Bay County Sex Offenders

Bay County sex offenders are listed in Michigan's Public Sex Offender Registry, a free statewide tool maintained by the Michigan State Police. You can search for registered sex offenders in Bay County by name, zip code, or address. The Bay County Sheriff's Office in Bay City handles local registration along with Michigan State Police posts that serve the area. The Michigan PSOR is the best starting point for finding anyone registered in Bay County, and it reflects current information updated as offenders report required changes.

Bay County Sex Offender Registry Access

To search sex offenders in Bay County, start at the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry. This free state-run tool lets you filter by county, search by name, or enter an address or zip code. Filtering by Bay County returns all current registrants in the area, including those in Bay City and the surrounding townships. Each registrant profile shows a current photo, full name, home address, offense record, vehicle information, and tier level.

Bay County has a population of around 103,000, making it one of the larger mid-Michigan counties. Its county seat is Bay City. With that size comes a larger registrant pool. All of them appear in the statewide registry under MCL 28.728, which mandates the Michigan State Police to make registry data publicly available. The registry does not include people who are no longer required to register because their registration period has ended or because a court has ordered removal under MCL 28.728c.

The Bay County Sheriff's Office is at 503 Washington Ave. in Bay City, MI 48708. Phone is 989-895-4500, fax 989-895-4506. Their website is at baycounty-mi.gov. Michigan State Police posts also serve Bay County and can assist with registration.

The image below is from the Michigan OTIS system at mdocweb.state.mi.us, another key tool for checking offender status in Bay County alongside the PSOR.

The OTIS database complements the sex offender registry by tracking Bay County residents currently under Michigan Department of Corrections supervision.

Registration Requirements in Bay County

Michigan's Sex Offenders Registration Act, MCL 28.721 et seq., requires all persons with qualifying sex offense convictions to register with local law enforcement. In Bay County, that means going to the Bay County Sheriff's Office at 503 Washington Ave. in Bay City, or to a Michigan State Police post serving the county. Under MCL 28.723, registration must happen before or at the time of release from custody, or within three business days of moving to Michigan or changing addresses within the state.

You must register in person. Bring a government-issued photo ID, proof of your current residential address, and vehicle information. The registration fee is $50 initially and $50 per year, with a $550 lifetime cap. After registering, any changes, including a new address, new vehicle, changes in school enrollment, or new employment, must also be reported in person within three business days under MCL 28.725. Failure to comply with these requirements is a crime under MCL 28.729. A first violation can bring up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine. A second brings up to seven years and a $10,000 fine. A third or later offense can mean up to ten years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.

Bay County's larger urban population means more active cases and more regular interaction between the sheriff's office and registered sex offenders. The MSP posts serving Bay County add additional capacity for registration and compliance monitoring.

Note: Offenders who split their time between Bay County and another county must register each address and keep both current.

Bay County Tier Classification

The Michigan State Police assigns a tier to every registered sex offender based on the offense of conviction. Under MCL 28.725a, Tier I applies to lower-level crimes like fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct (MCL 750.520e). Tier I registrants verify annually and stay on the list for 15 years. Tier II covers crimes like second-degree criminal sexual conduct (MCL 750.520c), with semi-annual verification and 25 years of registration. Tier III is for the most serious offenses, including first-degree criminal sexual conduct under MCL 750.520b, with quarterly verification and lifetime registration.

Bay County has registrants in all three tiers. The tier is visible on each registrant's public profile through the PSOR, so anyone searching can quickly see the classification. Michigan has around 45,000 registered sex offenders statewide, and Bay County's share is proportional to its roughly 103,000 residents. With that population base, the county's registry is one of the larger ones in mid-Michigan, though still smaller than counties like Genesee, Kent, or Wayne.

Other Bay County Criminal Records Resources

The sex offender registry is free to use, but other records tools in Bay County may require fees. The Michigan ICHAT tool charges $10 per search and provides statewide criminal conviction history for all offense types. For people under MDOC supervision, the OTIS database shows current custody and parole status. Court case records for Bay County are accessible through the local circuit and district courts in Bay City, or through the MiCOURT case search portal.

For multi-state sex offender searches, the National Sex Offender Public Website checks all fifty state registries at once. This is especially useful for Bay County residents checking on people who recently moved from another state. To reach the Michigan State Police SOR Unit, call (517) 241-1806, email psors@michigan.gov, or write to P.O. Box 30634, Lansing, MI 48909-0634. The PSOR contact page is also available for submitting online questions or reports.

Cities in Bay County

Bay County includes Bay City, but that city does not currently have a dedicated page on this site. To search for sex offenders in Bay City, Essexville, Pinconning, or other communities in Bay County, use the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry and search by city name or zip code.

Nearby Counties

Bay County is in the center of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, along Saginaw Bay. Check sex offender registry data for neighboring counties below.