Palm Bay Sex Offender Registry

Palm Bay sex offenders register with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office through its dedicated Sexual Offender Registration and Tracking unit, known as SORT. As one of Brevard County's largest cities, Palm Bay accounts for a significant share of the SORT unit's caseload, and the county's registration process is handled exclusively by BCSO rather than the Palm Bay Police Department. Anyone required to register who moves to Palm Bay must appear in person at the SORT unit within 48 hours of establishing a residence. Failure to report as required is a third degree felony under Florida law.

Where to Register in Palm Bay

Palm Bay residents required to register do not go to Palm Bay Police for registration. All sex offender and predator registrations in Brevard County are processed by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office SORT unit, located at the Brevard County Jail Complex in Cocoa. The trip from Palm Bay to Cocoa takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic on US-1 or I-95.

SORT stands for Sexual Offender Registration and Tracking. This unit within BCSO handles all initial registrations, re-registrations, and information updates for sex offenders and predators throughout Brevard County, including Palm Bay. The unit operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Do not arrive close to 3:00 PM if you need time for the intake process. Registration does not happen on weekends or holidays.

Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and any court documentation from your conviction when you go to the SORT unit. First-time registrations include fingerprinting, a photograph, and collection of information about vehicles you own or regularly use, email addresses, phone numbers, and social media accounts. The process takes longer on a first visit than on a re-registration. Plan at least an hour, and more if it is your initial registration.

Within 48 hours of establishing or maintaining a residence in this state, any person required to register must report to the county sheriff. For Palm Bay residents, that means the BCSO SORT unit in Cocoa. This requirement applies whether you are moving from another Florida county, arriving from another state, or returning from a correctional facility. The 48-hour clock starts when you establish the address, not when you move in furniture or sign a lease.

Palm Bay Registration Requirements

Florida's registration rules are set by Florida Statute § 943.0435. All Palm Bay registrants must comply with this law. Failure to report as required is a third degree felony. There is no grace period, and the SORT unit does not accept registration by mail or phone.

Re-registration for standard sex offenders occurs at least twice per year. Those with more serious offense classifications must appear at the SORT unit four times per year. BCSO sets the specific schedule at the time of initial intake based on the nature of the offense. Mark your calendar dates and do not miss them. A missed re-registration is treated the same as a failure to register and carries the same felony penalty.

Any change to registered information requires a return visit to the SORT unit within 48 hours of the change. Address changes are the most common reason for a mid-cycle visit. Others include new vehicles, phone numbers, email addresses, and social media accounts. Palm Bay is a large city by land area with many residential sections, and people move within the city fairly often. Each address change requires a trip to Cocoa to update the record in person.

Transient offenders in Palm Bay who lack a fixed address must check in with BCSO SORT every 30 days. This rule applies from the first day you are in the city without a stable residence. The monthly check-in keeps you in compliance while your housing situation remains unsettled. Missing a 30-day check-in carries the same felony consequences as missing a standard re-registration.

Florida's registration obligation is permanent for most qualifying offenders. Removal from the registry requires a court order under limited statutory circumstances. Most Palm Bay registrants remain on the public database for life. This is worth understanding before establishing any long-term housing plan in the area.

Sexual Predators in Palm Bay

Florida law establishes a separate and stricter category for sexual predators under Florida Statute § 775.21, the Florida Sexual Predators Act. Palm Bay residents designated as sexual predators face more frequent reporting requirements and active community notification obligations that do not apply to standard sex offenders.

Predator status is assigned by the courts at sentencing or by FDLE based on the type of offense. Serious crimes against minors and certain repeat sexual offenses typically result in predator classification. Once designated, a predator in Palm Bay must report to the BCSO SORT unit four times per year at minimum, compared to twice per year for standard offenders.

