Search Clearwater Sex Offenders

Clearwater sex offenders register with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office through a dedicated unit called SPOT, the Sex Predator and Offender Tracking Unit, which handles all registrations for Clearwater and the rest of Pinellas County. Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County and the second-largest city in the county. Anyone in Clearwater required to register after a qualifying conviction must appear in person at the SPOT facility within 48 hours. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains the public-facing database for statewide searches. This page explains where to register in Clearwater, SPOT unit hours and contact details, the full registration schedule, residency restrictions, and how to search the Clearwater sex offender database online.

Clearwater Sex Offender Registration: The SPOT Unit

Clearwater sex offender registration is handled by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office SPOT Unit, a specialized team dedicated to tracking sex offenders and predators throughout the county. This unit does not operate out of the main sheriff's office but has its own facility located at 14500 49th Street North, Clearwater, FL 33762. The SPOT Unit serves all of Pinellas County, including Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo, and surrounding cities. Clearwater Police Department does not process sex offender registrations.

The SPOT Unit is open only three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This limited schedule is critically important for offenders who have a 48-hour registration deadline. If your deadline falls on a Monday, Friday, or weekend, you need to plan ahead. You cannot wait until the next available Tuesday and still meet the 48-hour requirement. Call 727-582-7768 as soon as you know you need to register so you can plan around the unit's schedule. Bring a valid photo ID and any court documents on your first visit. Plan to have your photo taken, fingerprints recorded, and all registration information collected during the appointment.

The Pinellas Sheriff SPOT Unit is the only registration point for Clearwater residents. The unit's limited weekly hours make timing critical. Missing the 48-hour window is a criminal violation regardless of whether the SPOT Unit was open during that period, so plan ahead and call if you have any scheduling concerns.

Clearwater Sex Offender Registration Requirements

Registration requirements for Clearwater sex offenders are set out in Florida Statute § 943.0435. This statute applies to any person convicted of a qualifying sexual offense who lives, works, or attends school in Florida. The 48-hour clock begins at conviction, at release from incarceration, or when a person establishes residence anywhere in Pinellas County. The law does not account for SPOT Unit operating hours, transportation challenges, or confusion about where to go. The obligation to register within 48 hours is absolute.

Sex offenders in Clearwater re-register twice per year. One appointment falls in your birth month; the second falls six months after that. Both visits are in-person at the SPOT Unit. If you have no changes to report, you still must show up in person during the scheduled month. Sexual predators face a stricter schedule under Florida Statute § 775.21, which requires registration four times per year, once every three months. Transient offenders without a stable address must appear at the SPOT Unit every 30 days.

The information collected at each registration includes full legal name, date of birth, current photograph, fingerprints, home address or transient location, work address if applicable, all vehicle makes, models, colors, and license plates, all phone numbers, all email addresses, and any screen names or user IDs used for online activity. Any change in this information must be reported to the SPOT Unit within 48 hours. That includes buying a new car, changing your email, or getting a different phone number. The SPOT Unit's limited Tuesday-Thursday schedule does not extend your reporting window.

Out-of-state moves require 48-hour advance notice. International travel requires 21 days of advance notice. Failure to register, miss a re-registration, or report a change is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Prosecutions for these violations occur in the 6th Judicial Circuit, which handles Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Note: The SPOT Unit may require appointments for re-registration during peak periods. Call ahead to confirm current procedures for your scheduled check-in month.

Clearwater Sex Offender Residency Restrictions

Florida law under § 775.215 bars sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare center, park, or playground. Clearwater has an active parks system and numerous school campuses within a relatively compact geographic footprint. This means the 1,000-foot restriction eliminates a significant portion of available residential addresses in the city. The measurement runs from the property line of the restricted location to the closest edge of the offender's residence or any place where the offender habitually stays.

Before choosing any address in Clearwater, registered sex offenders must verify the 1,000-foot buffer clears all nearby schools, parks, and childcare facilities. Clearwater is also part of a densely populated county where parks and school zones overlap in many neighborhoods. Using mapping tools, the school district's boundary maps, and the city's parks database can help identify compliant addresses. Moving into a non-compliant home is a criminal violation even if neither the offender nor the landlord was aware of the restriction at the time.

Clearwater and Pinellas County may impose additional local restrictions beyond the state baseline. If you are on probation or community control in Pinellas County, your supervising officer will provide the specific conditions of your release, which may include geographic restrictions tighter than state law. Contact the City of Clearwater or a local attorney for guidance before signing any lease.

Search the Clearwater Sex Offender Database

The official public registry for Clearwater sex offenders is maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The FDLE Sex Offender and Predator Search is free and available to anyone. You can search by name, city, county, or ZIP code. Each result shows the offender's registered address, current photo, conviction information, and whether the person is classified as a sex offender or a sexual predator. The database is updated regularly as Pinellas County submits check-in and change-of-address data to FDLE.

Searching for Clearwater specifically by city name or by relevant ZIP codes will return all offenders registered at Clearwater addresses. For a wider view of the Pinellas County area, use the county search filter. If you are looking for predators only, FDLE lets you filter to the sexual predator classification, which represents the highest-risk group under Florida law.

Florida also offers a free email-based alert service through Florida Offender Alert. You can subscribe by ZIP code and receive notifications any time a sex offender or predator moves into the area or when registration details change for a specific person you are monitoring. This service is useful for parents, schools, and anyone who does not want to check the FDLE database manually on a regular basis.

Clearwater Sex Offender Registry Resources

The City of Clearwater's official website provides public safety information and links to local law enforcement for city residents.

This resource page shows public safety tools available through the city and county for Clearwater residents, including links to the SPOT Unit and the FDLE statewide sex offender search portal. Use the contact information above for direct assistance with registration or compliance questions.

Pinellas County Sex Offender Records

Sex offender registration throughout Clearwater and all of Pinellas County is managed by the SPOT Unit at the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The county page has full details on SPOT Unit procedures, courthouse information for the 6th Judicial Circuit, and registration resources for everyone in the county.

Nearby Cities

Search sex offender registries in cities near Clearwater.