Pennsylvania State Police Megan's Law Section
42 Pa. C.S. § 9799.32(1) and § 9799.67 (1) authorizes the Pennsylvania State Police to create and
maintain a state registry of sexual offenders, Sexually Violent Deviate Children,
and Sexually Violent Predators.
Classification of Offenders
Tier I Sexual Offenses - 15 Year Registration
Offenders convicted of the following offenses which occurred on or after December 20, 2012
shall be classified as a Tier I offender:
Tier II Sexual Offenses – 25 Year Registration
Offenders convicted of the following offenses which occurred on or after December 20, 2012
shall be classified as a Tier II offender:
- 18 Pa.C.S. § 3011(b) (relating to Trafficking in Individuals)
- 18 Pa.C.S. § 3012 (relating to involuntary servitude)
- 18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1(a)(2) (relating to Statutory Sexual Assault)
- 18 Pa.C.S. § 3124.2(a.2) and (a.3) (relating to Institutional Sexual Assault)
- 18 Pa.C.S. § 3126(a)(2), (3), (4), (5), (6) or (8) (relating to Indecent Assault)
- 18 Pa.C.S. § 5902(b.1) (relating to Prostitution and related Offenses)
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18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(a)(3)(ii), (4)(ii), (5)(ii) or (6) (relating to Obscene and other Sexual Materials and Performances)
- 18 Pa.C.S. § 6312(b) and (c)(relating to the Sexual Abuse of Children)
- 18 Pa.C.S. § 6318 (relating to Unlawful Contact with Minor)
- 18 Pa.C.S. § 6320 (relating to Sexual Exploitation of Children)
- 18 U.S.C. § 1591 (relating to Sex Trafficking of Children by Force, Fraud, or Coercion)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2243 (relating to Sexual Abuse of a Minor or Ward)
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18 U.S.C. § 2244 (relating to Abusive Sexual Contact) where the victim is 13 years
of age or older but under 18 years of age
- 18 U.S.C. § 2251 (relating to Sexual Exploitation of Children)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2251A (relating to Selling or Buying of Children)
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18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(1), (2) or (3) (relating to Certain Activities Relating to Material
Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors)
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18 U.S.C. § 2260 (relating to Production of Sexually Explicit Depictions of a Minor
for Importation into the United States)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2421 (relating to Transportation Generally)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) (relating to Coercion and Enticement)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2423(a) (relating to Transportation of Minors)
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A conviction or court martial of a comparable military offense or similar offense
under the laws of another jurisdiction or foreign country or under a former law
of this Commonwealth
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A conviction of an attempt, conspiracy or solicitation to commit an offense enumerated
under Tier II classification
Tier III Sexual Offenses – Lifetime Registration
Offenders convicted of the following offenses which occurred on or after December 20, 2012
shall be classified as a Tier III offender:
Ten-year Offenses
Offenders convicted of the following offenses which occurred before
December 20, 2012 shall be classified as a Ten-year Registrant:
Lifetime Offenses
Offenders convicted of the following offenses which occurred before December 20, 2012
shall be classified as a Lifetime Registrant:
Juvenile Offenders
On December 29, 2014, In re: J.B., No.87 MAP 2014, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down
SORNA's Juvenile Offender registration requirements as unconstitutional. Juveniles are no
longer required to register in Pennsylvania, except if they are classified by the Court as a
Sexually Violent Delinquent Child. This decision also includes Juveniles who are to register
in another jurisdiction or foreign country.
Sexually Violent Delinquent Child
A child who has been found to be delinquent for an act of sexual violence which
if committed by an adult would be a violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 3121 (relating to rape), 3123 (relating to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse), 3124.1 (relating to sexual assault),
3125 (relating to aggravated indecent assault),
3126 (relating to indecent assault)
or 4302 (relating to incest) and who has been determined by
the Court to be in need of commitment for involuntary treatment.
- A Sexually Violent Delinquent Child shall register for life.
Sexually Violent Predator
An individual convicted of a Tier I sexual offense, a Tier II sexual offense, or
a Tier III sexual offense who is determined to be a Sexually Violent Predator by
the Court. The term also includes an individual determined to be a Sexually Violent
Predator or a similar designation where the determination occurred in another jurisdiction,
a foreign country or by court martial following a judicial or administrative determination
pursuant to a process similar to that of the Commonwealth’s.
- A Sexually Violent Predator shall register for life.
Registration Criteria
The following individuals shall register with the Pennsylvania State Police as a
sexual offender:
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An individual meeting the criteria as set forth in 42 Pa. C.S. Chapter 97 and who has a residence
within this Commonwealth or is a transient.
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An individual meeting the criteria as set forth in 42 Pa. C.S. Chapter 97 and does not have
a residence in this Commonwealth but:
- Is employed in this Commonwealth; or
- Is a student in this Commonwealth.
Reporting Intervals
Individuals required to register as a sexual offender shall appear in-person at
an approved Registration or Verification Site according to their assigned Tier or
classification:
- Tier I offenders – required to appear annually.
- Tier II offenders – required to appear semiannually (twice a year).
- Tier III offenders – required to appear quarterly (four times a year).
- Ten-year registrant – required to appear annually.
- Lifetime registrant – required to appear annually.
