How long does sex offender registration last in Pennsylvania?

Last updated October 4, 2026.

It depends on the tier of the offense. For offenses committed on or after December 20, 2012, a Tier I offense requires registration with the Pennsylvania State Police for 15 years, a Tier II offense for 25 years, and a Tier III offense for life (42 Pa.C.S. 9799.15(a)). A person found to be a sexually violent predator registers for life whatever the tier (9799.15(d)).

The tier is fixed by the statute of conviction, not by the judge, which is why the exact charge matters so much in a sex offense case. For how we defend these charges, see our sex crime defense page. The court process in general is on our main criminal defense page.

How does registration begin, step by step?

1. Conviction of a listed offense. The tier is fixed by the statute of conviction under 9799.14.
2. Assessment, for some offenses. After conviction but before sentencing, the court orders an assessment by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board for a person convicted of a sexually violent offense; the order goes to the board within ten days, and the board has 90 days from conviction to report to the District Attorney (42 Pa.C.S. 9799.24(a) and (d)).
3. A hearing, if the DA asks for one. The person has the right to a lawyer, including an appointed one, to call and cross-examine witnesses and experts, and the court decides whether the Commonwealth proved sexually violent predator status by clear and convincing evidence (9799.24(e)).
4. Notice at sentencing. The court must explain the duty to register, order fingerprints, palm prints, a DNA sample and a photograph for the State Police, and have the person sign a form saying the duty was explained (9799.23(a)).
5. Initial registration and check-ins. The registrant appears at an approved site annually, twice a year or four times a year by tier, and monthly if transient (9799.25(a)).
6. Reporting changes. Changes in residence, work, school and other listed information are reported in person within three business days (9799.15(g)).

Which offenses fall in each tier?

Section 9799.14 lists the offenses. An attempt, conspiracy or solicitation to commit a listed offense is classified the same way. Some examples:

The list changes often. Act 22 of 2025 added sexual assault by a sports official, volunteer or employee of a nonprofit association to Tier II, effective June 30, 2025, and Act 41 of 2026 replaced the prostitution entry in Tier II with the new offense of promoting prostitution under 3027(b), effective 60 days after its July 20, 2026 approval. Similar offenses from other states, the military and federal law are placed in the matching tier.

When does the registration period start, and what pauses it?

For an offense committed in Pennsylvania, the period starts on release from incarceration, on parole or probation, or on a sentence that did not involve incarceration (9799.15(b)(1)(i)). It is paused, or tolled, while the person is incarcerated in a federal, state or county prison or in certain other custody (9799.15(c)). Someone convicted elsewhere starts the Pennsylvania period on moving, working or enrolling as a student here (9799.15(b)(1)(iv)).

What does registration require day to day?

Beyond the scheduled check-ins at an approved registration site, where the person verifies information and is photographed (9799.15(e)), a registrant must appear in person within three business days to report changes, including (9799.15(g)):

• a new name or alias, a new residence or loss of a residence;
• starting, changing or ending a job, or enrolling in or leaving school;
• new or changed phone numbers, vehicles, email addresses or other online identifiers;
• temporary lodging, with the dates; and
• occupational and professional licenses.

International travel must be reported in person at least 21 days in advance (9799.15(i)). A person without a fixed residence appears monthly until a residence is established (9799.15(h)(1)). The State Police publish registrant information on the Megan's Law website, which the agency says is maintained under 42 Pa.C.S. 9799.28.

What happens if a registrant does not comply?

Knowingly failing to register, to verify an address or be photographed, or to give accurate information is a separate felony under 18 Pa.C.S. 4915.1:

Those grades carry maximums of seven, ten and twenty years in prison (18 Pa.C.S. 1103), as our Pennsylvania criminal penalties chart shows.

Can lifetime registration ever end?

There is one route. A lifetime registrant may petition the sentencing court for an exemption once at least 25 years have passed without a conviction for an offense punishable by more than a year, or since release from custody after the most recent conviction, whichever is later, not counting time that pauses the registration period (9799.15(a.2)). The court orders an assessment by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, holds a hearing within 120 days of the petition, and may grant relief only on "clear and convincing evidence" that the exemption is not likely to pose a threat to anyone's safety. A denied petitioner may try again every five years.

