Wisconsin Sex Offender Records

What is a Sex Offender?

A sex offender is a person who has been tried and found guilty of a sex offense by a competent court according to state and federal laws. Once convicted, the offender is required to register with the sheriff’s department of the county where they reside, own property, work, or school. Some common sex crimes that require registration include rape, sex with a minor, assault, and sex trafficking. The following are general categories of sexual crimes in Wisconsin:

Creation, selling, and distribution of obscene materials (videos, drawings, writings, and theatrical performances)
Indecent exposure
Sexual assault (including non-consensual touching and attempted sexual assault)
Criminal sexual conduct (which includes first, second, and third-degree rape).

Who is Considered a Sex Offender in Wisconsin?

A sex offender in Wisconsin is any person who has committed, attempted to commit, solicited, or conspired to commit one of the crimes listed in Wisconsin Statute 301.45. These crimes include the following.

Sexual assault of an adult
Sexual assault of a child
Sexual exploitation by a therapist
Sexual exploitation of a child
Child trafficking
Making a child watch or listen to sexual activity
Enticing a child
Incest involving a child
Possession of child pornography
Soliciting a child for prostitution

Individuals convicted for committing the crimes are usually required to comply with the registration requirement. This does not fall within the court’s discretion as it is mandatory. The Wisconsin Statute 973.048(1m) also grants the circuit court the authority to make a person comply with the sex offender registration requirement for other crimes such as burglary, battery, arson, among others, if the court determines that the crime was sexually motivated.

What Types of Sex Offenders Exist in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin law does not separate sex offenders into different types, levels, or tiers. However, sex offenders in the state may be grouped by the registration requirements upon conviction. Some offenses require registration for 15 years from when the sentence is completed, while some require registration for life. Offenders that have to register for life include sexually violent offenders, first or second-degree assault offenders, and repeat offenders. Other sex offenders in Wisconsin are required to register for 15 years from the end of their sentence.

How to Find Sex Offenders Near Me in Wisconsin

Interested persons can locate sex offenders in Wisconsin through the online sex offender registry. The registry contains information on all registered sex offenders in Wisconsin and can be searched by name, address, or ZIP code. There is also an option to sign up for email notification when a sex offender registers an address close to a provided address or ZIP code. The registry is for notification purposes and should not be the basis for any attack.

What Happens When You Register as a Sex Offender in Wisconsin?

A sex offender in Wisconsin loses some rights upon conviction. First, an offender under supervision with the Department of Corrections can only travel out of the United States when permitted to do so by a court order. Sex offenders who are no longer under supervision should inform the sex offender registry of their travel plans at least 21 days before traveling. The offender would also need to provide their travel route, flight information, dates of travel, and passport number. A sex offender should be aware of other laws that apply specifically to them.

Wisconsin Statute 301.475 regulates the presence of sex offenders on school property for any school-sponsored event. The offender is required to first notify the school district administrator of their status as a sex offender. If the offender is under supervision by the Department of Corrections, the offender should obtain permission to be on the school premises.

Wisconsin Statute 948.13 prevents sex offenders convicted for serious child sex offenses from working with children. This is the case whether the activity is paid or unpaid. It refers to situations in which the offender would interact primarily and directly with children below 16 years of age. Prohibited jobs include teaching children, childcare, school bus driving, and coaching children.

Wisconsin Statute 301.47 prevents registered sex offenders from changing their first or last names. It also prohibits them from identifying themselves with any name besides those registered with the Department of Corrections. Registered sex offenders are also required to report all internet identifiers under Wisconsin Statute 301.45(2)(a)(6m).

What is the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry?

The Wisconsin sex offender registry provides a record of all known sex offenders residing in the State of Wisconsin. The registry includes personal information of sex offenders such as photos, aliases, ages, physical descriptions, conviction dates, and offenses. Sex offenders residing in Wisconsin are mandated by law to register under the state’s sex offender registration laws. The requirement to register usually lasts for 15 years from the date the sentence is completed. However, some sex offenders may be required to register for life, especially if they are sexually violent, committed first or second-degree assault, or are repeat offenders.

