(a) When a sex offender declares, and the county is notified that a sex offender intends to reside, maintain employment or a volunteer position, or attend school in the county and the sex offender fails to appear for registration, the county that received the notice shall immediately inform the sheriff of the county that provided the notice that the sex offender failed to appear for registration.

Attorney's Note

Under the Alabama Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class C felony1 to 10 yearsup to $15,000
For details, see Ala. Code § 13A-5-6

Terms Used In Alabama Code 15-20A-37

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • United States: includes the territories thereof and the District of Columbia. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) When a sex offender fails to register or cannot be located, an effort shall immediately be made by the sheriff in the county in which the sex offender failed to register or is unable to be located to determine whether the sex offender has absconded.
(c) If no determination can be made as to whether the sex offender has absconded, the sheriff of the county in which the sex offender failed to appear for registration shall immediately notify the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency and the United States Marshals Service that the sex offender cannot be located and provide any information available to determine whether the sex offender absconded to the United States Marshals Service.
(d) Once a determination is made that the sex offender has absconded, the following shall occur:

(1) The sheriff of the county in which the sex offender has absconded shall immediately obtain a warrant for the arrest of the sex offender.
(2) The sheriff of the county in which the sex offender has absconded shall immediately notify the United States Marshals Service and the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency.
(3) The Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency shall immediately update its public registry website to reflect that the sex offender has absconded.
(4) The Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency shall immediately notify the Criminal Justice Information Center, who shall immediately notify the National Criminal Information Center.
(5) The Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency shall immediately notify the National Sex Offender Registry to reflect that the sex offender has absconded and enter the information into the National Crime Center Wanted Person File.
(e) A sex offender who knowingly fails to appear for registration after declaring his or her intent to reside, be employed, or attend school in a county without notifying local law enforcement in that county that he or she will no longer establish a residence, maintain employment or a volunteer position, or attend school, shall be guilty of a Class C felony.
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