Explained: The Sex Offenders Register

If you or someone you love is facing an allegation of a sexual offence, it’s a frightening and uncertain time. Our Managing Partner and Head of Crime and Regulatory, Rachel Fletcher, explains everything you need to know about the sex offenders register: what it is & what it means for those who are to be registered on it.

What is the Sex Offenders Register?

The Sex Offenders Register is a register containing the individuals cautioned or convicted for a sexual offence against both children and adults since 1997.

What offences put you on the Sex Offenders Register?

Offences that can put you on the Sex Offenders Register are listed under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The definition is wide and covers a range of offences against both children and adults. It includes offences from voyeurism, possessing indecent images to sexual assault and rape.

What does being on the sex offenders register mean?

Being on the Sex Offenders Register means that an individual must register with the police, in person, generally within 3 days of their caution, conviction, or release from prison. The courts will notify the police of a conviction, and the individual must notify the police of certain information, including their name and address.

What are the notification requirements?

All convicted sex offenders must provide the following information to the police:

• Name and any aliases, including social media handles and gamer tags
• Address and any other addresses where they regularly stay
• Whether they live with a child or are staying in a household where a child lives for at least 12 hours a day
• Details of conviction
• Details of bank accounts to which they have access
• Date of birth
• National insurance number
• Details of any passports they may hold

Once registered, the public protection team, who are part of the police, will visit the offender at home to check that they are living there and undertake an assessment.

Offenders can expect the police to take photographs of them, and details added to the national police database. The police may make periodic home visits to check that people are where they say they are. The frequency of the visits will depend on the risk level.

High-risk offenders can also be subject to further police surveillance such as electronic tagging. This will involve multi-agency public protection panels which include the police, probation, social services and any other required agencies.

Failure to join the sex offenders register is committing a separate criminal offence. This could result in a prison term of up to 5 years.

Other requirements for a registered offender:

• Registration must generally be renewed annually.
• Changes to notified personal details, including changes of name and home address, must be reported in accordance with the applicable statutory requirements.
• The police must be notified before foreign travel in accordance with the relevant notification regulations.
• Failure to comply with the notification requirements without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence.

Proposed changes under the Crime and Policing Act 2026

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 contains further reforms to the notification regime which are not yet in force. These include:

• Advance notification of a new name before it is used.
• Advance notification of an intended absence of more than five days from a sole or main residence.
• Additional notification requirements applying to certain offenders entering premises where children are present.

At the date of publication, these provisions are not yet in force

How long will I be on the Sex Offenders Register?

The length of time you remain on the register and subject to notification requirements depends on the sentence you receive, and whether you were under 18 at the time of your caution or conviction. The periods below are general guidance only and exceptions may apply

If you were 18 or over:

If you were under 18 at the time of your caution or conviction, these periods are generally halved:

Figures adapted from NACRO guidance. You can find further information and guidance on their website.

Can I have my registration reviewed?

Individuals subject to indefinite notification requirements may apply for a review after  15 years, (or 8 years if they were under 18 at the relevant time). Since the Crime and Policing Act 2026, the police can also start this review themselves, without the offender applying, once the 15-year (or 8-year) point has been reached.

Any application for removal from the sex offenders register will involve disclosing information about accommodation, employment, relationships, and attitude to offending. You must specifically show how your behaviour has changed and satisfy the police that there is no longer a risk.

What is a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO)?

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order can prevent you from having unrestricted access to the internet or unsupervised contact with children.

An SHPO can be imposed by a court following certain sexual offences or may be applied for separately by the police where necessary to protect the public from sexual harm

An order lasts for a minimum of 5 years and can be made indefinite, and can include a wide range of prohibitions tailored to the individual, from restricting internet use and contact with children to preventing someone from entering certain places or working in certain jobs.

What happens if you breach a Sexual Harm Prevention Order?

Breaching an SHPO, or an interim SHPO, is a criminal offence in its own right. If you are convicted of breaching an order, you could face a prison sentence of up to 5 years.

Is the Sex Offenders Register public?

Notification requirements (often referred to as the ‘Sex Offenders Register’) itself is not open to the public, as there is no general right for anyone to search it. It is held and managed by the police to monitor and manage offenders, not for public disclosure.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 contains provisions which, when brought into force, will strengthen the legal framework underpinning Sarah’s Law and the disclosure of information aimed at preventing sexual offending.

Get In Touch

Rachel Fletcher is the Managing Partner and Head of our Crime & Regulatory team. She is experienced in police station representation and defending clients in a wide range of cases at Magistrates and the Crown Court, including assault, sexual offences, road traffic offences, offensive weapon possession and youth crime.

If you need assistance with a sexual offences case or would like to speak in confidence, contact us today on 0330 111 3131 or fill out our contact form for a confidential consultation.