Find Sex Offenders in Putnam County

Putnam County sex offenders and sexual predators are required by Florida law to register with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, and their records are publicly available through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement statewide database at no cost. Putnam County is a largely rural northeast Florida county with Palatka as the county seat, and anyone who lives, works, or regularly spends time here must register in person at the sheriff's office regardless of what state the underlying conviction came from. The FDLE search tool lets you look up registrants in Putnam County by name, address, ZIP code, or distance from a specific location.

Putnam County Sheriff and Sex Offender Registration

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office processes all sex offender and predator registrations for the county. Anyone convicted of a qualifying sexual offense who establishes a residence, workplace, or regular presence in Putnam County must come in person to complete the registration process. That requirement applies to people moving from other Florida counties and to those relocating from other states. If the offense qualifies for registration under Florida law, it does not matter where the conviction occurred.

Registration is an in-person process. You cannot submit paperwork by mail or complete any part of the process online. When you arrive at the sheriff's office, staff collect your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, home address, physical description, vehicle information, all phone numbers, and every electronic identifier you use, including email addresses and usernames on social media platforms. A photo is taken at the time of registration. Bring valid ID and all documentation from your case. People transferring from another county or state should bring any prior registration paperwork so staff can correctly assign a designation and set your schedule.

Once registration is complete, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office sends fingerprints and your photo to the FDLE. Your record generally shows up in the public database within a short time. All address changes, new vehicles, new phone numbers, and new online accounts must be reported to the sheriff within 48 hours of the change. That window does not expand over weekends or state holidays. Missing it carries the same legal exposure as failing to register in the first place.

Registration Requirements in Putnam County

Florida's sex offender registration rules are established by Florida Statute § 943.0435. The rules apply the same way in Putnam County as they do everywhere else in Florida. There are no local exemptions or adjustments at the county level. The statute covers what information registrants must give, how often they must appear in person, and what penalties apply for failing to comply.

How often you must re-register depends on your designation. Standard sex offenders must appear twice per year. The first visit is due during your birth month. The second is six months after that. Sexual predators face a more demanding schedule. They must appear in person four times per year, once every three months. The four-visit requirement reflects the higher risk level that the predator designation represents under Florida law.

Transient registrants, people who have no fixed address and move between places regularly, must report to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office every 30 days. Not having a permanent home does not reduce or eliminate registration requirements. It shifts the schedule to monthly check-ins instead of the standard twice-a-year or four-times-a-year cycle.

The 48-hour reporting requirement goes beyond address changes. A new car, a new email account, a new phone number, a new place of work, each of those requires notifying the sheriff within two days. You cannot hold that information until your next regular visit. Registration in Florida is a lifetime obligation in most cases. Failing to register, or failing to report a change within 48 hours, is a third-degree felony under Florida law, regardless of how long ago the original offense occurred.

Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders in Putnam County

Florida law sorts registrants into two categories: sexual offenders and sexual predators. Both categories appear in the FDLE public registry, but the obligations and the level of public notification differ between them.

Sexual offenders are people convicted of qualifying crimes under Florida statutes, or people convicted elsewhere of offenses that would trigger registration here. They must re-register twice each year, report all changes within 48 hours, and stay in compliance with residency restrictions. Their records are searchable in the public database, but the state does not run a formal notification program for this group. Anyone can look them up, but the state does not proactively tell neighbors when an offender registers in the area.

Sexual predators are a different matter. The predator designation is not handed out automatically at sentencing. A court must make a separate finding that the person meets the specific criteria laid out in Florida Statute § 775.21. Once designated, a predator must re-register four times a year and is subject to active community notification. When a predator registers at a Putnam County address, the sheriff's office may reach out directly to nearby residents, nearby schools, and other institutions in the area. Both offenders and predators appear in the same FDLE search tool. Predator records are labeled clearly so the public can tell them apart from standard offenders.

Palatka and the surrounding communities in Putnam County are searchable in the FDLE portal by city name or ZIP code, making it straightforward to filter results to a specific town or neighborhood within the county.

Search Putnam County Sex Offenders Online

The FDLE sex offender search portal is the official tool for looking up registered offenders and predators in Putnam County. No account or login is needed. The search is free. You can search by county, city name, ZIP code, individual name, or by radius from a specific street address.

Results show each registrant's photo, current registered address, physical description, offense history, and predator status where it applies. The address radius search is one of the more useful features, since you can check who is registered near a school, a park, or your home by entering an address and selecting a distance. The database reflects the most recent information submitted through the Putnam County Sheriff's Office and updates on an ongoing basis.

For people who moved to Putnam County from another state, the National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov pulls registration data from all participating states and is a good resource for cross-state checks. Once a person establishes residence in Florida, their record will appear in the FDLE database after they complete registration with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

The FDLE registry homepage gives access to all public sex offender and predator records across Florida, including every registrant in Putnam County.

Residency Restrictions in Putnam County

Under § 775.215, registered sex offenders and sexual predators in Florida are prohibited from living within 1,000 feet of any school, childcare facility, park, playground, or place where children regularly congregate. The measurement runs from property line to property line. The restriction is set by state law and applies uniformly across all Florida counties, including Putnam.

The restriction covers permanent residences and temporary stays alike. Even spending a single night at a non-compliant address is a violation. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office checks new addresses against these restrictions when a registrant comes in to update their information. If an address falls within the 1,000-foot buffer, the registrant must choose a different location before the address can be accepted.

Individual cities within Putnam County may have enacted local ordinances that go beyond the state-mandated 1,000-foot limit. Some jurisdictions extend the buffer zone or restrict registrants from specific public spaces. Anyone picking a new address in Putnam County should confirm both state and local rules before signing a lease or moving in. Moving to a non-compliant address, even in good faith, does not prevent charges under Florida law.

The FDLE search portal allows anyone to look up Putnam County sex offenders and predators by name, address, or ZIP code without creating an account.

Florida Offender Alert Notifications for Putnam County

Putnam County residents can set up free email alerts through Florida Offender Alert. The service monitors new registrations and address changes in the ZIP codes you select and sends an email when activity occurs in a zone you are watching. Each alert includes the registrant's photo and their registered address.

The service costs nothing to use. Select the ZIP codes that cover your neighborhood, your child's school area, or any other location you want to monitor, and the system tracks changes for you. You can watch multiple ZIP codes from a single account. It is a practical option for residents who want current information without manually checking the FDLE portal on a regular basis, particularly for families in smaller Putnam County communities who want visibility into local registry activity.

Cities in Putnam County

Palatka is the county seat and largest city in Putnam County, along with smaller communities like Crescent City, Interlachen, and Pomona Park. None of these cities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All sex offender registrations in Putnam County, whether in Palatka or in any unincorporated part of the county, are handled through the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 130 Sheriff Dr in Palatka.

Nearby Counties

Registrants leaving Putnam County must notify the sheriff and then register with the receiving county's sheriff within 48 hours of the move. Each surrounding county follows Florida's statewide registration rules.