Sex offender information

AN ACT Relating to expanding the information sex offenders and 1
kidnapping offenders must provide when registering; and amending RCW 2
9A.44.130. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 9A.44.130 and 2023 c 150 s 5 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1)(a) Any adult residing whether or not the person has a fixed 7
residence, or who is a student, is employed, or carries on a vocation 8
in this state who has been found to have committed or has been 9
convicted of any sex offense or kidnapping offense, or who has been 10
found not guilty by reason of insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW of 11
committing any sex offense or kidnapping offense, shall register with 12
the county sheriff for the county of the person's residence, or if 13
the person is not a resident of Washington, the county of the 14
person's school, or place of employment or vocation, or as otherwise 15
specified in this section. 16
(b) Any person who is not an adult residing whether or not the 17
person has a fixed residence, or who is a student, is employed, or 18
carries on a vocation in this state shall register with the county 19
sheriff for the county of the person's residence, or if the person is 20
not a resident of Washington, the county of the person's school, or 21
H-2765.1
HOUSE BILL 2507
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives McClintock, Reeves, and Leavitt
Read first time 01/15/26. Referred to Committee on Community Safety.
p. 1 HB 2507
place of employment or vocation, or as otherwise specified in this 1
section if the person: 2
(i) Committed a class A or class B sex offense when the person 3
was age 16 or 17 and did not receive a special sex offender 4
disposition alternative under RCW 13.40.162; 5
(ii) Committed rape in the first degree when the person was age 6
14 or 15; 7
(iii) Committed rape in the second degree when the person was age 8
14 or 15 and the person did not receive a special sex offender 9
disposition alternative under RCW 13.40.162; 10
(iv) Committed a sex offense and, on the offense date, the 11
juvenile had a prior conviction for a sex offense as defined in RCW 12
9A.44.128 or had a deferred disposition for a sex offense pursuant to 13
RCW 13.40.127; 14
(v) Has a special sex offender disposition alternative under RCW 15
13.40.162 revoked for: 16
(A) A class A or class B sex offense that was committed when the 17
person was age 16 or 17; or 18
(B) A rape in the second degree offense that was committed when 19
the person was age 14 or 15; 20
(vi) Has an out-of-state, tribal, or federal conviction for a sex 21
offense; 22
(vii) Committed a kidnapping offense; or 23
(viii) Is found by the court based on clear, cogent, and 24
convincing evidence to: 25
(A) Be age 14 through 17 on the offense date; 26
(B) Not have received a special sex offender disposition 27
alternative under RCW 13.40.162 for the offense triggering possible 28
registration or have had a special sex offender disposition 29
alternative under RCW 13.40.162 revoked for that offense;30
(C) Have been adjudicated of multiple sex offenses involving two 31
or more distinct victims in separate counts or separate causes;32
(D) Present a serious threat to public safety after the last date 33
of release from confinement, including full-time residential 34
treatment, if any, or entry of disposition; and 35
(E) Require registration in order to lessen the serious threat to 36
public safety. 37
(c) When a person required to register under this section is in 38
custody of the state department of corrections, the state department 39
of social and health services, a local division of youth services, or 40
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a local jail or juvenile detention facility as a result of a sex 1
offense or kidnapping offense, the person shall also register at the 2
time of release from custody with an official designated by the 3
agency that has jurisdiction over the person. 4
(d) Any adult or juvenile who is required to register under (b) 5
of this subsection must give notice to the county sheriff of the 6
county with whom the person is registered within three business days:7
(i) Prior to arriving at a school or institution of higher 8
education to attend classes; 9
(ii) Prior to starting work at an institution of higher 10
education; or 11
(iii) After any termination of enrollment or employment at a 12
school or institution of higher education. 13
(2)(a) A person required to register under this section must 14
provide the following information when registering: (i) Name and any 15
aliases used; (ii) complete and accurate residential address or, if 16
the person lacks a fixed residence, where he or she plans to stay; 17
(iii) date and place of birth; (iv) place of employment or volunteer 18
work; (v) crime for which convicted; (vi) date and place of 19
conviction; (vii) social security number; (viii) name and address of 20
any place the person is a student or will be a student; (ix) 21
designations the person uses for purposes of routing or self-22
identification in internet or telephonic communications or postings, 23
including email addresses and telephone numbers; (x) the license 24
plate number and description of any vehicle owned or operated by the 25
person; (xi) photograph; and (((ix))) (xii) fingerprints.26
(b) A person may be required to update any of the information 27
required in this subsection in conjunction with any address 28
verification conducted by the county sheriff or as part of any notice 29
required by this section. 30
(c) A photograph or copy of an individual's fingerprints, which 31
may include palmprints may be taken at any time to update an 32
individual's file. 33
(3) Any person required to register under this section who 34
intends to travel outside the United States must provide, by 35
certified mail, with return receipt requested, or in person, signed 36
written notice of the plan to travel outside the country to the 37
county sheriff of the county with whom the person is registered at 38
least twenty-one days prior to travel. The notice shall include the 39
following information: (a) Name; (b) passport number and country; (c) 40
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destination; (d) itinerary details including departure and return 1
