Global Overview of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Systems

• NCJ Number: 248971
• Date Published: April 2014

Annotation

This is a country-by-country review of laws that mandate a national-level sex offender registration system.

Abstract

In 1994, the United States becamse the first county to pass a law that established a national-level sex offender registration system. Since then, 18 other countries have enacted sex offender registration laws. A few of these systems, however, are more akin to criminal history record information. These countries are included in this overview in the interest of thoroughness. The countries included in this overview of laws that mandate sex offender registry or information systems are Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Canada, France, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Jamaica, Jersey, Kenya, Maldives, Malta, Pitcairn Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, and the United States. The information provided for each country is the date the sex offender registration law was enacted, whether there is a public notification system, whether there is a public registry website, whether international travel notice on sex offenders is required, the scope of registerable offenses, and the duration and frequency of registration Countries that have considered or are connsidering sex offender registration and notification laws but have not yet enacted them are listed. They are Austria, Bahamas, Fiji, Finland, Hong Kong, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe. 9 references