Registered Sexual & Violent Offender Registry

Sex offenders have always lived in our communities. However, it wasn't until passage of Montana's Sexual Violent Offender Registry in 1989 (which mandates sex offender registration and community notification) that law enforcement agencies routinely tracked where sex offenders were living. Lake County Sheriff's Office works in conjunction with Montana's Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation SVOR Unit in accordance with Montana Law. This information is not intended to create alarm or panic. Our intent is to inform our citizens and enhance community safety and awareness. The Lake County Sheriff's Office has no legal authority to direct where a sex or violent offender may or may not live unless court ordered restrictions exist.

Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act is a federal statute and was signed by President George Bush on July 27, 2006. The Walsh Act organizes sex offenders into three tiers and mandates that Tier 3 offenders (the most serious tier) update their whereabouts every three months with lifetime registration requirements. Tier 2 offenders must update their whereabouts every six months with 25 years of registration, and Tier 1 offenders must update their whereabouts every year with 15 years of registration. Failure to register and update information is a felony under the law. The Act also creates a national sex offender registry and instructs each state and territory to apply identical criteria for posting offender data on the Internet (i.e., offender's name, address, date of birth, place of employment, photograph, etc.). The Act was named for Adam Walsh, a boy who was abducted from a Florida shopping mall and later found murdered.

View & Search for Offenders

View and search for offenders online. Anyone who uses this information to injure, harass or commit a criminal act against any person may be subject to criminal prosecution.

Sexual Offender Level Definitions

  • Level 1- The risk of a repeat sexual offense is low
  • Level 2 - The risk of a repeat sexual offense is moderate
  • Level 3 - The risk of a repeat sexual offense is high, there is a threat to public safety, and the evaluator believes that the offender is a sexually violent predator
  • N = None Violent offenders are not given a tier level designation.

Registration Laws

Per Montana Code Annotated, 46-23-504, a sexual or violent offender shall register immediately upon conclusion of the sentencing hearing if the offender is not sentenced to confinement. An offender shall at least 10 days prior to release from confinement if sentenced to confinement. An offender shall register within 3 business days of entering a county of this state for the purpose of residing or setting up a temporary residence for 10 days or who is a transient shall register within 3 business days of entering a county of this state.

Montana Department of Justice will mail an address verification letter (AVL) to the offenders address. The AVL will be mailed in accordance of designation: Level 3 sexual offenders will be mailed an AVL every 3 months. Level 2 sexual offender will be mailed an AVL every 6 months. Level 1 sexual offender and violent offender will be mailed an AVL each year. The AVL must be signed by the offender and notarized. Sexual offenders are required to deliver in person the AVL to the registering agency, Lake County Sheriff's Office, if the offender registered in Lake County. Violent offender may mail the AVL back to the Montana Department of Justice, or deliver in person to the registering agency.

Further Information

For questions regarding this registry or wish to update your registration, please contact the Lake County Sheriff's Office Sexual/Violent Offender Registry via email or at 406-883-7333. SVOR registration can be done Monday through Friday 8 am until 5 pm. The Lake County Sheriff's Office does not charge any fees to the offender to register.