- Transient offenders – required to appear monthly.
- Sexually Violent Delinquent Child – required to appear quarterly (four times a year).
- Sexually Violent Predator– required to appear quarterly (four times a year).
General Registration Requirements
In addition to the periodic in-person reporting interval(s), an individual whose
offense was committed on or after December 20, 2012 shall appear in-person at an approved
Registration or Verification Site within three business days to provide current information or change(s) relating to:
- A change in name, including an alias.
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A commencement of residence, change in residence, termination of residence or failure
to maintain a residence, thus making the individual a transient.
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Commencement of employment, a change in the location or entity in which the individual
is employed or a termination of employment.
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Initial enrollment as a student, a change in enrollment as a student or termination
as a student.
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An addition or a change in telephone number, including a cell phone number, or a
termination of telephone number, including a cell phone number.
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An addition, a change in and termination of a motor vehicle owned or operated by
an offender, including watercraft or aircraft. In order to fulfill the requirements
of this paragraph, the individual must provide any license plate numbers and registration
numbers and other identifiers and an addition to or change in the address of the
place the where the vehicle is stored.
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A commencement of temporary lodging, a change in temporary lodging or a termination
of temporary lodging. In order to fulfill the requirements of this paragraph, the
individual must provide the specific length of time and the dates during which the
individual will be temporarily lodged.
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An addition, change in or termination of e-mail address, instant message address
or any other designations used in Internet communications or postings.
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An addition, change in or termination of information related to occupational and
professional licensing, including type of license held and license number.
Failure to appear in-person within three business days to report any of these changes
could result in criminal prosecution under 18 Pa. C.S. § 4915.1.
An individual whose offense was committed before December 20, 2012 has
the option of notifying the Pennsylvania State Police of a change to the following information
via online form in lieu of an in-person appearance at an approved registration site:
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A commencement of residence, change in residence, termination of residence or failure to
maintain a residence, thus making the individual a transient.
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Commencement of employment, a change in the location or entity in which the individual
is employed or a termination of employment.
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Initial enrollment as a student, a change in enrollment as a student or termination as a student.
Be advised:
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Only individuals whose offense was committed before December 20, 2012 may notify the Pennsylvania State
Police of a change to their information via online form. Individuals whose offense was committed on or after December 20, 2012
must continue to appear in-person at an approved registration site to report a change to their information.
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If an individual whose offense was committed before December 20, 2012 chooses to notify the Pennsylvania
State Police of a change to the information via online form, the updated information must be received by the Pennsylvania State Police
Megan’s Law Section within three business days of the change. (Updates which arrive late may result in prosecution under 18 Pa C.S. §4915.2).
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If an individual whose offense was committed before December 20, 2012 chooses to notify the Pennsylvania
State Police of a change to the information via online form, the change must be reported using the electronic form
provided by the Pennsylvania State Police.
Click here to complete the form. Follow the directions carefully.
Forms which are completed incorrectly may cause a delay resulting in prosecution under 18 Pa C.S. §4915.2.
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This "online form notification" option does not apply to normally required monthly, quarterly,
semi-annual, or annual in person verifications required under 42 Pa. C.S. §9799.60,
but rather to changes in between normally scheduled verifications.
Any offenders who fails to appear in-person at an approved registration site during their required
monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual verification, are subject to prosecution
under 18 Pa C.S. §4915.1 or § 4915.2.
International Travel
In addition to the periodic in-person appearance required above, an individual whose offense
was committed on or after December 20, 2012 shall appear in-person at an approved Registration
or Verification Site no less than 21 days in advance of traveling outside of the United States. The individual shall
provide the following information:
- (1) Dates of travel, including date of return to the United States.
- (2) Destinations.
- (3) Temporary lodging.
Tolling
42 Pa.C.S. § 9799.56(a)(3):
(3) The registration period required in section 9799.55(a) and (a.1) (relating to registration) shall be tolled when an offender is recommitted for a parole violation or sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment. In such cases, the Department of Corrections or county correctional facility shall notify the Pennsylvania State Police of the admission of the offender.
42 Pa.C.S. § 9799.15(c):
(c) Period of registration tolled.--The following shall apply: (1) The period of registration set forth in subsection (a) shall be tolled for the period of time in which the individual specified in section 9799.13 is: (i) incarcerated in a Federal, State or county correctional institution, excluding a community contract facility or community corrections center; (ii) subject to a sentence of intermediate punishment which is restrictive and where the individual is sentenced to a period of incarceration; (iii) committed to an institution or facility set forth in section 6352(a)(3) that provides the individual with 24-hour-per-day supervision and care; (iv) committed to and receiving involuntary inpatient treatment in the State-owned facility or unit set forth in Chapter 64 (relating to court-ordered involuntary treatment of certain sexually violent persons); or (v) incarcerated in a Federal correctional institution, excluding a community contract facility or community corrections center. (2) This subsection shall apply to an individual specified in section 9799.13 who is recommitted to a Federal, State or county correctional institution for a parole violation or who has been sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment. In addition, this subsection shall apply to an individual committed to or recommitted to a Federal correctional institution. In the case of recommitment to a State or county correctional institution, the Department of Corrections or the county correctional facility shall notify the Pennsylvania State Police of the admission of the individual.