What Are Sex Offenders Not Allowed to Do in Indiana?

Registered sex offenders in Indiana face restrictions on where they live, where they go, where they work, how they use the internet, and how often they check in with law enforcement. What sex offenders are not allowed to do in Indiana depends on their classification under state law: standard registrants, “offenders against children,” and “sexually violent predators” each face a different set of rules, and violations are almost always felonies.

Where They Cannot Live

Indiana’s residency ban does not apply to every registrant. It targets “offenders against children,” a category that includes anyone found to be a sexually violent predator or convicted of child molesting, child exploitation, child solicitation, child seduction, or kidnapping a victim under 18 when the offender is not the child’s parent or guardian.¹

An offender against children cannot live within 1,000 feet of school property (colleges and universities excluded), a youth program center, a public park, or a licensed day care center. The statute also bars establishing a residence within one mile of the victim’s home. A violation of either rule is a Level 6 felony.¹

There is no grandfather clause. If a school or park opens near a home the offender already occupies, the statute does not carve out an exception. An offender against children with fewer than two unrelated qualifying convictions may petition the court to remove the designation, but only after ten years from release from incarceration, parole, or probation, whichever comes last.¹

Where They Cannot Go

Separately from residency, a “serious sex offender” commits a crime by knowingly entering school property under Indiana Code 35-42-4-14. The definition tracks the offenders-against-children list: sexually violent predators and those convicted of offenses like child molesting.²

State law does not currently criminalize a serious sex offender’s mere presence in a public park as a standalone offense; a 2026 bill, HB 1045, has been proposed to add parks to the unlawful entry statute. Local ordinances can go further than state law, and some Indiana communities restrict access to libraries, swimming pools, and other public facilities. Check the ordinances where you live before assuming a place is open to you.

Jobs They Cannot Hold

Indiana Code 35-42-4-10 makes it a crime, called “unlawful employment by a sexual predator,” to take a job that gives the offender access to minors. A first offense is a Level 6 felony; a repeat offense with any prior registration-related conviction is a Level 5 felony.³

Licensing rules add another layer. Home health care and personal service agencies permanently disqualify applicants convicted of rape, criminal deviate conduct, or exploitation of an endangered adult. K–12 school employment is permanently closed to a range of sex offenses. These bars exist independent of the criminal statute, so an offender can be in compliance with IC 35-42-4-10 and still be ineligible for a licensed job. Employer background checks will also show the conviction and registry status, and failing to disclose that status when required can lead to both firing and criminal charges.

Internet and Device Rules

Indiana’s internet restrictions are narrower than many people assume. Indiana Code 35-42-4-12 does not impose a blanket social media ban. It makes it a crime for a sex offender on probation, parole, or in a community transition program to violate a condition prohibiting the use of social networking sites, instant messaging, or chat rooms to communicate with a child under 16. A first violation is a Class A misdemeanor; a repeat is a Level 6 felony. It is a defense if the offender reasonably believed the other person was at least 16.⁴

The real teeth are in probation conditions. When a court places a sex offender on probation, it is required to order the offender to consent to monitoring software or hardware on any personal device with internet access, at the offender’s expense. The court must also prohibit the offender from living within 1,000 feet of school property unless it gives written approval.⁵

Many offenders must also provide all online identifiers, screen names, and email addresses to law enforcement as part of registration.

Registration and Reporting

Every sex or violent offender must register with local law enforcement within three days of residing, working, volunteering, attending school, or owning real estate in an Indiana county. If the offender has ties to more than one county, they must register separately in each within 72 hours of arriving.⁶

Any change to address, employment, school enrollment, or other registered information must be reported in person within 72 hours. Phone and online updates do not satisfy the requirement. The offender must appear at the law enforcement office with jurisdiction over the registered address and may be required to submit a new photograph.

Verification frequency depends on classification. Standard sex offenders and offenders against children verify once a year. Sexually violent predators verify every 90 days. The 72-hour reporting rule for changes applies to everyone.

