Search Sex Offenders in Leon County

Leon County sex offenders and sexual predators register with the Leon County Sheriff's Office in Tallahassee, with all records publicly searchable through the FDLE statewide database at no cost to residents.

Leon County Sheriff's Office Registration Hours and Location

The Leon County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) handles sex offender and sexual predator registration for all of Leon County, including the city of Tallahassee. Registration does not happen every day of the week. The LCSO only accepts registrations on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Those three days are the only days the office processes sex offender and predator registrations. If you arrive on a Tuesday or Thursday, you will not be able to register until the next available day.

Hours on registration days are 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. The office closes midday for a lunch break. Do not arrive expecting to register between noon and 1:00 PM. The office is located at 535 Appleyard Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32304. The direct phone line for sex offender registration is (850) 606-3317. The main LCSO number is (850) 606-3300.

Anyone who needs to register and is not sure which day or time to come in should call (850) 606-3317 first. Staff can confirm the current schedule and answer any questions about what to bring. Note that if you arrive in Leon County and need to register within the 48-hour window but the office is not open that day, you should appear at the first available registration day that falls within your deadline. If you have concerns about meeting the timeline, calling ahead is the best course of action.

The Leon County Sheriff's Office is the registration authority for all sex offenders and sexual predators residing in Leon County and the city of Tallahassee.

The LCSO website provides registration details, contact information, and links to sex offender search tools covering Leon County and Tallahassee.

Tallahassee Police and the LCSO Registration Arrangement

Leon County is home to Tallahassee, the state capital of Florida. The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) operates within the city limits, but it does not handle sex offender registration. Any sex offender or sexual predator who appears at a Tallahassee Police facility to register is directed to the Leon County Sheriff's Office. That is official TPD policy. The LCSO is the single registration point for the entire county, including all areas within Tallahassee city limits.

TPD does have a role in community notification. Under TPD policy, when FDLE notifies the department that a sexual predator is residing or relocating within Tallahassee city limits, TPD must inform the public within 48 hours of that FDLE notification. That notification specifically includes notice to licensed daycare centers, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and any other entities directed by department policy, all within a one-mile radius of the sexual predator's registered address. The standard method is email to those entities in the specified radius.

Community notification works differently for sex offenders versus sexual predators. Notification about sexual predators is mandatory. Notification about standard sex offenders is not required under Florida law. The public can find information about both groups through the FDLE database, but active outreach by law enforcement only applies to the predator designation.

Registration Requirements for Leon County Registrants

Registration at the LCSO follows the standard Florida process. Registrants must provide their full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, age, race, sex, height, weight, hair color, and eye color. A photograph is taken at each visit. The registrant's permanent residential address must be a physical street address. A post office box is not acceptable. Any temporary addresses where the registrant stays for three or more days must also be disclosed.

All electronic contact information is collected, including every email address and instant messaging account. Vehicle information is required for all registrants who own or operate a motor vehicle. For registrants who live in a vehicle, trailer, or mobile home, the vehicle identification number, license tag number, registration number, and a physical description including color scheme must also be provided. Those living on a vessel or houseboat must provide the hull identification number, manufacturer's serial number, vessel name, registration number, and a physical description. Employment location, school enrollment, and conviction history are all part of the standard intake.

After providing all required information, registrants sign the FDLE Sexual Predator and Sexual Offender Notice of Responsibilities form. That document outlines every ongoing obligation the registrant must meet. Signing it is a required part of registration, and it puts the registrant on formal notice of what Florida law requires going forward.

Florida Statutes Governing Leon County Registration

Sex offender registration in Leon County is governed by Florida Statute § 943.0435, which defines who qualifies as a sex offender under Florida law and sets out all registration obligations. Standard sex offenders re-register twice a year, every six months. Any change to an address, vehicle, phone, or email account must be reported to the LCSO within 48 hours. That rule applies even on days when registration is not normally scheduled. If a reportable change occurs on a Tuesday, the 48-hour clock runs from that Tuesday regardless of the registration schedule.

The sexual predator category is governed by § 775.21. A court must issue a written order to apply the predator designation. Predators re-register every three months rather than every six. Four in-person registration visits per year at the LCSO are required. The predator designation also triggers mandatory community notification, which in Leon County involves both LCSO and, for Tallahassee addresses, Tallahassee Police outreach to nearby schools and childcare centers.

Residency restrictions under § 775.215 prohibit all registered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare, park, playground, or similar location where children gather. Those limits apply across all of Leon County. Failing to register on schedule, failing to report a change within 48 hours, or providing false information at registration are all third-degree felonies under Florida law, punishable by up to five years in prison.

The LCSO sex offender unit page gives details about how the criminal investigations division handles sex offender registration and enforcement in Leon County.

The LCSO criminal investigations page covers the unit's registration procedures, enforcement approach, and how community notifications are handled in Leon County.

Searching the FDLE Registry for Leon County

The FDLE sex offender search is the main tool for finding registered sex offenders and sexual predators in Leon County. You can filter results by county, city, ZIP code, or a radius from any address. Searching by Leon County returns all active registrants with addresses anywhere in the county. Each profile includes a photo, physical description, registered address, offense history, and a predator label when applicable. Search results can be sorted by name or by proximity to an address.

The FDLE registry homepage provides the main entry point for statewide searches. For multi-state searches, the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) aggregates data from all participating states and is useful for checking whether someone moving to Leon County has a registration history in another state. Florida's data feeds into NSOPW, so records will align for Florida registrants.

Leon County residents can also sign up for free email notifications through Florida Offender Alert. You specify the areas you want monitored, and the system sends an alert automatically any time a registered sex offender or sexual predator updates an address in those areas. The alert service runs continuously, which is more reliable than periodic manual searches for catching new registrations as they happen.

Cities in Leon County

Leon County's primary city is Tallahassee, Florida's state capital and the county seat. Registered sex offenders living in Tallahassee register with the Leon County Sheriff's Office, not Tallahassee Police. All registrants in Tallahassee and throughout Leon County appear in the FDLE database under Leon County.

Nearby Counties

Sex offenders who leave Leon County must notify the LCSO and register with the Sheriff's Office of their new county within 48 hours. Each neighboring county has its own registration office and enforcement unit.