been made. South Dakota requires lifetime registration regardless the date of commission of the offense or the date of conviction. You can find a list of qualifying sex crimes under SDCL 22-24B-1 at South Dakota Codified Laws, website http://legis.state.sd.us/statutes. South Dakota also requires registration for those convicted in another state if that state also requires registration; any attempt to commit any registerable crime; any federal, military or out of state offense that would constitute a sex crime are required to register within 5 days of arrival in the state.
The laws also apply to any juvenile fifteen years of age or older adjudicated after July 1997 of a sex crime of Sexual Contact with a person incapable of consenting, any degree of Rape and promotion of prostitution of a minor. Juveniles with out of state or federal offenses comparable to these crimes must register or if the crime was committed in another state and that state requires the adjudicated juvenile to register, they must then register here in South Dakota.
An offender must register within 5 days of coming into any county to reside, temporarily domicile, attend school, attend post-secondary education classes or work. Any offender registering in this state who is employed, carries on a vocation, or attends post secondary classes at an institution of higher education, institution of higher learning or technical institute in this state shall, within 5 days of any commencement or termination of such enrollment or employment, report to the registering agency where the institution is located and complete a Registration Update form. The registering agency is the Chief of Police of the municipality where the offender resides, domiciles, attends school, attends post-secondary education classes or works; or, if no Chief of Police exists, then it is the county Sheriff. Any offender registered in South Dakota who plans to enter another state to work, carry on a vocation or attend school must comply with that state's registration requirements as well.
Any change of residence address requires the offender to submit, within 5 days of the move, a Registration Update form to the law enforcement agency where the offender last registered. An offender registered in South Dakota who moves to another state must notify the registering agency in South Dakota where the offender last registered and provide information of their new address. The offender must also comply with any registration requirements in the new state of residency.
Offenders must register every (6) six months. They are first required to register on their birth month and then required to register six (6) months after their birth month. Each offender registered in South Dakota must go to the South Dakota law enforcement agency where the offender last registered. The offender will be sent once a year a non-forwardable verification form to their last known address. The offender is required to return the verification form to the Division of Criminal Investigation within 10 days. Failure to comply is a Class 6 Felony.
Those required to register as sex offenders may NOT establish a residence or reside within a "community safety zone". The community safety zone is 500 feet from the facilities and grounds of any school, public park, public playground, or public pool.
A violation of the registration laws is a Cls 6 Felony. Any subsequent violation is a Cls 5 Felony.
