Wayne County Sex Offender Registry

Wayne County is Michigan's most populous county, with roughly 1.79 million residents spread across Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Westland, Canton Township, and dozens of other cities and townships. Sex offender records for the entire county are part of the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry, which is operated statewide by the Michigan State Police and updated continuously. Local registration runs through the Wayne County Sheriff's Office at 1231 St. Antoine St. in Detroit, with additional offices serving the southern part of the county. The PSOR search is free and open to the public. Wayne County has one of the largest registrant populations in Michigan, so the registry here is both broad and actively maintained.

Searching Wayne County Sex Offenders Online

The Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry search page is the main free tool for looking up registered sex offenders anywhere in Wayne County, including Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Westland, Canton Township, and every other city and township in the county. You can search by name, address, city, or zip code. Every active registrant profile shows a current photo, address, vehicle information, and the offense behind their registration requirement. Because Wayne County has a very large and dense population, the registry here contains more active entries than in virtually any other Michigan county.

The PSOR is updated within three business days whenever a registrant reports a change. That update window is required by MCL 28.725. Address changes, new vehicles, new work locations, and changes to school enrollment all trigger a required update. The three-day window keeps the registry current, though very recent changes may still be in process when you search.

The image below links to the main PSOR homepage, where you can begin a Wayne County search.

On the PSOR homepage, use the county filter and select Wayne County to narrow results to this area. From there, you can further filter by city, zip code, or street name.

For searches across multiple states or for someone who may have moved here from elsewhere, the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) provides a free multi-state search using a single query.

Wayne County Sheriff Registration Offices

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is the designated registration authority for sex offenders in Wayne County. The main office is at 1231 St. Antoine St., Detroit, MI 48226. The main phone number is (313) 224-2233. For administrative matters, the direct line is 313-833-0864. The department's official email is info@sheriffconnect.com, and the website is at sheriffconnect.com. A secondary office operates at 5301 Russell Street, Detroit, MI 48211.

For residents in the southern portion of Wayne County, there is a Trenton office located at 200 Grosse Ile Pkwy, Trenton, MI 48183. This office serves communities along the southern end of the county, including Trenton, Wyandotte, Southgate, and nearby areas. Registrants should contact the Sheriff's Office to confirm which office to use based on their address before making the trip.

Attorney visits for Wayne County Jail and related facilities can be scheduled by contacting attorneyvisits@wayneounty.com. Legal document submissions and related administration can be handled through the 313-833-0864 line.

Note: Wayne County is large, and different communities within the county may have city police departments that also process registrations. Ann Arbor and Detroit each have independent police departments. If you live in an incorporated city with its own police force, confirm your registration location before appearing at the Sheriff's Office.

Wayne County Registration Requirements and Tiers

Michigan classifies all sex offenders into three tiers under MCL 28.725a. The tier is determined by the conviction offense and cannot be altered by county officials or changed after sentencing based on behavior alone. All three tiers are present and active in Wayne County's large registrant population.

Tier I covers lower-level convictions, such as fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct under MCL 750.520e. Tier I registrants must appear in person at the Sheriff's Office once per year to verify their information. They remain on the public registry for 15 years. Tier II addresses mid-level offenses, including second-degree criminal sexual conduct under MCL 750.520c. These registrants verify every six months and stay on the registry for 25 years. Tier III is the most serious category and includes first-degree criminal sexual conduct under MCL 750.520b. Tier III registrants must verify their information quarterly, and they remain on the public registry for life. There is no petition process to reduce a Tier III classification in Michigan under current law.

In-person registration cannot be done by mail or online. You must bring valid photo ID, proof of your current Wayne County address, and vehicle information. Initial registration under MCL 28.723 must happen within three business days of establishing a Wayne County residence, work location, or school enrollment.

Registration fees in Michigan are $50 at initial registration and $50 for each annual renewal. The lifetime cap is $550. These fees apply in Wayne County just as they do throughout the rest of Michigan.

