Arizona Sex Offender Registry: How to Search

Arizona's statewide registry lets you search two ways: by a person's name or by records near a location. Start with whatever information you already have, then confirm a match using more than the name alone.

Search by name or location

For a name search, enter the fullest spelling you have. If the results list is long, add a middle name or initial and compare the city and age. Spelling differences, aliases, and address changes can all change which records show up.

For a location search, enter the address the OffenderWatch site asks for and pick a search radius. Check that radius before you read the results: a narrow radius can miss someone just outside it, while a wide one can pull in several neighborhoods. Jot down the date, your search terms, and the radius in case you need to run the same search again later.

If you're running this search before a first date, the background-check-before-meeting guide shows how to pair it with basic identity checks without turning the whole thing into an investigation.

Confirm a possible match

Compare several details before deciding a record belongs to the person you're looking for:

• Review the full name, including middle names or initials.
• Compare the current photo with any other photos shown.
• Check the listed age, address, and city.
• Read the offense and jurisdiction rather than relying on a search preview.
• Note which law-enforcement agency is listed with the record.

A shared first and last name alone doesn't confirm a match. If key details don't line up, contact the agency listed with the record and share the profile link or identifying details so they can confirm what's current.

Read the public record

Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-3827 requires the public website to list the name, address, age, current photograph, offense, and notification level once a risk assessment is complete. A profile may show more fields than that, so read each date by its label instead of assuming what it means: an offense date, conviction date, photo date, and registration update date all describe different events.

The offense field names the conviction or adjudication that triggered registration. Offense names vary by jurisdiction, so check both the wording and where the case was handled. A registry entry is not an arrest report or a full criminal record.

Arizona law requires DPS to update names, addresses, and photos on the public website every year and verify registry addresses annually. People on the registry also have to report certain changes on their own. None of this makes every field real-time, so if you suspect an error, the agency tied to that record is the best place to confirm it.

Notification levels and the public website

Arizona sorts registered offenders into three notification levels through a risk assessment. The level decides how far law enforcement spreads the word in the community. Under § 13-3825, level 2 and level 3 cases get broader notification. Local law enforcement keeps information on level 1 cases, though certain level 1 cases involving a dangerous crime against a child also require broader notification.

The public website lists people assessed at level 2 or level 3. It also lists people convicted of specific offenses named in § 13-3827, even if they don't fall under the level-based rule. Registration, notification level, and appearing on the website are three separate things under Arizona law, and they don't always move together.

The local law-enforcement agency reviews the information, assigns the notification level, and generally has 45 days from receiving that information to complete community notification. If a community doesn't have a chief law-enforcement officer, the county sheriff takes on those duties.

When a record changes or appears out of date

Run the name search again with any spelling variation you know, then try the location search for the current area. If the record still looks inconsistent, contact the agency listed on the profile. The Arizona DPS Sex Offender Compliance page also lists county contacts and registration locations.

Addresses, photos, and other fields change as agencies receive and process updates. Whether a record shows up on the public website can also differ from whether someone is still required to register, since § 13-3827 sets separate rules for what appears on the internet listing. Arizona law lets a registration or community-notification duty end in limited situations, including certain juvenile cases and specific court orders. For qualifying kidnapping or unlawful-imprisonment convictions involving a minor, § 13-3821 sets a ten-year registration period when its conditions are met, though a prior registration-triggering conviction makes registration last for life.

What a no-match means

A no-match means your search terms didn't turn up a matching record on Arizona's public website. It doesn't mean everyone required to register shows up there, since the law sets separate rules for what gets published online. Try both the name and location tools, double check spelling and radius, and ask the relevant agency if something specific still doesn't add up.

For searches outside Arizona, use the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website to reach the relevant state, territory, or tribal registry.

Use the registry alongside a broader dating check

The Arizona registry answers one narrow question about public records. It doesn't cover the fuller picture of someone's identity or other criminal-record history. The guide to what a background check shows covers the usual record categories, and the guide to checking someone without an SSN covers what still helps when you don't have much information.

Keep the same precautions you'd use before meeting any new date: pick a public place, drive yourself, and tell a friend where you'll be. If identity details or a registry result still don't add up, pause and verify them before you meet.