Marion County Sex Offender Registry

Marion County sex offenders and sexual predators are tracked by the Marion County Sheriff's Office Sexual Offender and Predator Unit, with all records available through the FDLE statewide registry that any resident can search for free.

Marion County SOPU: Sex Offender and Predator Unit

The Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) runs a dedicated Sexual Offender and Predator Unit, commonly referred to as SOPU, which is responsible for all sex offender registration and compliance work in the county. SOPU handles registration for sexual offenders, sexual predators, and career offenders who reside in Marion County. The unit's physical address is 692 NW 30th Ave, Ocala, FL 34475, with a mailing address at PO Box 1987, Ocala, FL 34478. The direct SOPU phone number is 352-368-3517. The main MCSO non-emergency line is (352) 732-9111.

SOPU does not just handle paperwork. The unit conducts address verifications at the homes of registered sex offenders and predators on a regular schedule. Sexual offenders and predators are checked at least four times a year at their home address. On top of that, offenders and predators are required to come in and re-register either two or four times per year depending on their offense. Combined, SOPU staff see each registrant between six and eight times every year through home visits and in-office registration visits. That level of contact is deliberate. It keeps the unit's information current and puts registrants on notice that compliance is actively monitored.

Community education is also part of SOPU's mission. The unit hosts community presentations about sex offender registration and has conducted law enforcement training on the topic. Any violations or complaints received by MCSO are investigated by the unit directly.

How SOPU Handles Compliance and Violations

SOPU takes registration violations seriously. Under Florida law, failing to register when required or failing to report an address change within the 48-hour window is a third-degree felony. That offense is punishable by up to ten years in prison for sex offenders who violate their registration requirements. SOPU investigates violations and has an active arrest record. In a recent reporting year, the unit made 64 arrests out of 94 investigations. That ratio reflects how seriously Marion County pursues noncompliance cases.

The volume of work SOPU handles is significant. In that same reporting period, the unit tracked 83 sexual predators and 785 sexual offenders in Marion County. During the year, 111 new offenders and predators moved into the county and registered for the first time. The unit also logged more than 3,600 office contacts with registrants following changes in state law that created additional reporting requirements. These numbers reflect an active, well-staffed enforcement operation, not a passive record-keeping function.

All registered sex offenders and predators in Florida must sign the FDLE Sexual Predator and Sexual Offender Notice of Responsibilities during the registration process. That document outlines every obligation the registrant must follow. SOPU uses it as the baseline for enforcement. If a registrant fails to meet any of the requirements listed in that notice, it becomes the basis for a violation investigation.

The MCSO sex offender page gives the public direct access to local registry information and the tools available for Marion County searches.

The MCSO site provides a direct link to the sex offender registry and information about how SOPU handles registrations and compliance in Marion County.

Registration Requirements in Marion County

Registration in Marion County follows the statewide framework set by Florida law. Registrants must provide their full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, age, race, sex, height, weight, hair color, and eye color at each registration. A photograph is taken. The registrant's permanent address must be a physical street address, not a P.O. box. Any temporary addresses must also be disclosed. All electronic accounts, including email addresses and instant messaging names, are collected. Vehicle information, phone numbers, employment location, and conviction details are all part of the required disclosure.

The re-registration schedule depends on offense type. Standard sex offenders re-register twice a year. Sexual predators re-register quarterly, four times a year. Those in-office visits are in addition to the home address verifications SOPU conducts. Any change to an address, vehicle, phone number, or email account must be reported to SOPU within 48 hours of the change. That 48-hour rule applies at all times, including on weekends.

If a registrant moves out of Marion County, they must notify SOPU and register with the Sheriff's Office of their new county within 48 hours of relocating. Moving into Marion County from another county or state requires registration within 48 hours of arrival. The Marion County Jail, located at 3290 NW 10th St, Ocala, FL 34475, can be reached at (352) 351-8077 for jail-related inquiries.

The SOPU unit information page describes the unit's structure, responsibilities, and how it approaches compliance monitoring across Marion County.

SOPU's unit page provides an overview of the team's enforcement approach, including how often they verify addresses and the volume of offenders tracked in the county.

Florida Law Behind Marion County Registration

The legal framework for sex offender registration in Marion County comes from two key statutes. Florida Statute § 943.0435 defines the sex offender category under Florida law and sets out the full list of registration obligations. It is the core statute that governs what information must be reported, how often, and what happens when someone fails to comply. Any county in Florida follows this statute for all registration work.

The sexual predator designation operates under § 775.21, which requires a formal court order for the designation to be applied. The predator label triggers stricter requirements, including quarterly re-registration and mandatory community notification. In Marion County, SOPU handles community notification for sexual predators as part of its regular work. Notification for standard sex offenders is not mandatory under state law, though the FDLE database makes all registration information publicly available.

Residency limits under § 775.215 apply statewide. No registered sex offender may live within 1,000 feet of a school, childcare center, park, playground, or similar location. Those restrictions apply equally across all of Marion County, in Ocala and throughout the surrounding unincorporated areas. SOPU verifies addresses against those restrictions as part of the registration process.

Searching the FDLE Registry for Marion County

The primary tool for searching Marion County sex offenders is the FDLE sex offender search. You can filter by Marion County to see all active registrants. Results include photo, physical description, registered address, and offense history. The tool supports searches by name, county, city, ZIP code, or a radius from a specific address. Radius searches work well for checking who is registered near a school, park, or home address. Predator profiles are labeled separately and can be sorted by designation.

The FDLE registry homepage provides the main entry point for all statewide searches. For cross-state searches, the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) aggregates data from all participating states and can confirm whether someone moving to Marion County has a registration history elsewhere.

Residents can also set up free email alerts through Florida Offender Alert. The service sends automatic notifications when a registered sex offender or sexual predator moves into or near an area you specify. You choose the ZIP codes to monitor. The system does the rest, sending alerts automatically when registration changes occur in those areas.

Cities in Marion County

Marion County's largest city is Ocala, which is the county seat and home to the MCSO headquarters. Ocala does not currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All registrants in Ocala and throughout Marion County's cities and unincorporated communities register with SOPU and appear in the FDLE registry under Marion County.

Nearby Counties

Sex offenders leaving Marion County must notify SOPU and then register with the Sheriff's Office in their new county within 48 hours of relocating. The counties surrounding Marion each maintain their own registration offices and compliance programs.