Find Sex Offenders in Miami
Miami sex offenders are registered through the Miami-Dade Police Department's Special Victims Bureau, which handles all sex offender and predator registration for every city and unincorporated area in Miami-Dade County. Registration cannot be done at city police stations or at local substations. All Miami residents subject to Florida's sex offender laws must appear in person at the Special Victims Bureau location in western Miami-Dade. The public can search the Miami registry online through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or through Miami-Dade County's own information page. Registration deadlines are strict, with a 48-hour window from conviction, release, or change in residence that leaves no room for delay or confusion about where to go.
Miami Quick Facts
Where to Register in Miami
All sex offender and predator registrations for Miami addresses are handled exclusively by the Miami-Dade Police Department's Special Victims Bureau (SPOU). This is not the Miami Police Department. City of Miami police do not process sex offender registrations. You must go to the SPOU office, which is in western Miami-Dade County, not in the city of Miami proper. This applies to everyone with a Miami address, whether they live in Wynwood, Little Havana, Brickell, or any other neighborhood.
| Agency | Miami-Dade Police Dept - Special Victims Bureau (SPOU) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1701 NW 87th Ave, Suite 222, Miami, FL 33172 |
| Phone | 305-715-3333 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Closed noon - 1:00 p.m.) |
| County Info Page | miamidade.gov - Sexual Predator/Offender Info |
The SPOU office is open Monday through Friday. The midday closure from noon to 1:00 p.m. is enforced, so plan your visit for the morning or early afternoon. Walk-ins are generally accepted, but calling ahead at 305-715-3333 is worth doing to confirm current wait times and any changes to procedures. Bring valid government-issued photo ID and any court documents related to your case on the first visit.
Miami-Dade County's sex offender information page at miamidade.gov gives residents access to registry tools and registration details for all Miami addresses. The Special Victims Bureau processes all registrations for Miami and every other city in Miami-Dade County.
Miami Sex Offender Registration Requirements
Florida's sex offender registration requirements are set by Florida Statute § 943.0435. This law covers who must register, what information they must provide, and how often they must re-register. Miami residents have the same legal obligations as sex offenders anywhere in Florida, but the SPOU is the specific office where they carry out those obligations.
Initial registration must happen within 48 hours. The clock starts when a person is convicted of a qualifying sexual offense, when they are released from custody after such a conviction, or when they establish a temporary, permanent, or transient residence in Miami-Dade County. Moving to Miami from another Florida county or from out of state starts the same 48-hour clock. There is no extension and no exception for people who say they did not know where to go.
After the first registration, offenders must return on a schedule. Standard sex offenders re-register at least twice per year. Those with more serious classifications appear four times per year. At each visit, the registrant confirms or updates all the information on file, including address, vehicle, online identifiers, and regular locations they visit.
Transient offenders living in Miami without a fixed address must check in with SPOU every 30 days. Miami's large urban population includes individuals who move between shelters, hotels, or temporary stays. The 30-day check-in rule applies regardless of whether the person has a mailing address. Any change in address or other registered information must be reported within 48 hours of the change. Failure to report is a felony under Florida law.
Sexual Predators in Miami
Miami sexual predators are subject to the Florida Sexual Predators Act, codified at Florida Statute § 775.21. Predators face more frequent registration requirements than standard offenders, checking in with SPOU four times per year rather than twice. They are also subject to active community notification, not just passive availability of their information on the public registry.
When a predator moves into a Miami neighborhood, the SPOU notifies nearby residents, local schools, licensed childcare facilities, and other community organizations. This notification goes out directly, rather than waiting for residents to look up the registry on their own. The Miami area, with its dense neighborhoods and proximity to schools and parks, means these notifications can affect many households when a predator registers at a new address.
Sexual predator status is assigned by the courts at sentencing or by FDLE based on conviction type. Certain crimes against children and repeat sexual offense convictions automatically result in predator designation. The public FDLE registry clearly identifies predators versus standard offenders in all search results.
Search Miami Sex Offenders Online
The main tool for searching Miami sex offenders is the FDLE sex offender search. You can filter results by city name, ZIP code, or county. Entering "Miami" as the city returns all registrants with Miami addresses currently in the database. The FDLE database is updated regularly as SPOU submits new registrations and changes. Search results include current address, photo, offense details, and predator or offender classification.
Miami-Dade County's own resource page at miamidade.gov provides links to the FDLE search tool and explains the county's registration process in both English and Spanish. The county information page is a useful starting point, particularly for residents who want to understand the process before using the FDLE tool.
Sign up for free email alerts through Florida Offender Alert. This service sends automatic notifications when a sex offender or predator registers or updates their information within a distance you define from your home. You choose the radius. Miami residents living in dense areas may want to set a smaller radius to avoid notifications from distant ZIP codes across the county.
Residency Restrictions near Miami
Under § 775.215, sex offenders and predators subject to Florida's residency restrictions cannot live within 1,000 feet of any school, licensed childcare center, park, playground, or other place where children regularly gather. Miami is one of the most densely populated cities in Florida, and the concentration of schools, parks, and childcare facilities in most neighborhoods makes it extremely difficult for registrants to find compliant housing within the city limits.
The 1,000-foot measurement is taken from the property line of the restricted location, not from its front door or the entrance of a building. A home on the other side of a block from a school's boundary line may still fall within the restricted zone depending on lot sizes and road widths. Registrants and their families should verify exact distances with a mapping tool before committing to any address.
Miami-Dade County has one of the largest concentrations of registered sex offenders in Florida, partly because of the city's size and partly because of documented challenges with housing availability under the restriction laws. Some offenders end up living under bridges or in other transient arrangements when no compliant housing is available. The 30-day check-in requirement applies to these situations.
Miami-Dade County Registry Resources
Miami-Dade County's sex offender information page at miamidade.gov gives residents access to registry tools and registration details for all Miami addresses.
The Special Victims Bureau processes all registrations for Miami and every other city in Miami-Dade County.
FDLE Florida Registry
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains the statewide sex offender registry and makes it publicly searchable online. Miami registrations submitted by SPOU feed into the FDLE database in real time.
Search the FDLE registry by name, city, or ZIP code to find current data on registered individuals in Miami and across Florida.
Florida Offender Alert
The Florida Offender Alert service sends free email notifications when a registered sex offender or predator moves into a radius you set around your home address. Miami residents can sign up and choose how large an area they want to monitor. The service is free and available to anyone in Florida. Schools, daycares, and community organizations can also register to receive alerts relevant to their locations.
Alerts come through automatically when SPOU submits a new registration or address change that falls within your selected area. You do not need to manually search the registry again once you have signed up. This is especially useful for Miami neighborhoods with high population density, where new registrations can happen frequently.
Miami-Dade County Sex Offender Records
Miami is the largest city in Miami-Dade County, and all sex offender registrations within the city are processed through the county's Special Victims Bureau. For full county-level registry information, registration procedures, and additional resources, visit the Miami-Dade County sex offender records page.
Nearby Florida Cities
Sex offender registration in Miami-Dade County cities follows the same SPOU process, since all registrations go through the county-level Special Victims Bureau. Find information for other cities in and around Miami-Dade below.