Texas Sex Offender Registration Tier Identifier

What Article 62 Registration Means

Chapter 62 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure establishes the state’s sex offender registration program. The statute creates a parallel administrative obligation that runs alongside the criminal sentence — meaning a person who has fully completed any term of incarceration, probation, or parole may still be required to register, in person, with local law enforcement on a recurring schedule for years or for life.

Registration is not a punishment for purposes of double jeopardy or ex post facto analysis under current Texas Court of Criminal Appeals precedent, but the practical impact on residence, employment, internet use, and travel is substantial. Failure to comply with any registration duty is itself a separately charged offense under Texas Penal Code § 62.102, with a felony-grade punishment range that escalates based on the underlying reportable offense.

Because the obligation flows automatically from a “reportable conviction or adjudication” as defined in CCP art. 62.001(5), the threshold question in every case is whether the offense and disposition fall within the statutory list. The next questions are how long registration lasts and how frequently the registrant must verify.

The Reportable Offense List (CCP art. 62.001(5))

The reportable-offense definition is the gateway to the entire scheme. Article 62.001(5) enumerates the offenses and the dispositions that trigger registration, including convictions, deferred adjudications, juvenile adjudications, and certain out-of-state and federal equivalents.

Common Texas Penal Code offenses on the reportable list include:

• Continuous sexual abuse of a young child or disabled individual (Tex. Penal Code § 21.02)
• Indecency with a child (§ 21.11)
• Sexual assault (§ 22.011) and aggravated sexual assault (§ 22.021)
• Prohibited sexual conduct (§ 25.02)
• Online solicitation of a minor (§ 33.021)
• Compelling prostitution (§ 43.05)
• Sexual performance by a child (§ 43.25)
• Possession or promotion of child pornography (§ 43.26)
• Trafficking of persons (Tex. Penal Code § 20A.02, where the underlying conduct is sexual)
• Improper photography or visual recording of an intimate area (§ 21.15)
• Unlawful disclosure or promotion of intimate visual material (§ 21.16), in narrowly defined circumstances

Registration Duration — Life vs 10-Year (CCP art. 62.101)

Article 62.101 establishes two principal durations for adult registrants. Lifetime registration applies to offenses that the statute treats as the most serious — including aggravated sexual assault, continuous sexual abuse of a young child, indecency with a child by contact, sexually violent offenses with prior convictions, and any second reportable conviction. Ten-year registration applies to the remaining reportable offenses listed in art. 62.001(5) but not falling into the lifetime category.

The 10-year period typically begins running on the day the person is discharged from civil commitment, parole, mandatory supervision, or community supervision — not on the date of conviction. For persons who never serve any term of supervision (e.g., a straight-time sentence served and released without parole), the period runs from release from confinement.

Lifetime triggers

• Aggravated sexual assault (§ 22.021)
• Continuous sexual abuse of a young child (§ 21.02)
• Indecency with a child by contact (§ 21.11(a)(1))
• A reportable conviction with a prior reportable conviction (statutory recidivism)
• Sexual assault (§ 22.011) where the victim was under 14 or otherwise meets statutory aggravators
• Compelling prostitution where the victim was under 18 (§ 43.05(a)(2))
• Trafficking of persons with sexual conduct of a child (§ 20A.02(a)(7)/(8))

Ten-year triggers

• Indecency with a child by exposure (§ 21.11(a)(2))
• Online solicitation of a minor (§ 33.021)
• Possession of child pornography (§ 43.26(a))
• Sexual performance by a child (§ 43.25) at the lower-grade variants
• Improper photography or visual recording (§ 21.15) where reportable

Verification Cadence (CCP art. 62.058)

The verification schedule is set by art. 62.058 and depends on whether the offense is classified as “sexually violent” under art. 62.001(6) or whether the registrant is civilly committed.

• Annual verification. For most reportable offenses, the registrant must appear in person at the local law-enforcement authority once per year, within the 30-day period before the anniversary of registration. The agency takes a current photograph and verifies all reportable information.
• 90-day in-person verification. Registrants whose offense is classified as sexually violent under art. 62.001(6) — including aggravated sexual assault, continuous sexual abuse of a young child, and certain other listed offenses — must verify in person every 90 days.
• Civil commitment. Persons subject to civil commitment under Health & Safety Code chapter 841 are also subject to 90-day verification.

In addition to the routine cadence, art. 62.055 requires a registrant to report changes within statutory windows (typically 7 days) for moves, employment changes, and certain other events.

What You Must Report (CCP art. 62.055)

The information required at registration and at each verification is broad. Article 62.051(c) and the implementing DPS rules require, at minimum:

• Full legal name, all known aliases, and date of birth
• Residence address (and any temporary residence used for more than 7 days)
• Employment address and the name of the employer
• Educational institution and address, if any
• Vehicle make, model, year, color, and license plate of all vehicles owned or regularly driven
• Internet identifiers — e-mail addresses, screen names, instant-messaging IDs, and user names — under art. 62.0551
• Photograph and fingerprints

Article 62.055 requires advance notice of an intended change of address — typically not later than the seventh day before the intended move — and post-move verification within 7 days of arrival at the new address. Changes in employment, motor vehicle, and internet identifiers carry their own reporting windows, which counsel should evaluate against the specific event.

Early Termination Options

Under CCP art. 62.401–62.408, certain registrants may petition for early termination when the Texas registration period exceeds the minimum required under federal SORNA. The Council on Sex Offender Treatment publishes the list of offenses for which a person may apply. A petition is filed with the convicting court, the State has the right to oppose, and the court must consider statutory factors including time since the offense, the registrant’s record, and whether continued registration is necessary to protect the public.

Separately, juvenile registrants may seek de-registration under CCP art. 62.351–62.357 on a showing that protection of the public does not require continued registration. The procedures, evidentiary burdens, and standards of review differ between the adult-early-termination path and the juvenile de-registration path.