The consequences of a conviction for a sex offense in Minnesota may last long after a person is released from prison. One of the major reasons for this is the requirement to register with the Minnesota Predatory Offender Registration, which is published on a public website managed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Offenders who have received convictions for criminal sexual conduct are required to register, as well as those convicted of felony-level indecent exposure. Sex offenses involving minors also require registration.
The shortest time period a person may be on the registry is 10 years. If probation is set for longer than 10 years, then registration is for the duration of probation. In some cases, a registrant may have to stay on the list for the rest of his or her life. Not all registrants have a probation officer listed because the probation period may end before the registration period.
A registrant must provide the following information:
- The primary address
- Any secondary addresses where the registrant may stay temporarily
- Places of employment
- Educational institutions where the registrant is enrolled
- Vehicles the registrant owns or operates
Although the public can check the registry to see if a person with a sex offense conviction lives in their area, the state does not have a law restricting where registrants may or may not live.
Some municipalities in the state do restrict registrants’ living options. However, according to the Star Tribune, a judge ruled that one such ordinance, in Dayton, conflicted with state law. She pointed out that the goal of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program is to reintegrate people into society after they have served their sentence and undergone treatment, so the city could not set restrictions that effectively prevent a former offender from moving there.