Section 9799.15 offers this petition only for lifetime registration; 15-year and 25-year periods run their course, with time in custody added on. Older cases are different: offenses committed from April 22, 1996 to December 19, 2012 fall under a separate set of rules, Subchapter I (42 Pa.C.S. 9799.52), and courts have held parts of the newer law unconstitutional as applied to some people, as the legislature's annotations note. If an older conviction is involved, the starting point is which law applies.

Does registration affect clearing a record?

Yes. Offenses that require registration are among those Pennsylvania excludes from record sealing, which is why registration should be weighed before any plea. Our page on expungement, limited access and Clean Slate in Pennsylvania explains what can and cannot be cleared.

What changes the answer?

• The exact statute and subsection. Indecent assault, for example, is Tier I, Tier II or Tier III depending on the subsection (9799.14).
• The number of convictions. Two or more Tier I or Tier II convictions move a person to Tier III.
• A sexually violent predator finding. It brings lifetime registration and quarterly check-ins whatever the tier (9799.15(d); 9799.25(a)(4)).
• The date of the offense. Offenses from April 22, 1996 to December 19, 2012 fall under Subchapter I rather than the current tiers.
• Where you live, work or study. The duty covers people who live in Pennsylvania, and in some cases people who only work or study here (9799.13).
• Time in custody and supervision. Incarceration pauses the registration period (9799.15(c)), and people on county probation or parole must register as well (9799.13(2)), with supervision rules on top; see our page on probation violations.

For example: how one subsection changes everything

Here is a hypothetical. A man is charged with indecent assault after an incident at a party. If the conviction is under 3126(a)(1), the offense is listed in Tier I: 15 years of registration with an annual check-in. If it is under one of the subsections listed in Tier II, the period becomes 25 years with check-ins twice a year. If the complainant was under 13 and the conviction is under 3126(a)(7), it is Tier III, with lifetime registration and quarterly check-ins.

Because the tier follows the subsection, his lawyer looks at the evidence for each element, the ages involved and any prior record before anything else, and explains the registration result attached to each possible outcome before any plea is considered. The grade of the offense, and its maximum sentence, is a separate question from the registration period. This example is only an illustration; every case depends on its own facts.

What mistakes do people make about registration?

• Focusing only on the sentence. Registration can outlast any sentence by decades.
• Missing a three-business-day report. A new job, address, phone number, vehicle or online identifier must be reported in person.
• Traveling abroad without notice. International travel must be reported at least 21 days ahead (9799.15(i)).
• Assuming an old case follows today's rules. Pre-2012 offenses fall under Subchapter I.
• Giving inaccurate information. It is a separate felony, graded higher than a simple failure to register for many registrants (18 Pa.C.S. 4915.1).
• Moving for work or school without checking the rules. Working or studying in Pennsylvania can bring a duty to register here (9799.13).

What should I do this week?

1. If you are charged, write down the exact statute and subsection of each charge, and the date of the preliminary hearing; see what happens at a preliminary hearing.
2. Gather records of any earlier conviction, in any state, with offense dates.
3. Do not discuss the facts with anyone but your lawyer.
4. If you are already registered, check your next scheduled appearance and keep proof of each one.
5. List every recent change in address, job, school, phone, vehicle or online account, and report any that are due.
6. Talk with a lawyer about how each possible outcome affects registration before any plea discussion; the court steps are in what happens after an arrest in Delaware County.

Frequently asked questions

Does the judge decide how long I register?

No. The period follows the tier of the offense of conviction, or lifetime registration for a sexually violent predator (9799.15). The judge's role is to explain the duty at sentencing and, where requested, decide sexually violent predator status.

Will I appear on the Megan's Law website?

The State Police publish registrant information on the Megan's Law website. The rules on what is posted are set by statute and can depend on the offense and status.

What is a sexually violent predator assessment?

It is an evaluation by the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board ordered after conviction for a sexually violent offense, looking at the facts of the offense, prior history and personal characteristics (9799.24(b)). The court then decides the issue at a hearing if the District Attorney requests one.

Can a failure to register charge be heard in Delaware County?

Yes, like other felony charges it starts at a district court and moves to the Court of Common Pleas in Media; see what to expect at the Delaware County Courthouse.

Is diversion possible on a sex offense?

The Delaware County District Attorney's ARD guidelines list sexual offenses among the cases that make a non-DUI defendant ineligible; see non-DUI diversion in Delaware County.

Call Giribaldi Law at (610) 891-8303 or contact us online for a free, confidential consultation about a sex offense charge or a registration question.