Union County Sex Offenders

Union County sex offenders and sexual predators are required by Florida law to register with the Union County Sheriff's Office, and every active registrant in the county appears in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement public database, which anyone can search for free without creating an account. Union County is one of Florida's smallest counties by both area and population, with Lake Butler 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 where their conviction occurred. The county also hosts a correctional facility, and released individuals who establish a Union County address must register before or immediately after release.

Union County Sheriff and Sex Offender Registration

The Union County Sheriff's Office processes all sex offender and predator registrations for the county. Florida law requires anyone convicted of a qualifying sexual offense who lives, works, or regularly spends time in Union County to register in person. The obligation applies equally to people with Florida convictions and to those who come from other states with offenses that would require registration under Florida law. The county of conviction does not affect what is required here.

Registration is done in person only. No mail or online process is available. When you arrive at the sheriff's office, staff collect your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, current address, physical description, all vehicle information, phone numbers, and every electronic identifier you use, including email addresses and social media usernames. A photo is taken during registration. Bring valid government-issued ID and all documentation from your case. If you are coming from another county or state, bring prior registration paperwork so staff can correctly classify your designation and schedule.

After registration, the sheriff's office forwards your fingerprints and photo to the FDLE. Your record typically appears in the public database within a short time. Any changes, including new addresses, vehicles, phone numbers, and online accounts, must be reported to the sheriff within 48 hours. That window does not pause on weekends or holidays. Missing it carries the same legal penalty as failing to register in the first place.

Registration Requirements in Union County

Florida's sex offender registration rules are spelled out in Florida Statute § 943.0435. Those rules apply identically in Union County as they do in every other county in Florida. There are no county-level exceptions. The statute covers what information registrants must provide, how often they must appear in person, and what the penalties are for failing to comply.

Re-registration frequency depends on your designation. Standard sex offenders must appear in person twice per year. The first visit is due during your birth month. The second comes six months after that. Sexual predators operate on a stricter schedule. They must re-register four times per year, once every three months. The four-visit requirement reflects the elevated level of assessed risk that the predator designation carries under Florida law.

Transient registrants, those with no fixed address, must report to the Union County Sheriff's Office every 30 days to update their location. Having no permanent home does not reduce or remove the registration obligation. It shifts the schedule to monthly check-ins instead of twice or four times per year.

The 48-hour reporting rule applies to all changes, not only address updates. A new vehicle, a new email, a new phone number, a new place of work, each one requires a report to the sheriff within two days. Holding that information for the next scheduled visit is not allowed. 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. That penalty applies regardless of when or where the original offense took place.

Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders in Union County

Florida law divides registrants into two categories: sexual offenders and sexual predators. Both appear in the FDLE public database, but the requirements and community notification procedures are different for each group.

Sexual offenders are people convicted of qualifying crimes under Florida law, or people convicted in other states of offenses that would trigger registration here. They must appear twice yearly, report all changes within 48 hours, and follow residency restrictions. Their records are available in the FDLE database. The state does not run an active notification program for standard offenders. The public can search for them, but there is no formal system that alerts neighbors when an offender registers at a nearby address.

Sexual predators carry a separate and more serious designation. The label does not attach automatically at sentencing. A court must make a specific finding that the person meets the criteria in Florida Statute § 775.21. Once designated, a predator must re-register every three months and is subject to active community notification. When a predator registers at a new Union County address, the sheriff's office may notify nearby residents, schools, and childcare facilities directly. Both categories appear in the same FDLE search tool, and predator records are labeled clearly so the public can distinguish them from standard offenders.

Union County's small size means the total number of registrants in the FDLE database for this county is lower than in larger Florida counties. Searching by county name in the FDLE portal will pull all current Union County registrants at once.

Search Union County Sex Offenders Online

The FDLE sex offender search portal is the official resource for finding registered offenders and predators in Union County. No login or account is required. The search is free. You can look up by county, city or ZIP code, individual name, or radius from a street address.

Results show each registrant's photo, current registered address, physical description, offense history, and predator status where applicable. Given Union County's small population, filtering to Union County in the portal will show all current registrants without needing further refinement. The radius search is still useful if you want to check registrations near a specific school or address. Records reflect the most recent information filed with the Union County Sheriff's Office.

For people who recently moved to Union County from another state, nsopw.gov aggregates registration data from all participating states. Once a person establishes a Union County address and registers here, their record will appear in the FDLE database.

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

Residency Restrictions in Union County

Under § 775.215, registered sex offenders and sexual predators in Florida may not live within 1,000 feet of any school, childcare facility, park, playground, or place where children regularly gather. That distance is measured property line to property line. The restriction is set by state law and applies in Union County just as it does throughout Florida.

The rule covers both permanent and temporary stays. Spending one night at a non-compliant address is a violation. The Union County Sheriff's Office reviews new addresses against these restrictions during registration. If an address falls within the 1,000-foot buffer, the registrant must find a compliant location before the address can be accepted.

Some municipalities within Union County may have local rules that extend beyond the state's 1,000-foot minimum. Local governments can expand the buffer zone or add restrictions on certain public spaces. Anyone choosing a new address in Union County should check both state law and any applicable local ordinances before committing to the move. Moving to a non-compliant address, even unintentionally, is still a violation under Florida law.

The FDLE search portal allows anyone to look up Union County sex offenders by name, ZIP code, or address proximity, at no cost and without any login requirement.

Florida Offender Alert Notifications for Union County

Union 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 pick and sends an email when activity occurs in areas you are watching. Each alert includes the registrant's photo and their registered address.

The service is free. Select the ZIP codes for your neighborhood or other areas you want to track, and the system does the work automatically. You can monitor multiple ZIP codes from one account. For residents in Lake Butler and other small Union County communities, the alert service is a simple way to stay current without checking the FDLE database manually.

Cities in Union County

Lake Butler is the county seat and largest town in Union County, along with the small communities of Worthington Springs and Raiford. None of these towns come close to the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All sex offender registrations in Union County, for every town and unincorporated area, are handled through the Union County Sheriff's Office at 55 W Main St in Lake Butler.

Nearby Counties

Registrants who move out of Union County must notify the sheriff and register with the new county's sheriff within 48 hours of the move. All surrounding counties operate under Florida's statewide registration requirements.