Martin County Sex Offender Lookup

Martin County Sheriff and Sex Offender Registration

The Martin County Sheriff's Office is responsible for sex offender registration throughout Martin County. Anyone convicted of a qualifying sex offense who lives, works, or regularly spends time in Martin County must register in person at the sheriff's office. Stuart city police and other municipal agencies do not process sex offender registrations. The sheriff's office is the sole registration authority for the county.

When a person registers, staff collect a current photograph, fingerprints, and all required identifying information. This includes current home address, vehicle registration details, employer information, and any internet identifiers such as email addresses and social media accounts. That information is submitted to FDLE within 24 hours, which keeps the statewide public database current. Martin County's Treasure Coast location, with significant seasonal population movement, means the sheriff's office tracks a registry that can shift as residents move in and out throughout the year.

Anyone new to Martin County must register in person at the sheriff's office within 48 hours of establishing any presence in the county. That deadline applies even if you are staying temporarily. A seasonal address counts. Call (772) 220-7000 before you go to confirm the current registration schedule. Walk-in availability and appointment requirements can change, and a call ahead saves a wasted trip.

Martin County borders Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties. Anyone who regularly works or spends significant time in a neighboring county may have a registration obligation there as well. Multi-county registration is common for people who live near a county line. Contact the relevant county sheriff's office to ask about requirements before assuming a single registration covers all obligations.

Registration Requirements in Martin County

Florida's sex offender registration law is codified at Florida Statute § 943.0435. Under that statute, registered sex offenders must report to the Martin County Sheriff's Office twice per year for a registration update. Sexual predators must report four times per year. Both groups must report additional times whenever any registration information changes.

The 48-hour change rule is a hard deadline. Any change in address, vehicle, employer, phone number, or online account must be reported within two days of the change occurring. There are no weekend extensions. If you move on a Saturday afternoon, the report is due by Monday afternoon at the latest. This rule is strictly enforced, and violations result in felony charges rather than a warning.

Transient offenders in Martin County who do not have a fixed address must report to the sheriff every 30 days. This applies regardless of the reason for housing instability. Staying with family, at a shelter, in a motel, or in a vehicle all qualify as transient status if there is no stable registered address. The 30-day cycle continues until a permanent address is established and registered.

Florida registration is a lifetime obligation in most cases. It does not expire automatically after a fixed number of years. Removal from the registry is possible only through a court order, which is difficult to obtain. Any false statement or intentional omission at registration is a third-degree felony, with a maximum sentence of five years in state prison.

Seasonal residents present a registration challenge that the Martin County Sheriff's Office handles regularly. If you maintain a seasonal residence in Martin County, even for just a few months per year, you likely have a registration obligation here. The law does not distinguish between permanent and seasonal addresses. If you establish a residence of any kind, you must register.

Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders in Martin County

Florida law places registered individuals into two legal categories that carry different obligations and different levels of public notification. Understanding which category applies to a specific person is important for anyone searching the registry.

Sexual predators are designated under Florida Statute § 775.21, the Florida Sexual Predators Act. The court makes the formal predator designation at sentencing. It is based on the nature of the crime or a documented pattern of sexual offenses. The designation is permanent in most cases. Sexual predators in Martin County must report to the sheriff four times per year, and FDLE actively notifies local law enforcement and may notify the surrounding community whenever a predator establishes or changes a residence.

Sexual offenders are governed under § 943.0435. This is the broader category, covering everyone convicted of a qualifying sex offense who was not formally designated a predator. They report twice per year. Both groups appear in the FDLE public database. Each profile is labeled to identify whether the person is a sexual offender or a sexual predator, so searches of Martin County are clear about which designation applies to each listed individual.

The active community notification that accompanies a predator registration is more intensive than what most people expect. FDLE can notify schools, child care facilities, and in some cases adjacent neighbors. This process happens automatically when a predator registers in Martin County. Standard sexual offenders do not trigger the same active notification, though their registry records are equally public.

Searching Martin County Sex Offenders

The primary tool for finding registered sex offenders in Martin County is the FDLE statewide database. The FDLE offender search allows filtering by county. Select Martin County to see all current registrations. Each result includes the registrant's name, photograph, current registered address, and offense details. The search is free and requires no login or account creation.

You can search for a specific individual by name or browse all registrants in the county at once. Results reflect the current registered address, updated within 24 hours after the sheriff processes a change. Seasonal fluctuations in Martin County's population mean the registry can change more frequently than in counties without a large snowbird presence. For urgent concerns, calling the Martin County Sheriff's Office at (772) 220-7000 is the most direct approach.

The FDLE database is the authoritative source. Third-party sites may draw on FDLE data but are not always current. Use FDLE directly when you need accurate and up-to-date information about Martin County registrants.

Residency Restrictions in Martin County

Florida Statute § 775.215 establishes the residency restriction that applies throughout the state. A registered sex offender or sexual predator may not live within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center, park, playground, or any location where children regularly gather. The distance is measured from the property line of the restricted site to the offender's home.

In Martin County, a suburban and coastal community with parks, schools, and recreational areas throughout the county, the 1,000-foot rule creates real limitations on where registered individuals can live. Areas near the waterfront, which tend to have parks and public gathering spaces, may have large restricted zones. Anyone under registration requirements should verify any proposed address carefully before agreeing to live there. The Martin County Sheriff's Office can answer questions about specific locations.

Local municipalities in Martin County can adopt ordinances that set stricter restrictions than the state's 1,000-foot baseline. Stuart and other incorporated areas within the county may have local rules that expand the restricted zone or add location types. State law is the minimum. Always check local ordinances as well before selecting an address.

FDLE Sex Offender Registry

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains the official statewide sex offender registry. All Martin County registrants are part of this database.

The FDLE database is updated within 24 hours whenever the Martin County Sheriff processes a registration change. The homepage provides direct access to the offender search, alert signup, and registration resources. It is the most reliable public source for Martin County sex offender information.

FDLE Offender Search Tool

The FDLE offender search portal allows county-level filtering for Martin County searches.

Select Martin County from the dropdown menu to see all current registrations. Each profile shows the registrant's name, photograph, address, and offense details. You can search by name or browse the full county list. No account or payment is required.

Florida Offender Alert Notifications

The Florida Offender Alert system provides free email notifications when a sex offender registers at an address near a location you select. The service operates statewide and covers Martin County.

Enroll at the Florida Offender Alert website by entering an address and setting a radius. The system sends alerts when any registration within that radius is added or updated. For Martin County residents, the tool is useful for monitoring a home, a vacation property, or any location you want to keep track of without checking FDLE manually.

Alert notifications draw from the same FDLE data used for public searches and go out within hours of a registry update. Both new registrations and address changes by existing registrants trigger alerts. You will receive a notification when a nearby offender moves within your set radius, not only when someone completely new enters the system.

Cities in Martin County

No cities in Martin County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. Stuart is the county seat with a population of roughly 18,000. Other communities include Jensen Beach, Palm City, and Hobe Sound. Sex offender registration for all Martin County residents is handled through the Martin County Sheriff's Office at 800 SE Monterey Rd in Stuart.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Martin County. Each maintains its own sheriff's office for sex offender registration.