dates; (e) means of travel; and (f) purpose of travel. If the 2
offender subsequently cancels or postpones travel outside the United 3
States, the offender must notify the county sheriff not later than 4
three days after cancellation or postponement of the intended travel 5
outside the United States or on the departure date provided in the 6
notification, whichever is earlier. The county sheriff shall notify 7
the United States marshals service as soon as practicable after 8
receipt of the notification. In cases of unexpected travel due to 9
family or work emergencies, or for offenders who travel routinely 10
across international borders for work-related purposes, the notice 11
must be submitted in person at least twenty-four hours prior to 12
travel to the sheriff of the county where such offenders are 13
registered with a written explanation of the circumstances that make 14
compliance with this subsection (3) impracticable.15
(4)(a) Offenders shall register with the county sheriff within 16
the following deadlines: 17
(i) OFFENDERS IN CUSTODY. Sex offenders or kidnapping offenders 18
who are in custody of the state department of corrections, the state 19
department of social and health services, a local division of youth 20
services, or a local jail or juvenile detention facility, must 21
register at the time of release from custody with an official 22
designated by the agency that has jurisdiction over the offender. The 23
agency shall within three days forward the registration information 24
to the county sheriff for the county of the offender's anticipated 25
residence. The offender must also register within three business days 26
from the time of release with the county sheriff for the county of 27
the person's residence, or if the person is not a resident of 28
Washington, the county of the person's school, or place of employment 29
or vocation. The agency that has jurisdiction over the offender shall 30
provide notice to the offender of the duty to register.31
When the agency with jurisdiction intends to release an offender 32
with a duty to register under this section, and the agency has 33
knowledge that the offender is eligible for developmental disability 34
services from the department of social and health services, the 35
agency shall notify the division of developmental disabilities of the 36
release. Notice shall occur not more than thirty days before the 37
offender is to be released. The agency and the division shall assist 38
the offender in meeting the initial registration requirement under 39
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this section. Failure to provide such assistance shall not constitute 1
a defense for any violation of this section. 2
When a person required to register under this section is in the 3
custody of the state department of corrections or a local corrections 4
or probations agency and has been approved for partial confinement as 5
defined in RCW 9.94A.030, the person must register at the time of 6
transfer to partial confinement with the official designated by the 7
agency that has jurisdiction over the offender. The agency shall 8
within three days forward the registration information to the county 9
sheriff for the county in which the offender is in partial 10
confinement. The offender must also register within three business 11
days from the time of the termination of partial confinement or 12
release from confinement with the county sheriff for the county of 13
the person's residence. The agency that has jurisdiction over the 14
offender shall provide notice to the offender of the duty to 15
register. 16
(ii) OFFENDERS UNDER FEDERAL JURISDICTION. Sex offenders or 17
kidnapping offenders who are in the custody of the United States 18
bureau of prisons or other federal or military correctional agency 19
must register within three business days from the time of release 20
with the county sheriff for the county of the person's residence, or 21
if the person is not a resident of Washington, the county of the 22
person's school, or place of employment or vocation.23
(iii) OFFENDERS WHO ARE CONVICTED BUT NOT CONFINED. Sex offenders 24
who are convicted of a sex offense and kidnapping offenders who are 25
convicted for a kidnapping offense but who are not sentenced to serve 26
a term of confinement immediately upon sentencing shall report to the 27
county sheriff to register within three business days of being 28
sentenced. 29
(iv) OFFENDERS WHO ARE NEW RESIDENTS, TEMPORARY RESIDENTS, OR 30
RETURNING WASHINGTON RESIDENTS. Sex offenders and kidnapping 31
offenders who move to Washington state from another state or a 32
foreign country must register within three business days of 33
establishing residence or reestablishing residence if the person is a 34
former Washington resident. If the offender is under the jurisdiction 35
of an agency of this state when the offender moves to Washington, the 36
agency shall provide notice to the offender of the duty to register.37
Sex offenders and kidnapping offenders who are visiting 38
Washington state and intend to reside or be present in the state for 39
ten days or more shall register his or her temporary address or where 40
p. 5 HB 2507
he or she plans to stay with the county sheriff of each county where 1
the offender will be staying within three business days of arrival. 2
Registration for temporary residents shall include the information 3
required by subsection (2)(a) of this section, except the photograph 4
and fingerprints. 5
(v) OFFENDERS FOUND NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY. Any adult 6
or juvenile who has been found not guilty by reason of insanity under 7
chapter 10.77 RCW of committing a sex offense or a kidnapping offense 8
and who is in custody, as a result of that finding, of the state 9
department of social and health services, must register within three 10
business days from the time of release with the county sheriff for 11
the county of the person's residence. The state department of social 12
and health services shall provide notice to the adult or juvenile in 13
its custody of the duty to register. 14
(vi) OFFENDERS WHO LACK A FIXED RESIDENCE. Any person who lacks a 15
fixed residence and leaves the county in which he or she is 16
registered and enters and remains within a new county for twenty-four 17
hours is required to register with the county sheriff not more than 18
