Search Sullivan County Sex Offender Records
The Sullivan County sex offender registry is managed by the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office and gives the public free access to information about registered sex and violent offenders living and working in the county, which is located in west-central Indiana near the Illinois border. You can look up offenders by name or address, and the sheriff's office updates the registry through Indiana's statewide OffenderWatch system so the data reflects current addresses and registration status for everyone required to register under Indiana law.
Sullivan County Sex Offender Registry
Sullivan County Sheriff's Office Registry Services
The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office handles the sex offender registry as one of its core public safety services, alongside handgun permits, sheriff sales, tax warrants, and bond-out processing. The sex offender registry page is part of the sheriff's office website and provides links to recent registry news and updates.
The office is at 77 E Justice Dr, Sullivan IN 47882. You can reach the dispatch line at 812-268-4308 (select option 1). Office hours for in-person visits are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The tip line for anonymous reporting is 1-800-589-0805.
For the public search portal, go to iCrimeWatch Indiana. This is the statewide registry tool that uses the OffenderWatch database maintained by all 92 Indiana sheriffs. You can search Sullivan County specifically by entering the county name or a local ZIP code.
Note: The dispatch center for Sullivan County operates around the clock and can direct urgent calls about offender compliance to the appropriate officer on duty.
Who Must Register in Sullivan County
Indiana's sex offender registration law, IC 11-8-8, is known as Zachary's Law. It was named for Zachary Snider, a boy from Cloverdale who was killed by a registered sex offender. The law went into effect on January 1, 2003, and it applies statewide including Sullivan County.
Anyone convicted of a qualifying sex crime must register. This includes many offenses involving minors and adults alike. The Indiana Department of Correction publishes the full list of registrable offenses and can answer questions about whether a specific conviction triggers a registration requirement.
Sexually violent predators face stricter rules. They must verify their registration every 90 days instead of once a year, and most must register for life. Other offenders generally register for 10 years from the date their registration period begins, which is usually the date of release from incarceration or placement on probation.
The Sullivan County sheriff's office image below is pulled from the Sullivan County Sheriff's website, which lists the sex offender registry among its key public services.
The registry is available at no cost to any member of the public and does not require registration or login to search.
Registration Rules and Deadlines
Every sex offender in Sullivan County must report to the sheriff's office within 72 hours of release from jail or prison, arrival in the county, or any change to their registered information. The 72-hour window applies to home address changes, new work locations, and changes to school enrollment.
People who do not have a fixed address must register every seven days. This applies to homeless individuals and those in transitional housing. They must appear at the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office each week to update their information. The sheriff's office logs their current location each time they check in.
Failing to register, failing to update, or providing false information are all criminal offenses. Under Indiana law, a first violation is a Level 6 felony with a potential sentence of up to 2.5 years and a fine of up to $10,000. A second or subsequent violation steps up to a Level 5 felony with higher penalties.
Offenders must also register work and school addresses separately from their home address. Moving to a new job or enrolling at a new school triggers the 72-hour reporting clock just like a home address change. Review the full statute at IC 11-8-8-7.
Residency Limits for Registered Offenders
Registered sex offenders in Sullivan County cannot live within 1,000 feet of a school, park, or youth program center. They also cannot live within one mile of their victim. These rules come from IC 35-42-4-11 and apply across all Indiana counties.
Sullivan County is mostly rural, but these distance rules still matter in towns like Sullivan, Carlisle, and Farmersburg. If you are unsure whether a potential residence complies with these restrictions, the sheriff's office can help clarify before a move happens. It is better to check ahead than to register at an address that turns out to be prohibited.
The Indiana Sheriffs' Association provides general guidance on residency restrictions and other registration rules. Their resource page is a good starting point for understanding the statewide framework before contacting the local sheriff.
Note: Violating a residency restriction is a separate offense from failing to register, and both can be charged at the same time if an offender moves to a prohibited address without notifying the sheriff.
National Registry and Cross-State Searches
If you want to check whether someone has a sex offense history in another state, use the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website. The NSOPW links the registries of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. You can run a single name search that checks all participating jurisdictions at once.
Sullivan County borders Illinois to the west. The NSOPW is especially useful for tracking whether an offender who previously registered in Illinois has since moved to Sullivan County and registered locally, or vice versa. Both states participate in the national database.
For help finding the sex offender registry coordinator in Sullivan County or any other Indiana county, use the Indiana Sheriffs' Association directory.