Sex and Kidnapping Registration
If you would like to talk to an attorney about ending your duty to register for a sex or kidnapping offense, contact us here.
Juvenile Registration – Major Change in the Law
In 2023, Washington’s legislature made drastic changes to the registration requirements for persons convicted of sex or kidnapping offenses as a juvenile. Citing to research done by Johns Hopkins University and other academic institutions, our lawmakers in Olympia found that “requiring youth to register as sex offenders is associated with mental health struggles, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, as well as the increased likelihood of becoming a target of sexual abuse by adults.” (Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1394). And – crucially – they found that “registration and notification policies for minors convicted of sexual offenses failed to improve community safety.”
For these reasons, our lawmakers overhauled the law to allow persons to stop registering for all but the most egregious of sex offenses and kidnapping offenses, if their conviction or adjudication was based on conduct that occurred as a juvenile.
If you think this change applies to you, or should, but you are still registering for a sex or kidnapping offense, you should consult with one of our experienced attorneys to see if you can be relieved from the duty to register under the new law.
Adult Registration
If you’ve been convicted of a sex or kidnapping offense as an adult, and are required to register as a result, you can only ask to be relieved from that duty to register if you meet certain criteria. Depending on the underlying conviction, you must either make a request to the Sheriff’s Office, or you’ll need to file a petition with the court.
There are 4 basic categories of registration requirement: 10 years; 15 years; Indefinite; and Lifetime. Even though there are very few offenses that require lifetime registry, many people often assume – mistakenly – that they have to register for the rest of their lives. But the reality is that persons convicted of indefinite registration offenses can petition for relief from the duty to register. To find out of you’re eligible for relief, you should contact one of our experienced attorneys. Plus, even if you’re not eligible yet, there may be things you can do now to help your case in the future. Knowing what will be expected of you can help build your case for when the time comes to petition for relief from the registration requirement.
If you would like to talk to an attorney about ending your duty to register for a sex or kidnapping offense, contact us here.