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Sex Offender Registry Check: The Free Search and What a Background Check Adds

Anyone can search public sex offender registries for free on the Justice Department's national website. A background check company also searches registries as part of a background check. They overlap, but they aren't the same. The free search is a public lookup by name or location. A registry search in a background check is part of a consumer report, with consent, identity matching and dispute rights under federal law. This guide explains both. Pact's Standard ($32) and Premium ($70) packages include a sex offender registry search, run through Checkr.

Updated October 14, 2026 · Checked against the official sources listed at the end

Where registry information comes from

Federal law requires each jurisdiction (each state, the District of Columbia, the principal territories and participating tribes) to post information about the sex offenders in its registry on a public website, searchable by ZIP code or geographic radius (34 U.S.C. 20920). Federal law also set up the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, which the Attorney General maintains (34 U.S.C. 20922).

The law lists things a public registry site must leave out, including the victim's identity, the offender's Social Security number, and any reference to arrests that did not result in conviction.

The free national search (NSOPW)

NSOPW is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and state, territorial and tribal governments. It searches registries for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and Indian Country. It is free, and no membership is required.

How it works matters. NSOPW does not keep one national database. It searches each jurisdiction's database in real time. It says search options are limited to what each jurisdiction provides, and that results should be verified in the jurisdiction where the information is posted. Each jurisdiction decides what details to show, such as date of birth or the specific offense.

Limits of a free name search

A free search is useful, but it has limits when you are making a hiring decision:

Names repeat. A name search may show someone else with the same name, and the details shown vary by jurisdiction.
It covers registrations only. It is not a criminal history search.
Errors are fixed by the jurisdiction. NSOPW says to contact the registration officials where the person is registered to correct any errors.
Misuse is illegal. Federal law requires registry sites to warn that the information should not be used to unlawfully injure, harass or commit a crime against anyone named, and that doing so could bring civil or criminal penalties.

What a registry search in a background check adds

Checkr, which runs Pact's checks, says all its criminal background checks include a sex offender registry search covering every U.S. state, the District of Columbia and tribal territories, and that results are confirmed using national and state sources, including NSOPW.

Because it is part of a consumer report, federal rules come with it:

Consent first. The person gets a written disclosure and signs an authorization before the report runs (15 U.S.C. 1681b(b)(2)). In a Pact order, Checkr emails the person a secure link to do this. Nothing runs before they consent.
Accuracy duty. The screening company must follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy (15 U.S.C. 1681e(b)). The person's own details, such as date of birth and address history, help tell people apart.
Notice before a decision. An employer that may act on the report must first give the person a copy and a summary of their rights (15 U.S.C. 1681b(b)(3)).
Dispute rights. The person can dispute errors with the screening company, which must reinvestigate free, generally within 30 days (15 U.S.C. 1681i).

Orders are taken now and start when Pact's Checkr account opens; Checkr then emails the person.

Jobs where the law requires a specific check

Some jobs need a government check, not just a private one. For example, federal child care rules require child care staff checks to include a search of the National Crime Information Center's National Sex Offender Registry and the state sex offender registry, plus an FBI fingerprint check, run through the state (45 CFR 98.43). A Pact check doesn't replace a check the law requires to go through the state. If your licensing agency or program names its own process, use it.

Which to use

For a personal safety question, such as checking a neighborhood, the free NSOPW search is the place to start. For a hiring or volunteer decision, a background check adds consent, identity matching, a criminal search and dispute rights. Pact's Standard package ($32) includes the registry search along with an SSN trace, a national criminal search and a global watchlist search. Premium ($70) adds a 7-year county criminal search and a FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions search.

Common questions

Is there a free sex offender registry check?

Yes. The Justice Department's NSOPW site is free and searches registries for all 50 states, D.C., U.S. territories and Indian Country.

Does NSOPW have one national database?

No. NSOPW says it searches each jurisdiction's database in real time, and results should be verified with the jurisdiction that posted them.

Does Pact's background check include a sex offender search?

Yes. Both Standard ($32) and Premium ($70) include a sex offender registry search, run through Checkr.

Can an employer just use the free search?

An employer can look at public sites, but anti-discrimination laws apply to any background information used in hiring. A background check adds consent, identity matching and FCRA dispute rights.

What if a registry result isn't me?

If it is on your background report, dispute it with Checkr. If the registry itself is wrong, NSOPW says to contact the registration officials in that jurisdiction.

Do registry sites show arrests?

No. Federal law requires public registry sites to leave out references to arrests that did not result in conviction (34 U.S.C. 20920(b)).