So you have recently been ordered to register with the state for a sexual offense. What happens next? What are you supposed to do? When are you supposed to do it? Click the tabs below for important information you will need to remain in compliance with the law.

Depending on your offense, you will be required to register with the state for either 10 years or for life. You should have been informed of the length of your duty to register when you were released from TDCJ. If you’re unsure, you can either look at the paperwork you received from Re-Entry or you can ask the registration office when you go for the first time.

If you live in Fort Worth, you will register with the Fort Worth Police Department. However, you cannot walk in and register — you must schedule an appointment over the phone. When you show up for your appointment, take the elevator down to the basement and have a seat inside the waiting room. They will call you in when they’re ready to see you. Make sure you have all your paperwork with you, including proof of address (usually your lease).

Fort Worth Police Department (Registration)
350 W. Belknap St.
(817) 392-4350
Hours: 9:00am — 5:00pm

If you live in unincorporated Tarrant County, or in the cities of River Oaks, Benbrook, Edgecliff Village, or Haslet, then you will register with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. Call Detective D. Quintana for an appointment.

Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office
200 Taylor St. (7th floor of the Tarrant County Plaza Building)
(817) 884-3354
Hours: 8:00am — 5:00pm

The frequency of your registration will depend on your risk level. Most registrants only need to register annually. If you are an annual registrant, you must contact your registration office within 30 days of your birthday to schedule your appointment.

Other registrants will have to register every 90 days. Your registration office will schedule your next appointment while you’re at the office (you will leave your appointment knowing when your next one is).

If you are homeless, then you must register every 30 days.

You must update your registration or schedule an appointment within seven days of any of these events occurring:

  • Upon your release from state jail or TDCJ
  • You move to a new residence
  • You change jobs
  • You get a new vehicle, phone number, or online identifier

You can update your information online through Offender Watch for most events, but you must schedule an in-person appointment if you are changing your residence. If you are unsure as to whether you need an appointment or you can do it online, call your registration office. Never assume that you don’t need an appointment.

Failing to register with the state is a serious felony offense. You may be charged with a state jail felony (180 days to 2 years) or with a second-degree felony (2 to 20 years and up to a $10,000 fine). Either way, a warrant for your arrest will be issued.

Offense level:
10-year registration requirement: is often (but not always) charged as a state jail felony.
Lifetime or 90-day registration requirement: second-degree felony.

Triggering events:
If you fail to update your information within seven days of moving to a new address, changing a job or school, or you did not register after moving to Texas.

If you are a 10-year registrant, the clock on your ten years starts running when you have completed your sentence, to include any parole & probation time; it does not begin on release from jail or prison unless you served your entire sentence there. Example: you were convicted in 2020 and received an eight-year sentence. You served 3 years in TDCJ and then successfully completed 5 years of parole. Your ten years begins in 2028 and ends in 2038.

If you must register for life, then your duty to register does not end. You will have to register either annually or every 90 days for the rest of your life unless you are able to successfully attain deregistration.

As a person required to register, you will need to renew your driver license or state ID card every year. Each year, the Department of Public Safety will mail you a reminder with instructions to schedule a renewal appointment. You cannot schedule this appointment for earlier than 30 days prior to your birthday, nor can you renew online. You must renew in person.

Click this link to get started:
Texas DPS – Schedule An Appointment

If you need a new license because you changed addresses, you must also schedule an in-person appointment. As a registrant, you cannot obtain a new license or ID card online at all.

If you allow your license or ID to lapse without renewal, it will be ineligible for renewal and you will need to apply for a new one as if it were your first time.

If you have a sexual offense against a minor under the age of 17 on your record, then you are subject to municipal residency restrictions. Different municipalities within Tarrant County have different requirements, some more strict than others. You will need to keep all of this in mind when searching for a place to live.

We have compiled a list of all the ordinances within Tarrant County with brief summaries of their requirements here. You also should take a look at our Offenses Against Minors page for additional information that will pertain to you.

If you have an adult victim, then you are likely not going to be affected by residency restrictions, though you may still probably face some difficulty in finding a place willing to rent to you. If you are able, you may wish to consider purchasing a home instead. We are compiling a list of apartments and property managers known to be willing to rent to registrants. More to follow on this front.

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