Find Sex Offenders in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale sex offenders and sexual predators must register with the Broward Sheriff's Office under Florida state law. Fort Lauderdale is the county seat of Broward County and the largest city in the county, with a population of over 190,000. The Broward Sheriff's Office handles all sex offender registrations for Fort Lauderdale and every other city in Broward County. Registration takes place at the courthouse location downtown, and information submitted there enters the FDLE statewide database within 24 hours, making Fort Lauderdale registrations visible to anyone searching the public registry.

Where to Register in Fort Lauderdale

Broward County sex offender registration is handled at the Broward Sheriff's Office, with Fort Lauderdale residents registering at the courthouse location at 201 SE 6th Street. This is the registration point for all of Broward County. Whether you live in Fort Lauderdale proper or in one of the surrounding cities, this is where registration happens in person. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department does not process sex offender registrations.

BSO's registry database connects to FDLE so that Fort Lauderdale registrations appear in the statewide system within 24 hours.

The Broward Sheriff's Office processes all sex offender registrations for Fort Lauderdale and transmits that information to FDLE, where it becomes part of the public statewide database.

Fort Lauderdale Registration Requirements

Every Fort Lauderdale resident required to register as a sex offender or sexual predator must follow the requirements set by Florida state law. Under Florida Statute § 943.0435, registered sex offenders must report changes to their home address, employer, school, vehicle information, phone numbers, and online identifiers within 48 hours. The change can be temporary or permanent. It does not matter. The 48-hour window applies either way.

Initial registration must happen within 48 hours of establishing a Fort Lauderdale residence. Anyone moving to Fort Lauderdale from another county or state starts that clock when they arrive and set up any kind of residence. BSO takes the registration at the courthouse, inputs the data, and sends it to FDLE. Once processed, the Fort Lauderdale address appears in the public search tool.

Sex offenders re-register twice a year, once during their birthday month and again six months later. Sexual predators re-register four times each year, once every three months. Both must appear in person at BSO's courthouse registration location. No mail or online re-registration is available. Transient offenders without a fixed Fort Lauderdale address check in with BSO every 30 days. Being without a permanent home does not pause registration requirements.

Missing a registration or re-registration deadline is a third-degree felony. First offense can mean up to five years in prison. BSO monitors compliance through address verification and follow-up checks. If you suspect a registered offender in Fort Lauderdale has not updated their address, you can report it to BSO at (954) 831-8900.

Sexual Predators in Fort Lauderdale

The sexual predator designation is the most serious classification under Florida law. Under Florida Statute § 775.21, a court must issue a formal written order designating someone as a sexual predator. This is not automatic. The court makes this determination at sentencing based on the nature of the offense and the offender's history. People who commit the most severe sexual crimes, or who have repeat convictions, are most likely to receive this designation.

Predators in Fort Lauderdale must re-register every three months rather than twice a year. They must appear in person at BSO each quarter to verify all of their registered information. Any changes between quarterly visits must still be reported within 48 hours. The predator designation also triggers active community notification requirements. When a sexual predator moves to a Fort Lauderdale address, BSO is required to notify nearby residents and organizations.

Predator profiles in the FDLE database are clearly labeled. They display the predator designation, the offense that led to it, and the current registered address in Fort Lauderdale. Anyone searching for a specific person can see whether they carry a predator designation and when they last registered. That information updates as BSO processes changes submitted at the courthouse location.

Search Fort Lauderdale Sex Offenders Online

The FDLE sex offender search is the official public tool for finding registered offenders in Fort Lauderdale. It is free and open to anyone. Search by name, by address, or by ZIP code. Fort Lauderdale ZIP codes include 33301, 33304, 33305, 33306, 33308, 33309, 33310, 33311, 33312, 33313, 33314, 33315, 33316, 33317, 33319, and 33334. Entering a Fort Lauderdale ZIP code returns all active registrants with addresses in that area.

Each FDLE record includes a current photo, physical description, registered address, and the offense that triggered registration. Sexual predators are labeled separately from general sex offenders and may have additional notes about court-ordered notifications. Because BSO submits updates to FDLE within 24 hours of processing them, the database is among the most current available for Broward County registrants.

For broader searches, the National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov pulls from all participating state registries including Florida's. If you are researching someone who may have moved to Fort Lauderdale from another state, NSOPW can help you check for registration across state lines before checking the FDLE tool.

The FDLE statewide sex offender search covers all Fort Lauderdale registrants and updates within 24 hours of BSO submitting registration changes.

Residency Restrictions in Fort Lauderdale

Florida Statute § 775.215 prohibits registered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare center, park, playground, or any other location where children routinely gather. The 1,000-foot measurement runs from the property line of the restricted location to the nearest point of the offender's residence. Fort Lauderdale is a dense urban city with many schools, parks, and childcare facilities concentrated in residential neighborhoods. The exclusion zones created by the 1,000-foot rule eliminate a significant share of the city's housing stock from being legally available to registered offenders.

Fort Lauderdale's proximity to beaches and the Intracoastal Waterway means many of its parks and public gathering areas are distributed widely across the city, not just in a single central zone. That distribution makes finding a compliant address within city limits harder than it might be in a more spread-out city. Offenders who cannot find qualifying housing in Fort Lauderdale sometimes register as transient and report to BSO every 30 days.

The residency restrictions under § 775.215 apply based on conviction date. Those convicted after October 1, 2004 fall under the statute automatically. Those convicted before that date but still on probation or community control may have the restriction applied through their supervision conditions. BSO can explain how the restriction applies to a specific situation if you call (954) 831-8900.

Florida Offender Alert

Fort Lauderdale residents can sign up for free email alerts through Florida Offender Alert. The system monitors the FDLE database and sends a notification when a registered sex offender or sexual predator moves into or near a ZIP code you specify. You set your monitoring area once and the system handles the rest. Alerts go out whenever a new registrant shows a Fort Lauderdale address or when an existing registrant updates their address to a location in your specified area.

Setup is free and straightforward. You provide an email address and choose the ZIP codes you want to watch. The Florida Offender Alert system covers the entire state, so if you have property elsewhere in Broward or in another Florida county, you can monitor multiple locations with one account. This is particularly useful for Fort Lauderdale residents who want continuous awareness without manually checking the FDLE database on a regular schedule.

Broward County Sex Offender Records

Fort Lauderdale is the county seat of Broward County, and BSO processes all sex offender registrations for every city in the county. For complete county-level information including enforcement policies, registration details, and resources covering all of Broward, visit the county records page.

Nearby Florida Cities

Other qualifying cities near Fort Lauderdale also have sex offender registry pages with local registration details and BSO contact information.