eSORN Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do only sex offenders register under S.O.R.N?

A:No. Offenders who commit certain non-sexual offenses against children, such as kidnapping, are also required to register. This type of offender is labeled a “Child-Victim Offender,” and is subject to the same registration and restrictions as a Sexually Oriented Offender.

Q: Is every offender who ever committed a sex offense in Ohio required to register?

A:No. The S.O.R.N. Act became effective on July 1, 1977, and was written so that only persons who were in prison or jail as of that date, or who were convicted of a new offense after that date, would be required to register.

Q: What address must a homeless person give as their “residence?”

A:The place where they sleep and keep their belongings. A homeless shelter, a friend’s house, or any physical location where the person actually resides can be a valid residence address. The S.O.R.N. Act does not permit a person to give a post office box or other mailing address as their residence address.

Q: Which S.O.R.N. registrants are not allowed to live near school premises?

A:The S.O.R.N. Act prohibits adult offenders from establishing a residence withing 1,000 feet of any school premises. (This does not include colleges.) However, this prohibition does not apply to rental agreements entered into before July 31, 2003, or to juvenile offenders.

Q: Are school bus stops “school premises?”

A:”School premises” for the purposes of S.O.R.N. means, roughly, either 1) property on which a school is situated, or 2) property that a state-regulated school board or other school governing body owns or leases, where some school instruction, extracurricular activities, or training takes place.