Delaware Sex Offender Registry
Delaware's sex offender registry is run by the Delaware State Police and gives the public a way to look up registered sex offenders by name or street address. The online portal at sexoffender.dsp.delaware.gov lets you search statewide and sign up for email alerts when an offender moves into your area. Only Tier II and Tier III offenders appear in the public search. Tier I records stay with law enforcement only. You can also use the National Sex Offender Public Website, which pulls registry data from all 50 states including Delaware.
Delaware Sex Offender Registry Overview
Search Delaware Sex Offenders Online
The Delaware Sex Offender Central Registry is the state's official public database of registered sex offenders. It is managed by the State Bureau of Identification, a unit within the Delaware State Police, with technical support from the Department of Technology and Information. Under Title 11, Section 4120 of the Delaware Code, the State Police are required to keep this registry accessible to the public on the Internet. The site is free to use and requires no account or login.
The registry shows only those offenders classified as moderate-risk (Tier II) or high-risk (Tier III). Low-risk (Tier I) sex offenders do not appear in public searches. This is set by state law and is not something you can bypass through the registry portal. Data on the site is updated nightly as offenders report changes. Registered sex offenders in Delaware must update their address within 3 business days of any move, so the database can shift quickly.
The Delaware Sex Offender Central Registry lets you search by offender name, by city, or by street address and radius. It also has an interactive map view that shows pins for registered offenders in a given area. The map requires a minimum screen width of 768 pixels. You can sign up for email notifications to be alerted when a new offender registers in your area or when an existing registrant's status changes. For questions, contact the State Bureau of Identification Sex Offender Central Registry at P.O. Box 430, Dover, DE 19903, or call (302) 739-5882.
The Delaware Sex Offender Central Registry screenshot below shows the state's official online portal where you can search registered offenders by name, city, or address.
Searches are free and return name, address, photo, offense details, and tier classification for each registered offender found.
Note: Only Tier II and Tier III offenders appear in public registry searches. Tier I registrants are visible to law enforcement only.
Delaware Sex Offender Registration Locations
The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit, known as S.O.A.R., handles registration and compliance across the state. The unit operates from three locations, one in each county. It also actively searches for wanted sex offenders who have failed to register or re-register at their current address. Anyone with information about a wanted sex offender can call (302) 739-5882 or (302) 672-5306, or contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Each registration site has its own schedule. New Castle County registrations take place at Delaware State Police Troop 2, located at 100 Corporal Stephen J Ballard Way in Newark. That office is open Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., with a lunch break from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. No service is provided on Mondays. Kent County residents use the State Bureau of Identification office at 600 S. Bay Road Suite 1 in Dover. That office is open Monday through Friday, with extended hours on Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and regular hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Sussex County residents register at the State Bureau of Identification office at 546 S. Bedford Street in Georgetown, which is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., with a lunch break from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
No appointment is needed at the Kent County location. Cash is not accepted at Sussex County. Out-of-state sex offenders who establish residence in Delaware must register within 3 business days. Offenders visiting Delaware for 7 or more days, or for 30 or more cumulative days within a calendar year, must also register within 3 days of arrival.
The Delaware State Police S.O.A.R. unit page below shows contact details and registration information for the Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit.
You can reach the S.O.A.R. unit directly at (302) 739-5882 to get answers about registration requirements or to report a wanted offender.
Delaware Sex Offender Tier Classification
Delaware uses a three-tier risk classification system for registered sex offenders. The tier is set by the sentencing court or the Delaware Department of Justice based on the nature of the offense and the risk the person poses to the community. Each tier comes with different registration lengths, verification schedules, and levels of public access.
Tier I, the low-risk level, requires registration for 15 years. Tier I offenders must verify their information once a year. Their records are not posted online. They are shared with law enforcement agencies only. Tier I offenders may petition Superior Court for relief after 10 years if they have completed a state-approved sex offender treatment program and have no new convictions during that period.
Tier II, the moderate-risk level, requires registration for 25 years. These offenders must verify every 6 months. Their records are posted publicly on the sex offender registry website. Schools and daycare centers are notified when a Tier II offender lives, works, or studies near them. Under 11 Del. C. § 4120, Tier II offenders may petition to be reclassified as Tier I after 10 years, provided the victim was not under 18 at the time of the offense and they have completed treatment.
