The SOLAR Project - Sex Offender Legal Advocacy & Reform
📍 STATE GUIDE

Virginia — Registry Rules

Official-source summary for Virginia.

10/13/2025

Key Highlights

  • Residency Restrictions: Virginia law sets no general residency exclusion zones for all registrants, but people convicted of specific child-related offenses may not live within 500 feet of schools, licensed day-care centers, or certain park boundaries used for school activities; this restriction is automatic under Va. Code § 18.2-370.3.
  • Presence / Proximity Rules: Only certain offenders, mainly Tier III or those convicted under §§ 18.2-370 through 18.2-370.5, are barred from entering school or day-care property and buses except for specific lawful purposes (e.g., voting, child’s education meeting), per Va. Code § 18.2-370.5.
  • Duration of Registration: Tier I registrants may petition for removal after 15 years, Tier II after 25 years, if compliant and without disqualifying convictions; Tier III, murder, and multiple qualifying convictions require lifetime registration. See Va. Code §§ 9.1-908–910.
  • Tiering / Level System: Virginia assigns Tier I/II/III levels based on offense severity; Tiers I–II verify annually and can eventually seek removal, while Tier III and murder verify every 90 days for life under Va. Code § 9.1-904.

At a Glance

  • People convicted of listed sex offenses and crimes against minors, including Tier I–III and murder, must register with the Virginia State Police under the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry Act. See Va. Code § 9.1-902.
  • Initial deadline: Register in person within 3 days of release or, if no incarceration, within 3 days of sentencing/disposition. See Va. Code § 9.1-903(B).
  • Verification: Tier I & II verify annually (in assigned month; birth month included). Tier III and murder verify every 90 days. Name-range rules A–L: days 1–15; M–Z: days 16–end. See Va. Code § 9.1-904 and 2025 Ch. 433 (SB 844).
  • Primary method: In person with local law enforcement; certain Internet-identifier changes must be filed within 30 minutes (in person or electronically). See Va. Code § 9.1-903(G).
  • ⚠️ Internet IDs (email, chat, screen names) must be updated within 30 minutes of any change. § 9.1-903(G).
  • ⚠️ Moving within Virginia: re-register within 3 days; moving out of Virginia: notify 10 days before move at prior agency. § 9.1-903(D).
  • ⚠️ Employment or vehicle changes must be filed within 3 days. § 9.1-903(E)–(F).
  • ⚠️ Nonresident workers/students and extended visits ≥30 days must register within 3 days of entering. § 9.1-905.
  • ⚠️ Photo update required every 2 years during your verification window. § 9.1-903(H).

Official Links

What this means in practice

  • If your conviction is on Virginia’s list (or similar elsewhere), you must register.
  • Most people register in person within 3 days; visitors/workers/students from out of state also have duties.
  • How often you verify depends on your Tier.

Watch-outs

  • Changing an email or screen name must be reported within 30 minutes.
  • Nonresident thresholds (30-day visit; 14-day/30-day-aggregate work) are easy to miss.

Based on §§ 9.1-902, 9.1-903, 9.1-904, and 9.1-905.

Reviewed 10/13/2025

Who Must Register & Duration

Registration applies to anyone convicted of offenses listed in Va. Code § 9.1-902, including Tier I–III, murder, certain out-of-state or federal equivalents, and specified juvenile adjudications. The Registry is maintained by the State Police under § 9.1-901.

Duration: Tier I registrants may petition for removal after 15 years, Tier II after 25 years, if compliant and without disqualifying convictions; Tier III, murder, and multiple qualifying convictions require lifetime registration. See Va. Code §§ 9.1-908–910.

Deadlines & Reporting Triggers

  • Initial registration: within 3 days of release or sentencing/disposition. § 9.1-903(B).
  • Address/name change: within 3 days (name change also 3 days). Out-of-state move: notify prior agency 10 days before leaving. § 9.1-903(D).
  • Employment change: within 3 days. § 9.1-903(E).
  • Vehicle/watercraft/aircraft changes: within 3 days. § 9.1-903(F).
  • Internet identifiers (email, IM, chat): within 30 minutes (in person or electronically). § 9.1-903(G).
  • Photo update: every 2 years during your verification window. § 9.1-903(H).

What this means in practice

  • Register in person within 3 days of release, sentencing, or moving to Virginia.
  • Update name, address, job, vehicles within 3 days of any change.
  • Update internet IDs/email within 30 minutes.

Watch-outs

  • Moving out of Virginia? Give 10-day prior notice in person.
  • Photo refresh is every 2 years during your verification window.

See § 9.1-903(B), (D)–(H).

Verification & In-Person Requirements

  • Tier I & II: annual verification during assigned months; birth month included. § 9.1-904(B)(1)(a).
  • Tier III and murder: every 90 days from initial registration. § 9.1-904(B).
  • Surname windows: A–L verify days 1–15; M–Z verify days 16–end. See 2025 Ch. 433 (SB 844) and § 9.1-904(D).
  • Forms SP-236/SP-236A and procedures are set in State Police rules. See 19VAC30-170-15.

What this means in practice

  • Tier I/II verify once a year; Tier III/murder verify every 90 days.
  • Your window depends on last name (A–L 1–15; M–Z 16–end).

Watch-outs

  • Certain failure-to-register convictions can increase how often you must verify.

See § 9.1-904(B)–(D).