When a sexual predator establishes a Palm Bay address, BCSO is required to notify the surrounding community. This includes direct notification to nearby residents, local schools, licensed childcare facilities, and other relevant organizations. The notification does not wait for anyone to search the registry. It goes out automatically when the predator registers. Palm Bay's large geographic footprint means notification areas can extend across different residential sections of the city depending on where the predator lives.

The FDLE public database clearly distinguishes between sex offenders and sexual predators on every individual record. When you search Palm Bay results, any predator designation is visible at a glance alongside the person's photo, address, and offense history.

Search Palm Bay Sex Offenders Online

Use the FDLE sex offender search to find registered offenders in Palm Bay. Enter "Palm Bay" in the city field or use a Palm Bay ZIP code to narrow results to a specific area of this large city. Each result includes a photo, physical description, current address, offense history, and vehicle information. The search is free and does not require any registration or login.

Palm Bay covers a very large land area, and ZIP code searches can help you focus on a specific neighborhood. The main Palm Bay ZIP codes are 32905, 32907, 32908, 32909, and 32910. Searching by ZIP code rather than city name can give you a more localized view of registrants in a particular part of town.

FDLE updates the database as BCSO SORT submits new registrations and updates. Results reflect current registration status, though there may be a short lag between when a change is submitted and when it appears publicly. For the most time-sensitive searches, contact BCSO SORT directly at (321) 206-9433 during business hours.

Residency Restrictions in Palm Bay

Florida's residency restriction statute, § 775.215, bars certain sex offenders and all sexual predators from living within 1,000 feet of schools, licensed daycare facilities, parks, playgrounds, and other locations where children regularly gather. Palm Bay is one of the largest cities in Florida by land area, but its residential neighborhoods are spread across a wide footprint with schools and parks distributed throughout.

The 1,000-foot measurement is from the nearest point of the prohibited location's property boundary, not from the building's front door. School campuses, in particular, often have large parcels, and the exclusion zone extends from the edge of the property. A house that looks far from a school building may still fall within the zone if it is close to the school's property boundary.

Palm Bay's many planned residential sections include community parks and school sites integrated into the neighborhood design. This reduces the number of addresses that are compliant with § 775.215. If a prohibited location opens near an existing registered address after a person has already moved in, the law requires relocation. Confirm current requirements with BCSO SORT at (321) 206-9433 before establishing any Palm Bay address.

BCSO SORT Unit Resources

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office SORT unit handles all sex offender and predator registrations for Palm Bay and the rest of Brevard County. The SORT unit is based at the Brevard County Jail Complex in Cocoa.

Use the FDLE search tool to find current registry data for Palm Bay and all of Brevard County. Search by name, ZIP code, or city for results with photos, addresses, and offense details.

FDLE Statewide Registry

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains the official statewide sex offender registry, which includes all Palm Bay registrations submitted by BCSO SORT. This database is the authoritative public source for offender information across all 67 Florida counties.

The FDLE search portal is free, public, and does not require an account. It is updated regularly as county sheriffs submit new registrations and changes across Florida.

Florida Offender Alert

The Florida Offender Alert system is a free email notification service operated through FDLE. Palm Bay residents can sign up using a home address and choose a search radius. The system sends an email alert whenever a sex offender or predator registers or updates their address within that area.

This service is useful for families in Palm Bay who want ongoing awareness without repeated manual searches. Palm Bay's size means that nearby registrations may not be obvious from a single ZIP code search. The alert system covers the radius you set, regardless of ZIP code boundaries. Schools, parks, and community organizations in Palm Bay can also sign up to receive location-based alerts tied to their address. The service is free and available to any Florida resident.

Brevard County Sex Offender Records

Palm Bay is located in Brevard County, and all sex offender registrations for city residents are processed and maintained by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office SORT unit. For full details on Brevard County's registration process, sheriff contact information, and county-wide registry resources, visit the county records page.

View Brevard County Records

Nearby Florida Cities

Sex offender registration requirements are the same across Florida, with each city's registrants reporting to the sheriff's office in their county. Find registry information for other nearby qualifying cities below.