three business days after entering the county and provide the 19
information required in subsection (2)(a) of this section.20
(vii) OFFENDERS WHO LACK A FIXED RESIDENCE AND WHO ARE UNDER 21
SUPERVISION. Offenders who lack a fixed residence and who are under 22
the supervision of the department shall register in the county of 23
their supervision. 24
(viii) OFFENDERS WHO MOVE TO, WORK, CARRY ON A VOCATION, OR 25
ATTEND SCHOOL IN ANOTHER STATE. Offenders required to register in 26
Washington, who move to another state, or who work, carry on a 27
vocation, or attend school in another state shall register a new 28
address, fingerprints, and photograph with the new state within three 29
business days after establishing residence, or after beginning to 30
work, carry on a vocation, or attend school in the new state. The 31
person must also send written notice within three business days of 32
moving to the new state or to a foreign country to the county sheriff 33
with whom the person last registered in Washington state. The county 34
sheriff shall promptly forward this information to the Washington 35
state patrol. 36
(b) The county sheriff shall not be required to determine whether 37
the person is living within the county. 38
(c) An arrest on charges of failure to register, service of an 39
information, or a complaint for a violation of RCW 9A.44.132, or 40
p. 6 HB 2507
arraignment on charges for a violation of RCW 9A.44.132, constitutes 1
actual notice of the duty to register. Any person charged with the 2
crime of failure to register under RCW 9A.44.132 who asserts as a 3
defense the lack of notice of the duty to register shall register 4
within three business days following actual notice of the duty 5
through arrest, service, or arraignment. Failure to register as 6
required under this subsection (4)(c) constitutes grounds for filing 7
another charge of failing to register. Registering following arrest, 8
service, or arraignment on charges shall not relieve the offender 9
from criminal liability for failure to register prior to the filing 10
of the original charge. 11
(5)(a) If any person required to register pursuant to this 12
section changes his or her residence address within the same county, 13
the person must provide, by certified mail, with return receipt 14
requested or in person, signed written notice of the change of 15
address to the county sheriff within three business days of moving.16
(b) If any person required to register pursuant to this section 17
moves to a new county, within three business days of moving the 18
person must register with the county sheriff of the county into which 19
the person has moved and provide, by certified mail, with return 20
receipt requested or in person, signed written notice of the change 21
of address to the county sheriff with whom the person last 22
registered. The county sheriff with whom the person last registered 23
is responsible for address verification pursuant to RCW 9A.44.135 24
until the person completes registration of his or her new residence 25
address. 26
(6)(a) Any person required to register under this section who 27
lacks a fixed residence shall provide signed written notice to the 28
sheriff of the county where he or she last registered within three 29
business days after ceasing to have a fixed residence. The notice 30
shall include the information required by subsection (2)(a) of this 31
section, except the photograph, fingerprints, and palmprints. The 32
county sheriff may, for reasonable cause, require the offender to 33
provide a photograph and fingerprints. The sheriff shall forward this 34
information to the sheriff of the county in which the person intends 35
to reside, if the person intends to reside in another county.36
(b) A person who lacks a fixed residence must report weekly, in 37
person, to the sheriff of the county where he or she is registered. 38
The weekly report shall be on a day specified by the county sheriff's 39
office, and shall occur during normal business hours. The person must 40
p. 7 HB 2507
keep an accurate accounting of where he or she stays during the week 1
and provide it to the county sheriff upon request. The lack of a 2
fixed residence is a factor that may be considered in determining an 3
offender's risk level and shall make the offender subject to 4
disclosure of information to the public at large pursuant to RCW 5
4.24.550. 6
(c) If any person required to register pursuant to this section 7
does not have a fixed residence, it is an affirmative defense to the 8
charge of failure to register, that he or she provided written notice 9
to the sheriff of the county where he or she last registered within 10
three business days of ceasing to have a fixed residence and has 11
subsequently complied with the requirements of subsection (4)(a)(vi) 12
or (vii) of this section and this subsection. To prevail, the person 13
must prove the defense by a preponderance of the evidence.14
(7) A sex offender subject to registration requirements under 15
this section who applies to change his or her name under RCW 4.24.130 16
or any other law shall submit a copy of the application to the county 17
sheriff of the county of the person's residence and to the state 18
patrol not fewer than five days before the entry of an order granting 19
the name change. No sex offender under the requirement to register 20
under this section at the time of application shall be granted an 21
order changing his or her name if the court finds that doing so will 22
interfere with legitimate law enforcement interests, except that no 23
order shall be denied when the name change is requested for religious 24
or legitimate cultural reasons or in recognition of marriage or 25
dissolution of marriage. A sex offender under the requirement to 26
register under this section who receives an order changing his or her 27
name shall submit a copy of the order to the county sheriff of the 28
county of the person's residence and to the state patrol within three 29
business days of the entry of the order. 30
(8) Except as may otherwise be provided by law, nothing in this 31
section shall impose any liability upon a peace officer, including a 32
county sheriff, or law enforcement agency, for failing to release 33
information authorized under this section. 34
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