Residency, Presence, & Loitering Restrictions

People without a legal residence must designate a locatable place where they reside or habitually stay and treat it as residence for registration. See § 9.1-903(L).

What this means in practice

  • Virginia does not ban all registrants from living near schools.
  • Some serious child-victim convictions carry a 500-foot residence ban near certain school-adjacent parks and facilities.

Watch-outs

  • Tier III also has school/day-care entry bans with narrow exceptions.

See § 18.2-370.3 and § 18.2-370.5.

Employment, Education, & Internet Use

  • Employment and vehicles must be updated within 3 days. § 9.1-903(E)–(F).
  • College enrollment/employment requires additional notice and data. See § 9.1-906.
  • Internet identifiers must be updated within 30 minutes of any change. § 9.1-903(G).

Public Website Exposure

  • State Police publish name, aliases, conviction details, age, current address, photograph, work address, and current school on the Internet site. See § 9.1-913.
  • Daily updates and wanted-person flags appear online. § 9.1-913.

Travel & Relocation (Interstate Moves)

  • Moving inside Virginia: re-register within 3 days at the new locality. § 9.1-903(D).
  • Moving out of Virginia: notify the prior registering agency 10 days before departure; Virginia will notify the new state. § 9.1-903(D).

Visiting or Traveling in the State

  • New residents must register within 3 days of establishing Virginia residence. § 9.1-905(A).
  • Nonresident workers, students, or visitors on an extended visit (≥30 days) must register within 3 days of entering; employment includes >14 consecutive days or >30 aggregate days/year. § 9.1-905(B), (D).

Compliance & Enforcement

Failure to register, re-register, or verify is prosecuted under Va. Code § 18.2-472.1. The State Police issue affidavits and notifications for noncompliance under § 9.1-907.

What this means in practice

  • Missing deadlines or giving false info can be a misdemeanor or felony.
  • Tier III/murder cases start at felony level.

See § 18.2-472.1.

Relief Paths

  • Most Tier I/II may petition for removal under § 9.1-910, subject to statutory waiting periods and criteria.
  • Tier III and murder have lifetime verification duty under § 9.1-908; limited relief exists to reduce verification frequency per § 9.1-909.
  • Administrative expungement of records occurs upon qualifying pardon, reversal, or death as outlined in 19VAC30-170-30.

What this means in practice

  • Tier III/murder may ask the court after 3 years to reduce verification frequency.
  • Tier I (single offense) may seek removal after 15 years; Tier II (single offense) after 25 years.
  • No removal for Tier III, murder, or two+ registerable offenses.

Watch-outs

  • Petitions require strong compliance history and court approval.

See §§ 9.1-909, 9.1-910, and 9.1-908.

Special Populations

  • Juveniles tried and convicted in circuit court are subject to registration. See § 9.1-903(A).
  • Emergency shelters have special notification/registration rules. See § 9.1-906.1.
  • Higher-ed students must provide school information under § 9.1-906.
  • Persons without a fixed address must designate a locatable residence per § 9.1-903(L).

Costs & Payments

Recent Changes & Litigation

  • Statute: SB 844 (Chap. 433) — 2025 Regular Session; effective 2025-07-01. Clarifies verification windows by surname (A–L days 1–15; M–Z days 16–end) and tier-based cadence in § 9.1-904. link
  • Rule: 19VAC30-170-15; effective 2022-06-24. Updates to State Police forms and procedures for SP-236 (initial) and SP-236A (reregistration/change). link

Compliance Checklists & Scripts

New Arrival: First 30 Days

  • Go in person to your local police/sheriff within 3 days of release or establishing Virginia residence. Bring government photo ID. § 9.1-903(B).
  • Complete SP-236; provide fingerprints, palm prints, photo, employer(s), vehicles, and all internet IDs/emails. 19VAC30-170-15.
  • Record your verification month and surname window (A–L = days 1–15; M–Z = days 16–end). § 9.1-904(D).
  • Calendar a photo update every 2 years during your verification window. § 9.1-903(H).
  • If you’re a nonresident worker/student or on an extended visit (≥30 days), confirm your 3-day deadline. § 9.1-905.

Moving Out / Traveling

  • File in-person notice 10 days before moving out of Virginia with the agency where you last registered. Get a receipt. § 9.1-903(D).
  • Contact the destination state’s registry to learn entry deadlines; keep verifying in Virginia until your new state processes you. § 9.1-908.

Records Request Template

To: Virginia State Police, Sex Offender & Crimes Against Minors Registry

I request a copy of my Registry record, verification history, and any notices under Va. Code § 9.1-912. I am the subject of the record and include ID and contact information. I will remit any fee authorized by § 9.1-912 and 19VAC30-170. Please advise of next steps.

Signature/Date

Relief Petition Outline

File in the circuit court (court of conviction or as otherwise authorized). Cite § 9.1-909 for verification-frequency relief or § 9.1-910 for removal (Tier I/II single offense). Include: eligibility timeline, compliance history, treatment/completion records, and proposed order directing VSP to update records.

Tips for using these checklists

  • Use VSP forms and keep stamped receipts.
  • For petitions, file in circuit court and cite § 9.1-909 or § 9.1-910 as appropriate.

See 19VAC30-170-15, § 9.1-909, and § 9.1-910.

Citations

🤝 This guide was created from official legal sources and checked with the help of AI-assisted research. We strive for accuracy and clarity — if you spot something that seems off or out of date, please let us know so we can correct it for everyone.

Informational only; not legal advice.