Search Walton County Sex Offenders

Walton County sex offenders and sexual predators are required by Florida law to register with the Walton 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 free of charge without creating an account. Walton County spans the Florida Panhandle from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Alabama border, with communities including Destin's eastern edge, Miramar Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, and the county seat of DeFuniak Springs, and all sex offender registrations throughout this large county are filed in person at the sheriff's office regardless of where in the county the registrant lives.

Walton County Sheriff and Sex Offender Registration

The Walton 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 Walton County to register in person at the sheriff's office. That applies to people with Florida convictions and to those relocating from other states with offenses that would qualify for registration under Florida statutes. The state where the conviction occurred does not change what is required here in Walton County.

Registration is done in person only. There is no mail or online option. When you arrive at the sheriff's office, staff take 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 accounts. A photo is taken during the visit. Bring a valid government-issued ID and all documentation from your case. If you are transferring from another county or state, bring any prior registration paperwork so staff can correctly assign your designation and schedule.

After registration, the sheriff's office sends fingerprints and your photo to the FDLE. Your record generally 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 expand on weekends or holidays. Missing the deadline carries the same legal consequences as failing to register in the first place.

Registration Requirements in Walton County

Florida's sex offender registration rules are set out in Florida Statute § 943.0435. The rules apply identically in Walton County as they do in every county in the state. There are no county-level exemptions or adjustments. The statute defines what information registrants must provide, how often in-person appearances are required, and what penalties follow from non-compliance.

Re-registration frequency is tied to designation. Standard sex offenders must appear in person twice per year. The first visit falls during your birth month. The second is 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 risk that the predator designation represents under Florida law.

Transient registrants, those who have no fixed address and move between places regularly, must report to the Walton County Sheriff's Office every 30 days. Not having a permanent home does not reduce the registration obligation. It changes the reporting cycle to monthly check-ins rather than twice or four times per year.

The 48-hour reporting rule covers all changes, not just home address updates. A new vehicle, a new email account, a new phone number, a change in workplace, each one requires notifying the sheriff within two days. You cannot wait for your next scheduled visit to report these changes. Registration in Florida is a lifetime obligation in most cases. Failing to register, or missing the 48-hour window, is a third-degree felony under Florida law regardless of when or where the original offense happened.

Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders in Walton County

Florida law divides registrants into two categories: sexual offenders and sexual predators. Both appear in the FDLE public registry, but the rules attached to each group are not the same.

Sexual offenders are people convicted of qualifying offenses under Florida law, or people convicted in other states of crimes that would require registration here. They must appear twice yearly, report all changes within 48 hours, and comply with residency restrictions. Their records are publicly searchable in the FDLE database. The state does not run an active community notification program for standard offenders. Neighbors are not formally notified when an offender registers nearby, though the records are open to the public.

Sexual predators carry a separate legal designation. The predator label does not apply automatically at sentencing. A court must make a formal finding that the person meets the specific criteria established 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 Walton County address, the sheriff's office may notify nearby residents, schools, and childcare providers directly. Predator records are labeled separately in the FDLE portal so the public can distinguish them from standard offender records at a glance.

Walton County's beach communities, including Miramar Beach and Santa Rosa Beach, see higher seasonal traffic during summer months. Temporary visitors are generally not required to register unless they maintain a regular presence in the county. People who rent a vacation property for more than a few days regularly should look into Florida's registration requirements for their specific situation.

Search Walton County Sex Offenders Online

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

Results include each registrant's photo, current registered address, physical description, offense history, and predator status if applicable. The radius search is useful for checking registrations near schools, parks, or vacation rental areas. The database updates on an ongoing basis and reflects the most recent information filed with the Walton County Sheriff's Office. For searches focused on specific communities like Santa Rosa Beach or DeFuniak Springs, using the city name or ZIP code filter narrows results quickly.

For people recently relocated to Walton County from another state, nsopw.gov aggregates data from all participating state registries. Once a person establishes a Walton County address and registers here, their record appears in the FDLE database.

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

Residency Restrictions in Walton 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 location where children regularly gather. That distance is measured from property line to property line. The restriction is state law and applies uniformly in Walton County as it does everywhere in Florida.

The rule covers permanent residences and temporary stays alike. Spending a single night at a non-compliant address is a violation. The Walton County Sheriff's Office checks 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 sheriff can accept the address on file.

Some municipalities in Walton County may have enacted local ordinances that go beyond the state minimum. Local governments can extend the buffer zone or restrict registrants from certain public spaces above and beyond what state law requires. Anyone picking a new address in Walton County, including in the beach communities along the coast, should verify both state law and any applicable local rules before signing a lease or committing to a move.

The FDLE search portal allows anyone to look up Walton County sex offenders by name, city, ZIP code, or proximity to a specific address, at no cost and without an account.

Florida Offender Alert Notifications for Walton County

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

The service is free. Select the ZIP codes for your neighborhood, your child's school zone, or beach community areas you want to monitor, and the system tracks changes for you automatically. You can watch multiple ZIP codes from one account. It is a practical option for year-round Walton County residents who want to stay informed about registry activity in their area without checking the FDLE portal manually.

Cities in Walton County

Walton County's communities include DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Paxton, Laurel Hill, and the unincorporated beach communities of Santa Rosa Beach, Miramar Beach, and Inlet Beach. DeFuniak Springs is the largest incorporated city, with a population of around 6,000. None of these communities meet the threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All sex offender registrations in Walton County are processed through the Walton County Sheriff's Office at 25 N Drake Ave in DeFuniak Springs.

Nearby Counties

Registrants who move out of Walton 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 rules.