Find Sex Offenders in Polk County

Polk County sex offenders and sexual predators are required by Florida law to register with the Polk County Sheriff's Office, and the full registry is publicly searchable through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's online database. Polk County is one of Florida's most populous counties, with a large and active sex offender registry that covers communities from Lakeland to Winter Haven and across the county's wide rural areas. This page explains how registration works in Polk County, how to search offender records, and what residents need to know about local requirements.

Polk County Sex Offender Registry Overview

Polk County is a large inland county in central Florida, with Bartow as the county seat. The county's population of roughly 750,000 makes it one of the larger counties in the state, and its registered sex offender population reflects that size. All sex offenders and sexual predators who live in, work in, or attend school in Polk County must register with the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The PCSO maintains a dedicated sex offender unit that handles registrations and monitors compliance across the county.

Sheriff Grady Judd leads the Polk County Sheriff's Office and has built a reputation in Florida for aggressive enforcement of sex offender laws. The PCSO sex offender unit works closely with FDLE to ensure that every Polk County registrant appears in the statewide database and that any compliance failures are referred for prosecution. Polk County courts see a steady number of failure-to-register cases each year, which reflects both the size of the registry and the active monitoring the sheriff's office conducts. The PCSO takes these violations seriously and pushes for felony charges whenever a registrant fails to appear on time.

The Polk County sex offender registry is large. Searching it by ZIP code gives the most targeted results.

Where to Register in Polk County

Sex offender registration in Polk County takes place at the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The main PCSO headquarters is at 1891 Jim Keene Blvd, Winter Haven, FL 33880. Registration must happen in person. There is no mail, phone, or online option for completing registration. Under Florida Statute § 943.0435, sex offenders must appear at the sheriff's office of the county where they live, work, or attend school, and they must do so within 48 hours of establishing that connection to the county. This 48-hour rule has no grace period.

After registering with the PCSO, registrants must also report to a Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles office within 48 hours of that initial registration. The DHSMV step updates the person's driver license or state ID to reflect their sex offender status. Both the sheriff registration and the DHSMV registration are required by law. Skipping either one is a separate violation. Contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office at (863) 298-6200 or visit polksheriff.org to confirm current registration hours, the specific registration unit location, and what identification and paperwork to bring.

Polk County Sex Offender Registration Requirements

The legal framework for sex offender registration in Polk County is set by Florida Statute § 943.0435. That law defines who must register, what information they must provide, and how often they must update their records. In Polk County, as throughout Florida, registrants must provide their current home address, employer name and address, any schools they attend, vehicle information, phone numbers, email addresses, and any internet identifiers or social media accounts. All of this information goes into the public FDLE database.

Most sex offenders in Polk County must re-register twice a year, during the month of their birthday and again six months later. Sexual predators must re-register every 90 days. Both groups must also report any mid-cycle changes within 48 hours. That means if a registrant moves to a new address in Lakeland, changes jobs, or buys a new vehicle, they have 48 hours from that change to notify the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The re-registration schedule and the interim reporting requirement run separately. Missing either one can trigger a felony charge. The PCSO sex offender unit actively checks registrations for accuracy, including address verification visits.

All registration data submitted in Polk County is forwarded to FDLE within 24 hours of being processed by the sheriff's office.

Sexual Predators vs. Sexual Offenders in Polk County

Florida Statute § 775.21 defines who qualifies as a sexual predator in Florida. Courts apply that designation at sentencing based on the nature of the crime and the person's prior record. It is not assigned automatically. A judge must make the formal finding and enter it into the court record. Once designated, the label is permanent and appears in FDLE records for the life of the registrant. In Polk County, sexual predators face quarterly re-registration (every 90 days) and more prominent flagging in the public registry.

Both sex offenders and sexual predators in Polk County register at the same PCSO location and appear in the same FDLE search results. When you search the registry and filter for Polk County, results for both categories come back together. Each person's entry clearly shows whether they are classified as a sex offender or a sexual predator. The predator label indicates a court's formal finding of elevated risk. The PCSO sex offender unit prioritizes compliance monitoring for predators given the quarterly check-in schedule and the seriousness of the underlying offenses. In Polk County, failure to appear for a predator check-in is treated as a high-priority enforcement matter.

Both categories are publicly searchable. Neither one requires the public to create an account to view records.

How to Search Polk County Sex Offenders

The best starting point for searching Polk County sex offenders is the FDLE's free online database. It covers all of Florida and is updated as new registrations come in. Filtering by "Polk County" returns every active registrant in the county. You can also filter by specific cities like Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, or Haines City, or by ZIP code if you want results for a specific neighborhood. Each entry in the database includes the registrant's full name, current address, photo, offense type, and classification.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office handles sex offender and sexual predator registration for all of Polk County, including Winter Haven, Lakeland, and surrounding communities.

Sheriff Grady Judd's office coordinates directly with FDLE to ensure all registrations are reflected in the statewide database within 24 hours.

Florida's FDLE sex offender search includes every registered offender in Polk County and can be filtered by city or ZIP code.

Searching by county returns a full list of all active registrations, with photos and addresses for each person.

Residency Restrictions in Polk County

Florida Statute § 775.215 bans sex offenders and sexual predators from living within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare center, park, playground, or any other place where children regularly gather. This law applies throughout Polk County. The measurement is done from property line to property line. In dense urban areas like Lakeland and Winter Haven, where schools and parks are spread across residential neighborhoods, the restriction cuts out a large number of possible addresses for registrants.

Polk County is a large county with significant rural and semi-rural areas where compliant housing is easier to find. But in the cities and larger towns, the 1,000-foot buffer can significantly narrow the options. Registrants planning to move to Polk County, or to relocate within the county, should verify any intended address before committing to a lease or purchase. Moving into a non-compliant address is a violation of state law, and the Polk County Sheriff's Office will take action if a registrant's listed address turns out to be within a restricted zone. Some Polk County municipalities may also have local ordinances that extend restrictions beyond the state minimum, so checking with local government offices is worthwhile.

The 1,000-foot rule is a hard floor. Polk County communities can and do set tighter limits.

Florida Offender Alert in Polk County

Polk County residents can use the Florida Offender Alert system at floridaoffenderalert.com to get email notifications when a registered sex offender or predator moves near a specified address. The service is free and works directly off FDLE registry data. You choose the address you want to monitor (your home, a child's school, a family member's address) and the radius you want to track. When a registrant moves into that zone, the system sends you an email. For residents of Lakeland, Winter Haven, and other Polk County communities, this is an easy way to stay current without having to check the FDLE database manually.

The alert system does not give you the ability to stop someone from moving near you. It just keeps you informed. If you receive an alert and have concerns, contact the Polk County Sheriff's Office or your local law enforcement non-emergency line. The PCSO sex offender unit can answer questions about specific registrants and their compliance status. You can reach the PCSO at (863) 298-6200.

Cities in Polk County

Polk County includes several cities and communities. Lakeland is the largest city in Polk County, with a population of approximately 124,990, and it has a dedicated sex offender page on this site. Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, and Haines City are other significant communities, but they do not meet the 100,000-population threshold for individual city pages here.

Nearby Counties

Polk County sits in central Florida and borders several counties. Each has its own sex offender registry administered by the county sheriff and searchable through the FDLE statewide database.