Interested members of the public may also obtain public record information from third party websites. These privately owned sites typically host data culled from public databases and repositories. However, the information available on third-party sites may vary since they are independent of government sources. To use a third-party site, record seekers may be required to provide all of some of the following information:

The full name on the record of choice
The last known or current address of the named individual
The address of the requestor

Who Can View the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry?

The Wisconsin sex offender registry is available to the general public pursuant to the Wisconsin Statute 301.46. Interested persons can search the registry by the individual’s last name or optionally include a first name and middle name. Users may also use the geographic radius search to find registered sex offenders within one, two, or three miles of an address or ZIP code. Interested persons can sign up for an email notification alert when any sex offender registers a home address within one, two, or three miles from their home.

What are the Sex Offender Laws in Wisconsin?

The Wisconsin Statute and other Common Council ordinances regulate the registration and monitoring of sex offenders in Wisconsin and prescribe the punishment for various sex offenses. These laws include the following.

Megan’s Law
Amie’s Law

What is Wisconsin’s Megan’s Law?

The Wisconsin Megan Law requires law enforcement agencies to notify the public of sex offenders residing close to them that may pose a risk. The law is named after Megan Kanka, a seven-year-old who was raped and killed by a known child molester. The child molester had moved across the street from the Kankas without their knowledge of his sex offender status, as law enforcement agents were unable to warn the family.

What is Amie’s Law?

Amie’s Law allows law enforcement to list juvenile sex offenders on the sex offender registry. The law is named after Amie Zayla. Joshua Wade sexually assaulted and threatened Amie when she was eight years old and he was 14. The public was not notified of Joshua’s history as a sex offender as he was a juvenile when he committed the crime. When he was 23, he was convicted for enticing and assaulting children. According to the law, juvenile offenders may be disclosed to the public under Wisconsin law.

Wisconsin has other laws that apply to sex offenders. There are laws for the registration of sex offenders, access to sex offender information, prohibition of name change by sex offenders, among other things. Under the Wisconsin Statute, the following individuals must register:

Any sex offender required to register in another state, including juveniles
Any sex offender convicted in a military, tribal, or federal court
Sex offenders - and juveniles - found guilty in another jurisdiction of a crime that requires registration in Wisconsin;
Any juvenile under supervision that enters Wisconsin under the Interstate Compact

The registrant would also be required to provide the following information.

The person’s name, including any aliases
Sufficient information to identify the person, such as the person’s date of birth, gender, and physical description
All addresses, employment, school, volunteering, and internet identifiers
Any new address when the registrant’s residence is changed
Any change in residency status, such as becoming homeless
Incarceration details
Any internet-related accounts created or in current use
The address of any job

How Long Do Sex Offenders Have to Register in Wisconsin?

Mandated registration for sex offenders in Wisconsin may either be for 15 years from when the sentence is completed or for life. Most offenders are required to register for 15 years from when the sentence is completed. However, repeat offenders, individuals who commit sexually violent offenses, and individuals found guilty of first or second-degree sexual assault may be required to register for life.

Can a Sex Offender Live With Their Family in Wisconsin?

A sex offender can usually live with their family in Wisconsin. However, they will be unable to live with a family member if there is a court order preventing them from doing so.

Do Sex Offenders Have to Notify Neighbors in Wisconsin?

Sex offenders in Wisconsin do not have to notify their neighbors of their status. However, sex offenders need to register with the sex offender registry. The information provided would include all addresses, employment, school, volunteering, and internet identifiers. If the information changes, the sex offender must notify the registry within ten days after the change. Homeless sex offenders would need to call the sex offender registry every seven days to inform the registry of where they slept for the previous seven days and their plan for the upcoming week. This would continue until they obtain a permanent address that should be reported. According to Wisconsin Statute, punishment for violation is a fine of up to $10,000, six years imprisonment, or both.

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections provides public access to the sex offender registry. It allows searches by name, address, or ZIP code and shows sex offenders residing within three miles of the location. Interested persons can also sign up for the email notification system to be notified whenever a sex offender registers an address within one, two, or three miles from the address provided.

Do Sex Offenders Have to Put Up a Sign in Their Yard in Wisconsin?

