Search Levy County Sex Offenders

Levy County Sheriff and Sex Offender Registration

The Levy County Sheriff's Office is the agency responsible for sex offender registration across all of Levy County. Anyone convicted of a qualifying sex offense who lives, works, or regularly spends time in Levy County must register with the sheriff in person. City police departments in Levy County do not process registrations. The sheriff's office in Bronson handles all registration intake for the county.

When a person registers, staff collect a photograph, fingerprints, and all required identifying information. That includes current address, vehicle information, and any online accounts or email addresses. The information is forwarded to FDLE within 24 hours of any update, which keeps the statewide public database current for Levy County.

Anyone newly arriving in Levy County must register at the sheriff's office within 48 hours of establishing any kind of residence in the county. That deadline begins immediately, whether you have a permanent address or are staying somewhere temporarily. Call (352) 486-5111 to confirm registration hours before you go to the Bronson office.

Levy County is a large rural county, and many residents work or travel regularly into Alachua, Marion, or Citrus Counties. If you spend significant time in another county on a regular basis, you may need to register there as well. Each county maintains its own registration list. An offender who works in Gainesville but lives in Levy County may have obligations in both Alachua and Levy.

Registration Requirements in Levy County

Florida's registration law for sex offenders is found at Florida Statute § 943.0435. Under that statute, registered sex offenders must report to the Levy County Sheriff's Office twice per year to update their information. Sexual predators face a stricter schedule and must report four times per year. Both groups are subject to additional reporting whenever any registered detail changes.

The 48-hour change rule is one of the most important requirements in the statute. Any change in address, vehicle, employer, or online accounts must be reported to the sheriff within 48 hours. The two-day window does not extend for weekends or holidays. A move on a Saturday still requires a report by Monday at the latest. Many offenders have picked up felony charges simply by assuming a change could wait until the next scheduled check-in.

Transient offenders who lack a fixed address must report to the Levy County Sheriff's Office every 30 days. This schedule applies regardless of the reason for homelessness and continues until the person establishes a stable registered address. Living in a vehicle, a tent, or with rotating family members all count as transient status if there is no fixed address to register.

Providing false information at registration is a third-degree felony in Florida. That applies to outright lies and to deliberate omissions. Leaving out an email account, a new vehicle, or a secondary address can result in a felony charge. The penalty is up to five years in state prison. The registration requirement in Levy County, as in all of Florida, is for life in most cases. It does not expire automatically.

Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders in Levy County

Florida law uses two separate categories for people on the sex offender registry. Understanding the difference matters because the categories carry different reporting schedules and different levels of public notification.

The sexual predator designation is governed by Florida Statute § 775.21, the Florida Sexual Predators Act. A judge makes the formal designation at sentencing based on the nature of the crime or a history of sexual offenses. The designation follows the person for life. Sexual predators in Levy County must register with the sheriff four times per year and are subject to more active community notification than standard offenders.

Sexual offenders fall under § 943.0435. This broader category includes all people convicted of a qualifying sex offense, with or without a predator designation from a court. They report twice per year. Both groups appear in the FDLE public database, but each profile is labeled to show the category. When someone searches for offenders in Levy County, the results clearly indicate whether each listed person is a sexual offender or a sexual predator.

The distinction also affects what happens when someone moves into the county. When a sexual predator establishes residency in a new area, FDLE is required to notify local law enforcement agencies and may notify nearby residents directly. Sexual offenders do not trigger the same level of active community notification, though their information is still publicly accessible through the FDLE database.

Searching Levy County Sex Offenders

The official public database for searching sex offenders in Levy County is maintained by FDLE. The FDLE offender search tool lets you filter results by county. Select Levy County from the dropdown menu to pull all registered offenders and predators currently listed in the county. Results include photographs, registered addresses, and offense details for each person.

You can search for a specific individual by name or browse all records in a given area. The database is free and does not require a login. Results reflect the registered address, which is updated within 24 hours of a sheriff processing a registration change. For the most urgent concerns, calling the Levy County Sheriff's Office at (352) 486-5111 is the fastest way to get current information.

Third-party websites sometimes pull data from FDLE but are not always current. The FDLE database is the original source and the most reliable. When accuracy matters, go directly to the FDLE search tool.

Residency Restrictions in Levy County

Florida Statute § 775.215 sets the residency restriction that applies to sex offenders and sexual predators throughout the state. Under that law, a registered sex offender may not live within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center, park, playground, or other place where children regularly gather. The measurement is taken from the property line of the restricted location to the offender's residence.

In Levy County, a rural area with scattered communities, the restricted zones still carry full legal force. The 1,000-foot rule can limit available housing in smaller towns where a single school is near much of the housing stock. Anyone subject to the registry must check their proposed address against all nearby restricted locations before committing to it. The Levy County Sheriff's Office can answer questions about specific locations.

Local ordinances in Florida can set stricter limits than the state baseline. Some municipalities extend the buffer zone or add restricted location types beyond what state law requires. Anyone planning to reside in a specific town within Levy County should check local rules as well as state law before signing a lease.

FDLE Sex Offender Registry

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains the official statewide sex offender registry, which includes all Levy County registrants.

The FDLE homepage is the starting point for all public sex offender searches in Florida. Levy County records are part of the same statewide database and are updated whenever the Levy County Sheriff's Office processes a registration change.

FDLE Offender Search Portal

Use the FDLE offender search to find specific registrants in Levy County by name or location.

The search portal allows county-level filtering. Select Levy County to see all current registrations. Each result includes the person's name, photograph, current address, and offense history.

Florida Offender Alert Notifications

The Florida Offender Alert service lets you sign up for free email notifications when a sex offender registers near a specific address. The service covers all Florida counties, including Levy.

Sign up on the Florida Offender Alert website by entering the address you want to monitor and setting a distance radius. The system will send an email whenever a new registration or address change falls within that area. For residents of a rural county like Levy, this tool provides an easy way to stay aware of registry changes without checking the FDLE database manually.

Alert notifications draw from the same FDLE database used for public searches. They go out within hours of a registry update. The service covers both new registrations and changes to existing records, so you will be notified when an offender already in the system moves into your area.

Cities in Levy County

No cities in Levy County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. Bronson is the county seat. Other communities include Chiefland, Williston, and Cedar Key. Sex offender registration for all residents across the county is handled through the Levy County Sheriff's Office at 9150 NE 80th Ave in Bronson.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Levy County. Each has its own sheriff's office responsible for sex offender registration.