Guides
California Sex Offender Map: How to Search It
California's official sex offender map lives at the Megan's Law site. Learn how to search by name, address, or ZIP, and why some listings show less detail.
Updated July 17, 2026
If you're checking an address or someone new because you want clearer information before meeting, that instinct makes sense: California's official statewide sex offender map is the Department of Justice's free Megan's Law website at meganslaw.ca.gov. It's a publicly searchable tool covering the whole state, letting you look up registered offenders by name, address, city, or ZIP code from wherever you are.
A result on the map, or the lack of one, does not by itself confirm the listing matches the exact person you're checking on. Names and details can overlap, so it's worth reading the specifics of any listing carefully, and it's okay to slow down if something else about the situation doesn't sit right with you.
Ways to search the California Megan's Law site
The California Megan's Law website lets you search by name or by location, and those two search types cover three practical tasks: checking a specific person, checking a home or neighborhood, and checking around a point like a school or workplace. Here's what each one actually returns.
| How you search | What you get back | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| By name | A profile or list of possible matches, showing the details California law allows the site to disclose for that registrant, such as the offense and registration status | One of the two search types offered on the California Megan's Law website; useful when you already have a specific name to check |
| By address, city, or ZIP code | A map view showing nearby registrants, with pins placed at either a specific address or a general ZIP-code area depending on the registrant's category | The other search type described on the California Megan's Law website; the most common way to check a neighborhood or a home before visiting |
| Around a specific point, like a school or workplace | The same location search, centered on a spot other than a home address, so you can see registrants near that point | San Francisco Police Department guidance frames this as checking within about ten miles of home; the statewide site itself doesn't publish a set radius |
California's Megan's Law website only shows what state law allows it to show, and that is a narrower slice of information than most people expect. The Department of Justice's Megan's Law site states plainly that only information California law permits to be disclosed appears there. Penal Code section 290.46 sets three public-disclosure categories: a full home address, a community and ZIP code only, or no public listing at all. Which category a registrant falls into depends on the specific offense that required registration, not on a person's overall criminal history or how recently they were convicted. That is why two registrants can look very different on the map: one shows a full street address, another shows only a city and ZIP code, and some registrants do not appear on the public site at all even though they are still required to register with local law enforcement. These display categories track the specific offense on record; they were never designed to measure risk.
Currency is another real limit. The Megan's Law site notes that information can change quickly and that gaps or errors are possible, so the Department of Justice does not represent the data as complete or accurate at any given moment. An address that was correct last month may not be correct today.
The state's own disclaimer also warns against identifying someone by name, age, and address alone, because mistaken identification can happen with common names or partial details. Treat a listing as a starting point to verify, never as a final answer on its own. If the name is a common one, compare the listing's age and photo against what you already know, and remember that people move, so the listed community or ZIP code can be outdated. If he's lived in another state, cross-check the same name at the national registry search.
The free state map stays the official source for California's public sex-offender disclosure, built around the categories the law allows. TheTeaReport can organize a broader criminal-history and registry check for someone before a first meeting, giving you a wider view to use alongside the free state map. The map tells you what the state discloses for a specific offense category, and a private report adds public records and identity context the map was never built to cover.
If something on a listing looks wrong, contact a local police or sheriff's department, or reach out to the Department of Justice directly, rather than trying to edit the page yourself.
For a look at how other states handle this same kind of disclosure, see the Alabama sex offender search and Alaska's sex offender registry search guides.
Sources and further reading
- California Megan's Law Website: The state's official, free registry search, and the primary source for what it does and doesn't disclose about registrants.
- California DOJ: Search for Registered Sex Offenders: The state's own summary of the Megan's Law site as the tool for searching the registered sex offender database.
- National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW): A national search tool for checking registries across state lines when California's map alone isn't enough.
- FBI: Sex Offender Registry Websites: Federal guidance explaining the national registry website and how it connects to state-level tools like California's.
- Penal Code section 290.46 (FindLaw): The state law that sets what can be disclosed publicly, why some registrants are excluded, and how offense category affects address detail.
- Contra Costa County Sheriff: Megan's Law: An example of a county sheriff page that points back to the state database and adds local contact information.
- San Diego County Sheriff: Megan's Law Disclaimer: A local agency's version of the state's disclaimer on data currency, errors, and how to report a suspected mistake.
What else should I know about using California's sex offender map correctly?
What if I think a listing is wrong or out of date?
Registry information can be wrong or out of date. If a listing looks off, don't try to fix it yourself. Contact your local police or sheriff's department, or use the contact options on the official Megan's Law site at https://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/ to ask the California Department of Justice to look into it.
Why does my search show a full address for one person but only a city and ZIP for another?
It comes down to the specific offense. That difference is built into state law: the offense category decides how much address detail the site can show. Only certain convictions, like some rape, sodomy, or lewd-act offenses, qualify for a full street address to be posted, while others show just a community and ZIP code.
Can I check one specific address instead of a whole neighborhood?
Yes. You can search by a single street address, and the map will show pins for any registrants near that spot, including full addresses where the law allows it and general ZIP-code areas where it doesn't. This is a common way to check a place before visiting, whether it's a date's home or a new neighborhood.
Why doesn't a nearby offender show up when I search my area?
Some registrants do not appear on the public site because California law limits which registration information can be disclosed. They're still required to register with local law enforcement even though they don't show up in a public search, so a search can be done correctly and still miss someone.
Is the California map the only place to check?
It's the main statewide tool, but it's not the only one. The national registry search at nsopw.gov lets you check across state lines if someone has lived elsewhere, and county sheriff sites sometimes add local detail the state map doesn't show.
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