Sex offenders in Wisconsin are not required to put up a sign in their yard. However, they would need to inform their agent of their whereabouts and activities if they have been placed under supervision. Also, persons found guilty of serious sex offenses against a child or a person who was not found guilty by reason of a mental condition may be placed under lifetime GPS monitoring. A sex offender required to register would need to disclose all internet identifiers, including emails, public and private social media accounts, and websites they created or are maintaining.

How Close Can a Sex Offender Live to a School in Wisconsin?

How close a sex offender can live to a school in Wisconsin depends on the city and their offense. The Common Councils of different cities make laws on sex offender residency restrictions under Wisconsin Statute 62.11. Generally, these laws prevent sex offenders that committed crimes against children or severe offenses from living close to places where children reside or are often present.

These mainly prohibit residence close to schools for children, public parks, daycares licensed by the State of Wisconsin, public libraries, public playgrounds, public swimming pools, and any specialized school for children such as dance academies. The specific distance differs based on the city. For instance, the Sex Offender Residency Restriction Law for the Village of Slinger prohibits residency within 1,000 feet. Waterford Village prohibits residency within 750 feet in its Sex Offender Residency Restriction Law. Brookfield City prohibits residency within 1,400 feet.

How to Look Up Sex Offenders in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) maintains the state’s sex offender registry pursuant to the Wisconsin Statute 301.45. The DOC keeps a record of all individuals convicted for a qualifying sex offense on or after 25 December 1993. It does not include every person residing in Wisconsin who has ever been convicted of a sex offense, as it only contains information on individuals who have registered. The registry currently includes over 25,000 individuals. Offenders pay $100 annually for the maintenance of the registry.

Interested members of the public may also obtain public record information from third-party websites. These privately owned sites typically host data culled from public databases and repositories. However, the information available on third-party sites may vary since they are independent of government sources. In order to use a third-party site, record seekers may be required to provide all or some of the following information:

The full name on the record of choice
The last known or current address of the named individual
The address of the requestor

Can You Expunge a Sex Offender Charge in Wisconsin?

Expungement removes a record from an individual's criminal record history. The Wisconsin Statute 973.015 allows the expungement of criminal records in certain circumstances and upon the satisfaction of the following conditions:

The offender should have been under 25 years old at the offense date.
The maximum punishment for the offense should be imprisonment for six years or less.
The offender should have completed the sentence for the offense.

The expungement of records lies at the discretion of the court, which will consider whether the disposition will harm society or if public disclosure of the information is necessary.

If the offender was convicted under Wisconsin Statute 942.08 (2) (b), (c), or (d) or (3) for spying on a nude person for sexual gratification, the charge shall be expunged upon completion of the sentence if the offender was below 18 years old at the time of the offense.

A person may also have their records expunged in the following situations.

Where the conviction has been reversed or set aside
Where a court has determined that the person is not required to comply with the registration requirements

Some sex offenses cannot be expunged in Wisconsin, such as where the offender is a repeat offender for a Class H or I felony or where the Class H or I felony was a violent offense.

Is Public Urination a Sex Offense in Wisconsin?

Public urination is not a sex offense in Wisconsin. However, urinating in public may be charged under the crime of lewd and lascivious behavior. The offense is a class A misdemeanor. It applies to any person who exposes their genitals or pubic areas in public - not applicable to breastfeeding mothers. The offense is punishable with up to nine months in jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

How to Report a Sex Offender in Wisconsin?

Any person can report a sex offender violating their registration requirement by contacting the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. This can be done if the sex offender has registered wrong information or failed to register. Individuals can also make a report where the offender has violated a law, such as working a job that involves direct contact with children or residing close to a school for children. Interested persons can contact the Department of Corrections with the needed information at:

DOC SORP Administration
3099 E Washington Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
Phone: (608) 240-5830

The DOC also maintains a contact page, and persons may submit a report through the page. Alternatively, individuals can make a report to the city police if any sex offender violates the law.

Any sex offender required to register and who fails to do so or submits false information shall be liable to a fine up to $10,000, an imprisonment term of up to six years, or both a fine and imprisonment.