Missouri Sex Offender Registration Tiers:
How Long You Register, How Often You Check In, and How to Get Removed
Missouri sorts people on the sex offender registry into three tiers. Tier I registers for 15 years and checks in once a year. Tier II registers for 25 years and checks in every six months. Tier III registers for life and checks in every 90 days. The tier follows the offense of conviction, so what you plead to matters. A major rewrite of the registry law took effect on August 28, 2026.
To some, the tiers make sense. To others, they’re obsolete and draconian. Either way, they’re the law, and the rules for following them are strict. This guide explains how the tiers work, what each one requires, and how, if people get off the registry. If you’re charged, on the registry, or helping someone who is, read it with a pen in hand, then call me.
What Changed on August 28, 2026?
Missouri rewrote its sex offender registration statutes, effective August 28, 2026. The law no longer lists crimes that trigger registration. It now asks which tier an offense falls into, and everything else follows from the tier. It also sets a process for deciding a person’s tier, reaches people who work or study in Missouri but live elsewhere, and updates the process for asking a court for removal. Links to those bills are as follows: SB 982 and HB 2637 and 3155.]
The Missouri Sex Offender Registry Tiers at a Glance
| Tier I | Tier II | Tier III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severity |
Lowest |
Moderate |
Most serious |
| Registration period |
15 years (can be reduced to 10 with a clean record) |
25 years |
Life |
| In-person check-ins |
Once a year, in your birth month |
Twice a year, in your birth month and six months later |
Every 90 days |
| Earliest petition to be removed |
10 years |
25 years |
Not available for adult offenses. For juvenile adjudications, 25 years |
Which Offenses Fall Into Which Tier?
The tier depends on the offense you were adjudicated for. It’s not a judge’s view of how dangerous you are, and it doesn’t measure how you’re doing today. If more than one tier definition applies, the highest tier applies. [Add examples of offenses in each tier from the definitions section, RSMo 589.404 as amended.
The registration official makes the first decision on your tier when you register. The Missouri State Highway Patrol then checks it for accuracy, and if the Patrol disagrees, its decision controls. You must be told of a change no later than your next scheduled check-in. If you think your tier is wrong, a court action limited to the tier question may be available.
Who Has to Register in Missouri?
- People adjudicated since July 1, 1979, for an offense that places them in Tier I, II, or III, in Missouri or in another state, federal, tribal, or military jurisdiction
- People committed as criminal sexual psychopaths, and people found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of such an offense
- Juveniles certified and tried as adults, and juveniles 14 or older adjudicated for an offense equal to or more severe than aggravated sexual abuse under federal law
- People who move to Missouri and were required to register elsewhere
- Nonresidents who work, volunteer, or go to school in Missouri, or who live here temporarily
You must register with the registration official in your county (or the City of St. Louis) within three business days of adjudication, release from incarceration, or placement on probation.
What You Have to Do Once You’re Registered
- Appear in person within three business days of a change in your name, residence, employment (including volunteering or interning), or student status, or the end of any of these.
- Notify the registration official within three business days of changes to your vehicle information, temporary residence, phone number or other electronic communication, or online identifiers. Report a new online identifier before you use it.
- If you move to another county or state, appear in person and notify both the county you left and the county you’re moving to, within three business days.
- If you’re traveling outside the United States, appear in person at least 21 days before you go.
- Pay the fees. Up to $10 for the initial registration, and $5 for each later change.
- Don’t change your legal name while you’re required to register.
Can the Registration Period be Shortened?
Tier I registrants can have their registration period reduced by five years, from 15 to 10, if they keep a clean record for 10 years. That means:
- No adjudication for any offense that carries more than a year of imprisonment
- No adjudication for any sex offense
- Successful completion of probation, parole, or supervised release
- Successful completion of an appropriate sex offender treatment program, whether it was court-ordered or voluntary. A discharge from probation can serve as prima facie evidence of completion if program records are unavailable.
For Tier III registrants adjudicated as juveniles, the clean record period is 25 years.
How do you Get Removed From the Missouri Registry?
You file a petition in the circuit court of the county where the offense was adjudicated. The waiting periods are 10 years for Tier I, 25 years for Tier II, and 25 years for Tier III only if the adjudication was as a juvenile. Adults with Tier III offenses can’t petition.
The petition must include specific information, including fingerprints and the details of your case, and you must notify the prosecuting attorney. If you don’t, the petition is denied automatically. The prosecutor can present evidence against you, and the prosecutor must make reasonable efforts to notify the victim.
The court may order removal only if it finds that you:
- Have no additional adjudications or pending charges for a nonsexual offense with more than a year of imprisonment
- Have no additional adjudications or pending charges for a sex offense that requires registration
- Completed supervised release, probation, or parole without revocation
- Completed an appropriate sex offender treatment program
- Are not a current or potential threat to public safety
If the court denies the petition, you generally can’t refile for at least five years, and longer if the denial was based on a new adjudication. Certain offenses are also eligible for an exemption petition, including some consensual offenses involving similar-age partners or adults, and some obscenity offenses.
Your Do-Do Lists
If you have to register now:
- Register within three business days.
- Put your check-in schedule on your calendar. Tier I is once a year, Tier II is twice a year, and Tier III is every 90 days.
- Report every change on time: name, address, job, school, vehicle, phone, and online identifiers.
- Keep copies of everything you file, and write down the date and name of the official you spoke to.
- When in doubt, call me before you act.
If you want to petition for removal:
- Confirm your tier and the date your registration period began.
- Calculate your earliest filing date.
- Gather proof of treatment completion and your probation or parole discharge.
- Get certified copies of your court records, and get your fingerprints taken on the required card.
- Prepare the petition, file it in the county where you were adjudicated, and notify the prosecuting attorney.
- Don’t miss a check-in or a deadline while you wait.
Common Questions About the Missouri sex Offender Registry Tiers
How long do I have to register in Missouri? Fifteen years for Tier I, 25 years for Tier II, and life for Tier III. Tier I can be reduced to 10 years with a clean record.
How often do I check in? Once a year for Tier I, twice a year for Tier II, and every 90 days for Tier III.
Can a Tier III offender ever be removed? Not for an adult offense. A juvenile adjudication may qualify after 25 years.
Does my tier measure how dangerous I am? No. It’s based on the offense you were adjudicated for. It doesn’t measure your current behavior or risk.
Do I need a lawyer to file a petition for removal? The petition has strict requirements, and missing the notice to the prosecutor means automatic denial. I recommend getting help.
Talk to me
Call me at 636-486-1093.
By Guss Markwell · Originally published June 7, 2023 · Updated Oct. 17, 2026
