Do You Have to Notify Your Child’s School if You Are a Sex Offender? (California Penal Code Section 290)

Under California Penal Code Section 290, you must register as a sex offender if you are convicted of certain sex crimes, including:

• Rape;
• Child pornography;
• Contributing to the delinquency of a minor;
• Sexual assault of a child;
• Sodomy; and
• Indecent exposure.¹

Within five days of completing your sentence, release from custody, or discharge from a mental institution, you must register your address with your local law enforcement agency. If you are a student enrolled at a California university, you must also notify campus police of your sex offender status.²

What many people do not know is that sex offenders must inform their child’s school of their status if they want to enter school grounds.

California Megan’s Law

Once you register as a sex offender, California Megan’s Law allows your name, photo, crime, and other identifying information to be available online. Convicted sex offenders cannot live within a quarter mile of any public or private schools, regardless of the nature of their crime.³

If you have children of your own who are in kindergarten through eighth grade, this can be particularly difficult. Not only can you not live near your child’s school, but your city’s ordinances and your child’s school can impose even harsher restrictions.⁴

Recent Example of a Sex Offender Entering School Grounds

An Anaheim Hills parent with a child attending Trinity Lutheran Christian School recently discovered that a fellow parent is a registered sex offender. The parent, whose information was listed on the Megan’s Law website, was convicted of committing a sex act with a 14-year-old child. The parent had regularly been on campus and even hosted play dates at his home for some of his child’s friends.⁵

Another registered sex offender in Carlsbad had been regularly attending school events for his young children. However, after discovering that the individual was arrested and charged with first-degree sexual abuse in 1994, the school’s superintendent mandated that the parent no longer be able to openly attend school events. He also was banned from being on campus without written permission from the school. The mandate only gave the parent permission to pick up or drop off his children from the parking lot.

Do Sex Offenders Have to Inform Child’s School of Sex Offender Status? (California Penal Code Section 626.81)

If you are required to register as a sex offender under California Penal Code Section 290, you are not allowed to enter any school building are school grounds without written permission. California Penal Code Section 626.81 states that you must obtain written permission stating the date and time you will be on the campus from the school’s chief administrative official.

If you receive permission, the school’s administrative official must also notify the parents or guardians of each child at the school. Law enforcement or school officials may inform the public of the presence of a sex offender if there is a perceived threat at any time.⁶

If you fail to receive permission before entering school grounds, you could face up to six months in county jail and fines of up to $500.⁷

How the Sex Crimes Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich Can Help You

If you are required to register as a sex offender as the result of a sex crimes conviction, our experienced sex crimes attorneys at Wallin & Klarich can help you. Our attorneys have been successfully helping our clients involved with sex crimes for over 30 years. We can help you determine if you are eligible to get your name off the Megan’s Law registry.

With offices located in Orange County, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Torrance, Riverside, West Covina, Victorville, Ventura, San Diego and Sherman Oaks, our skilled and knowledgeable attorneys are available to help you wherever is convenient.

Call us today at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free phone consultation. We will be there when you call.