Guides
How to Search the DC Sex Offender Registry
Search DC's official sex offender registry by name, address, or police district, and learn why addresses stop at the block and what Class A/B listings mean.
Updated July 18, 2026
Wondering where to search the DC sex offender registry and what it will actually show you? The official tool is sexoffender.dc.gov, run by the Metropolitan Police Department, and it covers only people registered in the District of Columbia, not Maryland or Virginia.
You can search by name or nickname, address, or police district, and browse results as a list or on a map. If you're checking on someone from another state, that state runs its own registry. One thing worth sitting with before you dig further: a registry search only shows people convicted of offenses that require DC registration, so it's a starting point, not the full picture of anyone's history.
Which search method to use on the DC registry
Sexoffender.dc.gov offers a few ways to look someone up, and each one shows a different view. This table helps you pick the right starting point for what you already know.
| If you know... | Use this search | What you'll see |
|---|---|---|
| A name or nickname | Name/Nickname search | Pulls up a specific listing if that person is publicly registered in DC (the site shows the two most serious registration categories). |
| A specific address | Address search | Shows registered offenders tied to that block, not an exact street number. |
| A neighborhood or police district | Police district or geographic area search | Returns public Class A and Class B listings matching that district, useful for a broader area check. |
| You want to browse instead of search one person | List All Offenders / map view | Toggles between a full list and a map layout covering Class A and Class B registrants citywide. |
The District's registry exists because of the Sex Offender Registration Act of 1999, a DC law that took effect in 2000. It gives the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) authority to maintain offender records and gives the Metropolitan Police Department authority to publish parts of that information to the public. That legal structure explains both what the site shows you and why it stops short of showing everything CSOSA knows.
Why you only see Class A and Class B
MPD's website publishes Class A and Class B offenders only. Class A offenders were convicted of the most serious offenses, such as certain sex offenses against a child under 12 or forcible rape, and they register for life with updates every 90 days. Class B offenders were convicted of other offenses against a minor, or against a ward, patient, or client, and they register for 10 years with yearly updates. A third group, Class C offenders, exists in the law but is left off the public website. You can only see Class C records by reviewing the full registry in person.
Why addresses stop at the block
Home, work, and school addresses on the site are shown at the block level, not the exact street address. This is a deliberate limit built into how MPD is allowed to release registrant information, balancing community awareness against a registrant's exact location. If you need the complete list, including Class C offenders, you can review it in person at an MPD district station or at the MPD Sex Offender Registry Unit, located at 441 4th Street NW, Suite 550 South, Washington, DC 20001 (202-727-4407).
What a registry check can't tell you
A registry search only shows people who were convicted of an offense that requires registration in DC. The public site is limited to listed Class A and Class B registrants in the available data, so a common name or thin identity details can make a possible match hard to confirm. It also can't show conduct outside registration requirements, since arrests that never led to a qualifying conviction, or offenses handled entirely in another state, may not appear here. It says nothing about someone's marriage history, other criminal or court records, or civil disputes, since those live outside the sex offender registry entirely.
If you're trying to get a fuller picture of someone before a first meeting or a bigger step in the relationship, a private background report from TheTeaReport can look at those additional angles, including public records and relationship clues, alongside the registry check itself. For a broader sense of how registry rules differ elsewhere, you can also look at the Alabama sex offender search guide or the Alaska sex offender registry guide.
Sources and further reading
- DC Sex Offender Registry (sexoffender.dc.gov): The official District registry search tool, with name, address, and area lookup options plus the MPD Sex Offender Registry Unit contact details.
- List All Offenders: The full list and map view of Class A and Class B offenders currently registered in the District.
- Sex Offender Registry | MPD: MPD's page explaining that the public site covers Class A and Class B offenders only, as a service to the community.
- Sex Offender Registration Fact Sheet (CSOSA): Explains the Sex Offender Registration Act of 1999, Class A/B/C definitions, block-level address rules, and in-person review locations.
- Sex Offender Registry dataset | Open Data DC: A GIS dataset showing registrant locations at the block level, maintained with data from CSOSA.
- Sex Offender Registry Websites | FBI: The FBI's overview of the national registry system, useful if you also need to check states beyond DC.
- § 22-4011, Community notification duties of MPD: The DC Code section authorizing MPD to publish Class A and Class B offender information online.
What should I know before searching the DC sex offender registry?
Can I get the exact street address instead of just a block?
Not online. The published site stops at the block on purpose, so for a specific address or the full registry, including offenders not shown on the website, you can review it in person at any MPD district station or the Sex Offender Registry Unit at 441 4th Street NW, Suite 550 South (202-727-4407).
Does it matter whether someone is listed as Class A or Class B?
It affects how long that person stays visible. Class A involves the most serious convictions and means lifetime registration, so those listings don't expire. Class B registration runs 10 years, so an older Class B conviction can eventually drop off the registry even though it happened. The class label alone does not tell you when the offense occurred, so review any available case or source details before drawing a conclusion.
Can I search a whole neighborhood or radius instead of one name?
Yes. The site lets you search by address, police district, or general geographic area, and you can browse the full list as a map instead of looking up one person at a time.
If no one shows up near an address, does that mean the area is fine?
It means the search didn't return a matching public Class A or Class B listing for the area and details you entered at that moment. It doesn't cover Class C records, people convicted of offenses that don't require registration, mismatched search details, or anything that changes afterward. Treat it as one piece of information, not a final answer.
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