Identification You Must Carry

Indiana residents on the registry must carry a valid Indiana driver’s license or state ID at all times, showing their current address and physical description. Non-residents who register in Indiana because they work or attend school here must carry a valid license or ID from their home state with the same current information.⁷

DNA Sample

Anyone convicted of a felony in Indiana must give a DNA sample, which covers essentially all sex offenses. The sample goes to the Department of Correction for incarcerated offenders, or to the county sheriff for those in community corrections, on probation, or in county custody. Collection is usually by buccal swab. The offender must be told of their right to request removal of the DNA under certain circumstances.⁸

How Long Registration Lasts

The default period is ten years from the offender’s last release from incarceration, parole, probation, or community corrections, whichever comes last. Time spent reincarcerated during that period pauses the clock.⁹

Lifetime registration applies when any of these are true:

The offender has been found to be a sexually violent predator.
The offender was at least 18 and the victim was under 12 at the time of the offense.
The offense caused serious bodily injury or death, involved force or threats of force against the victim or the victim’s family, or rendered the victim unconscious or otherwise unable to consent.
The offender has at least two unrelated qualifying convictions.

These triggers apply regardless of the offender’s later behavior. If another state requires the offender to register for longer than Indiana would, Indiana follows the longer requirement.⁹

Travel and Moving

Moving within Indiana means re-registering in the new county within 72 hours. Moving out of state triggers Indiana’s deregistration process and the receiving state’s registration rules.

International travel adds a federal requirement. Under SORNA, registrants must notify registry officials at least 21 days before any planned international trip, and that notice goes to the U.S. Marshals Service. Failure to give the required notice is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2250.¹⁰

International Megan’s Law also requires the State Department to place a unique identifier in the passport of any sex offender convicted of an offense against a minor. The endorsement reads: “The bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor, and is a covered sex offender pursuant to 22 United States Code Section 212b(c)(1).” There is no opt-out while the registration duty remains.¹¹

Penalties for Violations

Under Indiana Code 11-8-8-17, it is a crime to fail to register, fail to register in every required county, provide false information, fail to appear in person, or not actually live at the registered address. A first offense is a Level 6 felony, punishable by six months to two and a half years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.¹²¹³

A repeat registration violation is a Level 5 felony if the offender has any prior conviction for failing to comply with a registration requirement, carrying one to six years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.¹²¹⁴

Residency violations under IC 35-42-4-11 are charged as Level 6 felonies on their own. Unlawful employment under IC 35-42-4-10 follows the same Level 6 / Level 5 pattern. These charges can stack, so a single set of facts can produce more than one felony count.

Getting Off the Registry

Indiana provides a narrow path to registry removal, and only when the law has shifted. Under Indiana Code 11-8-8-22, an offender can petition the court if a state or federal legal change after June 30, 2007 means someone who committed the same conduct today would either not have to register or would face lesser registration conditions.¹⁵

The petition is filed in the circuit or superior court of the offender’s home county. The offender carries the burden of proof and must list every criminal conviction, including dates, courts, and whether the conviction followed trial or a plea. Meeting the statutory requirements does not guarantee relief; the court retains discretion to deny the petition.¹⁵

1
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-42-4-11 – Sex Offender Residency Restrictions
2
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-42-4-14 – Unlawful Entry of School Property by a Serious Sex Offender
3
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-42-4-10 – Unlawful Employment by a Sexual Predator
4
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-42-4-12 – Sex Offender Internet Offense
5
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-38-2-2.2 – Conditions of Probation, Registration With Local Law Enforcement Authority, Consent to Search of Computer
6
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 11-8-8-7 – Persons Required to Register
7
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 11-8-8-15 – Possession of Valid Indiana Drivers License or Identification Card Required
8
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 10-13-6-10 – Persons Required to Provide DNA Sample
9
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 11-8-8-19 – Expiration of Duty to Register, Lifetime Registration, Out-of-State Registrants
10
Department of Justice. Information Required for Notice of International Travel
11
SMART.gov (Office of Justice Programs). Statute in Review: International Megans Law
12
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 11-8-8-17 – Registration Violations, Penalty
13
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-50-2-7 – Level 6 Felony
14
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-50-2-6 – Level 5 Felony
15
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 11-8-8-22 – Procedure for Retroactive Application of Ameliorative Statutes