Tier III, the high-risk level, requires lifetime registration. These offenders verify every 90 days. Their records are public, and the state also actively notifies immediate neighbors through direct community notification. Failure to register at any tier level is a Class G felony under Delaware law. Tier III offenders may petition for Tier II designation after 25 years, but cannot be fully removed from the registry.
The Delaware Code Title 11 page below shows the statutory language governing sex offender registration requirements and tier classifications in the state.
The statute sets the legal framework for how the registry works, who must register, and how long registration lasts based on tier level.
Note: Verification schedules increase in frequency for homeless registrants, with Tier III homeless offenders required to verify every 7 days instead of every 90.
What Sex Offenders Must Provide at Registration
Delaware law requires registered sex offenders to give detailed personal information at the time of registration. This information is stored in the registry and kept current through regular verification checks. Offenders must report any changes within 3 business days. The registration must be completed during a Level IV or V sentence, not more than 90 days and not less than 45 days before release from custody.
At registration, offenders must provide all names and aliases they have ever used, their date of birth, driver's license or state-issued ID, Social Security number, and a current photograph and fingerprints (taken at each verification). They must also list all home addresses, telephone numbers (home and cell), all email addresses, and any other internet identifiers or usernames. Employment and education details are required, including the name, address, and phone number of any employer or school. Vehicle information must also be provided for any car or truck the person owns or regularly drives, including year, make, model, color, and license plate number.
In addition, copies of any passport, documentation of immigration status, and copies of any professional licenses must be submitted. This is a broad set of requirements. Failing to report any of these details, or failing to update them within 3 days of a change, can result in a Class G felony charge.
- All names and aliases ever used
- Date of birth and government-issued ID
- All phone numbers and email addresses
- Internet usernames and identifiers
- Employer and school information
- Vehicle details for all owned or operated vehicles
- Passport, immigration status, and professional licenses
Offenses That Require Sex Offender Registration
Under 11 Del. C. § 4121(a)(4), a wide range of offenses trigger the registration requirement. Sexual offenses that require registration include rape in the first, second, third, and fourth degree; unlawful sexual contact in the first, second, and third degree; first-degree indecent exposure; sexual extortion; bestiality; continuous sexual abuse of a child; dangerous crime against a child; female genital mutilation; sexual exploitation of a child; unlawfully dealing in child pornography; possession of child pornography; and sexual solicitation of a child.
Registration is also required for related offenses. These include incest, dealing in children, second-degree promoting prostitution when the person is under 18 and first-degree promoting prostitution when the person is under 16, providing obscene material to someone under 18, second- and first-degree kidnapping when committed for sexual purposes, trafficking of persons under a specific subsection of the code, and certain violations of privacy involving recordings. The term "convicted" under this statute is broad. It includes not just jury convictions but also adjudications of delinquency, guilty pleas, and findings of guilty but mentally ill or not guilty by reason of insanity.
Homeless Sex Offenders in Delaware
Delaware tracks homelessness among registered sex offenders separately from those with fixed addresses. Under Delaware law, a registrant is considered homeless when they are "unable to secure an anticipated place of future residence." That includes living outdoors, in shelters, in hotels or motels, or in temporary housing provided by social service organizations. Homeless registrants must verify their registry information far more often than those with stable housing.
A 2023 study published in the National Library of Medicine analyzed homelessness among persons on Delaware's sex offender registry between 2021 and 2023. The statewide homelessness rate among registered sex offenders was 5.5%. By county, New Castle County had the largest share at 61 homeless registrants (50.8% of the total), followed by Kent County with 36 (30.0%) and Sussex County with 23 (19.2%). By city, Wilmington had the highest number at 34 (28.3% of statewide homeless registrants), with Dover second at 26 (21.7%). ZIP code 19801 in Wilmington had the highest homelessness rate of any ZIP code at 11.5%.
The research below, published in the National Library of Medicine, examined geographic patterns of homelessness among sex offenders on Delaware's registry from 2021 to 2023.