Michigan Law and Wayne County Enforcement

The legal foundation for sex offender registration in Wayne County is Michigan's Sex Offenders Registration Act, codified at MCL 28.721 through MCL 28.730. This law applies equally across all 83 Michigan counties. Local sheriffs and city police enforce the law but cannot set different rules at the county level.

Penalties for non-compliance are serious. Under MCL 28.729, a first offense for failing to register or update information is a felony carrying up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine. A second offense raises those limits to seven years and $10,000. A third or subsequent violation can result in ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Wayne County prosecutors and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office treat non-compliance as a serious crime. The county has active enforcement programs, and the scale of the registry means that non-compliant registrants do get identified and charged.

Registrants who move within Wayne County must still report the address change within three business days. Those who leave Wayne County and move elsewhere in Michigan must notify the Wayne County Sheriff and register in their new county. Registrants moving out of Michigan must follow the same process and then register in their new state. MCL 28.728 governs what data must be recorded and kept current. Residency restrictions for certain registrants are addressed at MCL 28.728c.

Wayne County's size means many registrants live, work, and attend school across different jurisdictions within the county. Any registrant working or attending school in Wayne County but living elsewhere must still register in Wayne County for those activities, in addition to registering in their home county.

Detroit and Major City Registration in Wayne County

Detroit is both the county seat and Michigan's largest city. The Detroit Police Department operates independently of the Wayne County Sheriff. City of Detroit residents who are required to register may need to check with the Detroit Police Department regarding their local registration process in addition to county-level requirements. Given the size of Detroit's population, the city represents a significant share of the county's total registrant count.

Other major cities in Wayne County each have their own police departments. Dearborn Police, Livonia Police, Westland Police, and other city departments coordinate with the Wayne County Sheriff on registration enforcement. If you are a city resident in Wayne County, your city police may be the correct first contact for registration questions, though the Sheriff's Office can direct you to the right agency as well.

Court records for Wayne County felony and circuit-level cases can be searched through MiCOURT Case Search. The Third Circuit Court handles felony matters for Wayne County and is based in Detroit. District courts serving Wayne County include the 16th District in Livonia, the 19th District in Dearborn, and several others spread across the county's many cities.

Note: If you are looking for a registrant you know lives in Detroit specifically, the PSOR city filter for Detroit will return all registrants currently showing a Detroit address, regardless of which part of the city they are in.

Other Wayne County Offender Record Resources

Several other public tools can supplement a Wayne County sex offender search. The Michigan Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS), run by the Michigan Department of Corrections, lets you check whether a specific person is currently on parole or probation in Michigan. Given Wayne County's large prison and parole population, OTIS can be especially relevant here. You can search by name or MDOC number.

The Michigan ICHAT service, operated by the Michigan State Police, provides felony and misdemeanor conviction history for $10 per search. It is not limited to sex offenses. When the PSOR comes up empty but you still have questions about someone's criminal background, ICHAT is a practical next step. It covers Michigan convictions going back many years.

For direct contact with the Michigan State Police SOR Unit, call (517) 241-1806 or email psors@michigan.gov. The PSOR has a dedicated contact page for registry questions, updates, and non-compliance reports. For urgent safety concerns anywhere in Wayne County, call 911 or the Wayne County Sheriff's non-emergency line at (313) 224-2233.

Cities in Wayne County

Wayne County includes several major cities with dedicated pages on this site. Detroit is Michigan's largest city and the county seat, with a population around 630,000. Dearborn is located just west of Detroit and is one of the largest cities in the county. Livonia is a large suburban city in the northwestern part of the county. Canton Township is one of the fastest-growing communities in Wayne County and is located in the western part of the county. Westland sits between Canton and Detroit and is another major residential community. For smaller cities and townships throughout Wayne County, use the Michigan PSOR to search by city or zip code.

Nearby Counties

Wayne County is surrounded by several Southeast Michigan counties. Sex offender registry information for neighboring counties is available through the links below.