If you are convicted of certain sex crimes, you will be required to register as a sex offender. On this page, I discuss some information about registering as a sex offender in Connecticut.

Registering as a Sex Offender

Firstly, what does it mean to register as a sex offender?

A person who has been convicted or found not guilty due to mental disease or defect of a sexual crime is required to register as a sex offender. When a person registers as a sex offender, they give certain personal information to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Safety. This information can then be accessed by the general public of the state and local police stations through the internet.

Connecticut General Statute § 54-280b requires a convicted sex offender to submit the following information:

• Name.
• Physical description.
• Current address.
• Date of conviction.
• Description of the crime.
• Fingerprints.
• DNA.
• The number of years served in prison if incarcerated for that crime.

Who Has to Register?

Connecticut statutes determine who has to register as a sex offender and how long they need to remain on the registry.

Connecticut General Statute § 54-251, Registration of Person Who Has Committed a Criminal Offense Against a Victim Who is a Minor or a Nonviolent Sexual Offense, requires a person to register as a sex offender within three days of being released from the custody of the commissioner. The statute requires registration either for a period of 10 years, or for life. If twice convicted of a sexual assault crime, you must register for life.  You must also register for life if convicted of subsection (a)(2) of Sexual Assault in the First Degree.

A court may exempt certain people from having to register as a sex offender in limited circumstances. If a person is convicted of sexual assault in the second degree definition one and the person was under the age of nineteen then they may not have to register.

If a person is convicted of sexual assault in the fourth degree definition two they also may not have to register.

Connecticut General Statute § 54-252, Registration of Person Who Has Committed a Sexually Violent Offense, requires a person to register as a sex offender if he or she has committed one or more of the following:

• Sexual assault in the first degree.
• Aggravated assault in the first degree.
• Aggravated assault of a minor.
• Sexual assault in the second degree.
• Sexual assault in the third degree.
• Sexual assault in the third degree with a firearm.

The person must register within three days of release and register for life. They are also required to give additional information regarding mental health treatment and internet addresses and the information mentioned above.

Connecticut General Statutes § 54-253, Registration of Person Who Committed a Sexual Offense in Another Jurisdiction requires a person has been convicted of a sexual crime similar to the ones listed above in another state besides Connecticut are required to register with the department if they move to Connecticut.

In 2019, the legislature bifurcated the sex offender registry into public and non-public registries, only viewable to law enforcement personnel.  The court can order a person register on the non-public registry if the court finds that “dissemination of the registration information is not required for public safety purposes and the information would be likely to reveal the identity of the victim within the community where the victim resides.” Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 54-255.

Get Legal Help for Sex Offender Registration in Connecticut

If you have been charged with any of these crimes or have more questions about the sex registry in Connecticut, you can contact us for more information.