Homeless Tier III registrants must check in with authorities every 7 days. Homeless Tier II registrants must verify every 30 days. Homeless Tier I registrants verify every 90 days.
Note: Homeless sex offenders are not wanted for a crime unless they have failed to meet their verification requirements. The Delaware State Police post notices on their website when a registrant is out of compliance.
Sex Offender Notifications in Delaware
The Delaware State Police issue regular notifications about wanted and homeless sex offenders through their newsroom. These posts include photos, physical descriptions, and information about where the person was last known to be. Anyone with information can call (302) 739-5882, contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, or text the word "DSP" to 274637 with details. You can also submit an anonymous tip through the public registry website.
The notifications page below at dsp.delaware.gov shows the Delaware State Police newsroom, where the department posts updates on wanted and homeless sex offenders across the state.
Notifications are also emailed to subscribers of the Delaware Sex Offender Central Registry alert system, which you can sign up for directly on the registry website.
For a nationwide search, the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) provides access to sex offender registries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Delaware participates in this federal system. The NSOPW was created in honor of Dru Sjodin, a college student who was murdered by a registered sex offender from another state.
The NSOPW page below shows the national search tool, which includes Delaware registry data and allows you to search offenders by name or location across all participating states.
Use the NSOPW when you need to check whether someone has a sex offense record in another state, or when you are not sure which state's registry to search.
Recent Delaware Sex Offender Registry Updates
In 2023, Delaware passed Senate Bill 66, which updated how schools and child care providers handle sex offender notification requirements. Before this change, schools were required to keep physical binders of sex offender notifications on file. The law eliminated that requirement, which had created financial and administrative burdens for school staff without providing reliable, up-to-date information.
Under Senate Bill 66, schools and licensed child care providers now must provide a specific set of information upon request from staff, parents, or guardians. That includes a notice that searchable records are available through police agencies or the Delaware State Bureau of Identification, a notice that the public can sign up for community notifications on the sex offender registry website, and the URL of the sex offender registry. Schools with a website must post this information online. Schools without a website must send it out annually in writing. The registry itself is updated every Friday and can be accessed at public libraries throughout the state.
The legislation page below shows Senate Bill 66 on the Delaware General Assembly website, which updated how the sex offender registry is shared with schools and the community.
The rationale behind Senate Bill 66 was that law enforcement agencies are better equipped than schools to answer public questions about the registry and keep notifications current.
Delaware Sex Offender Registry and Child Care
Delaware's Office of Child Care Licensing requires a comprehensive background check for anyone 18 or older who has regular or unsupervised access to children in licensed care settings. These settings include family child care homes, large family child care homes, early care and education centers, school-age centers, and licensed youth camps. A comprehensive check includes a search of the Delaware Sex Offender Registry, all necessary out-of-state sex offender registries, and the National Sex Offender Registry, in addition to criminal history checks at the state and federal level.
Registration on any sex offender registry is among the grounds that can result in an ineligibility determination. The process uses fingerprinting through IdentoGO. The Criminal History Unit at the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families coordinates the checks. You can reach that unit at DSCYF_CHU@delaware.gov or by fax at (302) 633-5191. A helpline for IdentoGO appointments is available at 1-844-539-5541.
Fingerprinting locations in Delaware include the State Bureau of Identification for New Castle and Sussex Counties. Walk-in service without an appointment is available in Kent County.
The background check page below at the Delaware Office of Child Care Licensing website explains the comprehensive background check process, including the sex offender registry search that is part of every review.
Individuals found ineligible may request an administrative review within 10 business days by contacting the Criminal History Unit.
Note: Anyone determined ineligible due to registry status must be removed from direct access to children while a review is pending.
Browse Delaware Sex Offender Records by Location
Delaware has three counties, each served by a State Bureau of Identification office or Delaware State Police Troop for registration purposes. Select a county to find local registration details, courthouse information, and local law enforcement contacts related to sex offender monitoring in that area.
Sex Offender Registry Resources in Delaware Cities
Registered sex offenders in Delaware's cities are subject to the same state registration requirements, but local police departments also play a role in monitoring, notification, and community safety. Select a city below to find local law enforcement contacts and resources.