Beginning November 1st, 2017, convicted sex offenders will be required to pay a registration fee, per CRS 16-22-108(7)(a), which states that "a local law enforcement agency may establish a registration fee to be paid by persons registering and re-registering annually or quarterly with the local law enforcement agency pursuant to the provisions of this section.  The amount of the fee shall reflect the actual direct costs incurred by the local law enforcement agency in implementing the provisions of this article but shall not exceed seventy-five dollars for the initial registration with the local law enforcement agency and twenty-five dollars for any subsequent annual or quarterly registration."  Fees will be in the amount of $75.00 for the initial registration, and $25.00 for each annual registration.

You should not rely solely on the sex offender registry as a safeguard against perpetrators of sexual assault in your community. The crime for which a person is convicted may not accurately reflect the level of risk. 

The list should not be used to inflict retribution or additional punishment on any person convicted of an offense involving unlawful sexual behavior. Any reports of harassment will be investigated and prosecuted. 

Our Commitment to You

Since July 1991, Colorado law requires persons convicted of certain acts of unlawful sexual behavior to register with the local law enforcement agency in which they reside.

History

Washington State's 1990 Community Protection Act was the first law in the United States that authorized public notification whenever a dangerous sex offender is released into a community. However, it was the brutal 1994 rape and murder of seven-year-old Megan Kanka that compelled the public to demand a broad based community notification law. On May 17, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed what is now known as Megan's Law. Megan's Law has the following two mandates: 

Sex Offender Registration

The 1994 Jacob Wetterling Act requires states to register individuals convicted of sex crimes against children. Sex offender registration laws are essential because: 

• Sex offenders pose a high risk of re-offending after release from custody.
• Protecting the public from sex offenders is a primary governmental interest.
• The government's interest of public safety supersedes the privacy interests of persons convicted of sex offenses.
• Release of certain information about sex offenders to public agencies and the community in which it serves will assist in greater public safety.

Community Notification

Megan's Law allows states discretion to establish criteria for disclosure, but compels them to make private and personal information about registered sex offenders available to the public. Community notification also:

• Assists law enforcement personnel in investigations.
• Establishes legal grounds to hold known offenders.
• Deters sex offenders from committing new offenses.
• Offers citizens information they can use to protect children from victimization