Availability of Offender Information

Topics covered on this page:

• Public Dissemination – what offender information is public under Montana law
• Photo Availability – why a photo may not be available for a particular offender
• Availability by Tier Level – what information may be provided to the public based on a sexual offender's tier level
• No Information Available – why the Registry may not have information on a particular offender

Information on the following topics is also available on this website:

• Address Requirements – Montana law and limits on where an offender may live
• Offender Types – qualifying offenses and definitions of sexually violent predators and non-compliant registrants
• Tier Levels – limitations of predicting risk and a description of Montana's three-tier system

Public Dissemination

Under 46-23-508 of the Montana Code Annotated, at a minimum, the public is entitled to the following information about all sexual and violent offenders:

• the name and address of any registered offender in Montana
• any offender registration information relevant to the public regarding an offender who a law enforcement agency has determined is a risk to a community's safety
• the date of an offender's sentence

Photo Availability

The Registry's online search makes photographs and physical descriptions available for:

• all sexual offenders
• offenders who are transients and cannot provide a permanent address
• non-compliant registrants, whether sexual or violent

If a photo or other additional information about a registrant who falls into one of these categories is not displayed, the Department of Justice does not yet have that information.

Under Montana law, photographs are not available for violent offenders, unless they are transient or non-compliant registrants.

Availability by Tier Level

Montana law requires that the Registry provide the following information based on a sexual offender's tier level. The 2007 Legislature expanded the information available to the public. Additional addresses and vehicle descriptions are being added to the Registry as they become available.

Level 1 Sexual Offenders with an Adult Victim

• name, date of birth and address
• conviction(s) that qualified the offender for registration, MCA 44-5-103(13)(c)
• a photograph and physical description of the offender
• the agency with which the offender is registered
• the offender's sentence date

Level 1 Sexual Offenders with a Minor Victim and all Level 2 Sexual Offenders

• name, date of birth and address
• conviction(s) that qualified the offender for registration, MCA 44-5-103(13)(c)
• a photograph and physical description of the offender
• the agency with which the offender is registered
• the offender's sentence date
• the type of victim targeted by the offense for which the offender is registered
• a description of the offender's vehicle and its license plate number

Level 3 Sexual Offenders

• name, date of birth and address
• conviction(s) that qualified the offender for registration, MCA 44-5-103(13)(c)
• a photograph and physical description of the offender
• the agency with which the offender is registered
• the offender's sentence date
• the type of victim targeted by the offense for which the offender is registered
• a description of the offender's vehicle and its license plate number
• the offender's sentence and release dates, and the community in which the offense occurred

No Information Available

There are several reasons why someone may not appear on the Registry:

• The offender does not meet the registration criteria.
• The offender is in prison or living out of state.
• The search information entered about the offender is incorrect.
• The offender has completed his or her registration requirements according to a court order and has been removed from the Registry.
• The offender is a new registrant and the information has not been completely processed.
• The offender is deceased.

If an online search does not return information on an offender you believe should be registered or you have previously found on the Registry, you may contact the Registration Unit. You must have at least a full name for the offender in question.