Search Huntsville Sex Offenders
Sex offender registration in Huntsville is handled by the Madison County Sheriff's Office. As Alabama's largest city with over 230,000 residents, Huntsville has hundreds of registered offenders in the state database.
Huntsville Quick Facts
Madison County Sheriff's Office
The Madison County Sheriff handles all sex offender registration for Huntsville residents. Every person on the sex offender registry must check in at the sheriff's office in person. They do this four times a year during their birth month and every three months after that. The sheriff takes a new photo, checks their address, and updates the state database.
Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The sheriff's office sits on Wheeler Avenue in downtown Huntsville. Sex offenders who live anywhere in Huntsville must register here. This includes people in neighborhoods like Five Points, Twickenham, Blossomwood, and the areas near Redstone Arsenal. The sheriff also covers the city of Madison and smaller towns in the county.
| Address | 715 Wheeler Avenue Huntsville, AL 35801 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (256) 532-3412 |
| Sex Offender Unit | (256) 533-8879 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
| Website | madisoncountysheriffal.org |
How to Search Huntsville Sex Offenders
You can search for sex offenders in Huntsville through the state registry website. This database has every registered offender in Madison County. It is free to use. You can search by name, address, or ZIP code. The site shows photos, addresses, and offense details for each person on the list.
The ALEA Community Information Center at app.alea.gov/community runs the search tool. Click the Sex Offender link and type in a Huntsville address or neighborhood. A map shows pins for each offender nearby. Click any pin to see the full profile. You can also search by the person's name if you know who you are looking for.
The Madison County Sheriff has a dedicated sex offender page at madisoncountysheriffal.org/sex_offenders.php. This page links to the same state database but focuses on Madison County. It also has contact info for the sheriff's sex offender unit. Call (256) 533-8879 if you have questions about a specific offender in Huntsville.
To search sex offenders in Huntsville, you can use:
- Name of the offender
- Street address in Huntsville
- ZIP code (35801, 35802, 35803, 35805, 35806, 35810, 35811, 35816)
- Map view to browse by area
Registration Requirements in Huntsville
Sex offenders in Huntsville must follow Alabama law on registration. Code of Alabama Section 15-20A-10 requires quarterly in-person check-ins. This means four visits per year to the Madison County Sheriff. Missing a check-in is a felony that can lead to prison time.
Each visit costs $10. The sheriff collects this fee to fund the registry program. Offenders who cannot pay can ask for a waiver. At each visit, staff check the person's home address, job, and vehicle info. They take a new photo if the old one is out of date. Alabama does not use a tier system. All adult sex offenders have the same lifetime registration rule.
Offenders who move into Huntsville from another place have three days to register. This applies to people from other Alabama counties and from out of state. They must also tell the sheriff within three days if they change jobs, get a new car, or move to a new address. Code of Alabama Section 15-20A-22 sets these rules.
Huntsville has special rules for certain areas. Offenders cannot live within 2,000 feet of schools or child care centers. This limit covers much of the city since schools are spread throughout Huntsville. Many offenders end up in rural parts of Madison County where fewer restricted zones exist.
What Huntsville Records Show
Sex offender records in Huntsville show detailed info about each person on the list. Code of Alabama Section 15-20A-8 says what the public can see. The goal is to let residents know who lives near them and what crimes they committed.
Each listing in the Huntsville area shows:
- Full name and any aliases used
- Date of birth
- Current photo
- Home address in Huntsville
- Work address and employer name
- Physical marks like scars or tattoos
- Vehicle make, model, and plate number
- Sex offense history with conviction dates
Some info stays private. Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and victim names are not shown online. The sheriff has this data but keeps it out of public view. If you need more details about an offender in Huntsville, contact the sex offender unit at the sheriff's office.
Community Notification in Huntsville
When a sex offender moves into a Huntsville neighborhood, the sheriff sends out notices. Code of Alabama Section 15-20A-21 requires notice to homes within 1,000 to 2,000 feet of the offender's address. Schools within three miles also get told. This happens within days of the person registering.
You can sign up for email alerts through OffenderWatch. Go to the state search site and enter your Huntsville address. The system sends an email when an offender moves into or out of your area. This is a free service. Many Huntsville parents use it to watch for changes near their home and their kids' schools.
Huntsville is home to many defense contractors and NASA workers because of Redstone Arsenal. Some jobs require employees to know about nearby offenders. The registry helps with these background checks. You can run a search any time to see who is on the list in your part of the city.
Report a Violation in Huntsville
If you think a sex offender in Huntsville is breaking the rules, report it right away. Common problems include living at the wrong address, failing to check in, or being near a school. Code of Alabama Section 15-20A-37 makes these acts a Class C felony with one to ten years in prison.
To report a violation, call the Madison County Sheriff at (256) 533-8879. You can also use the tip form on the state registry website or call ALEA at 334-676-7250. Give as much detail as you can. Include the offender's name, what rule they broke, and when it happened. Tips from the public help catch offenders who try to hide.
The sheriff runs regular compliance checks in Huntsville. Deputies visit offenders at home to make sure they live where they say they do. They also check work addresses. Madison County was one of the first in north Alabama to add a dedicated gang investigator, and law enforcement takes these checks seriously. If you see something that does not match the registry, let them know.
Huntsville Police and Sex Crimes
The Huntsville Police Department investigates sex crimes in the city. They do not handle registration, but they work closely with the sheriff on compliance. If a sex crime happens in Huntsville, call the police at (256) 427-5000. For non-emergencies, you can use the online report form at the city website.
Huntsville PD has a criminal investigations division that handles sex crimes. Detectives work with the Madison County Sheriff to track offenders who break the rules. They also work with federal partners since Redstone Arsenal and NASA bring federal jurisdiction into some cases. The U.S. Marshals can get involved if an offender crosses state lines.
Madison County Sex Offenders
Huntsville is in Madison County, and all sex offender registration goes through the Madison County Sheriff. The county covers Huntsville, the city of Madison, and several smaller towns. For full details on registration rules, fees, and county resources, see the Madison County page.
Other Cities in Madison County
Madison County has two cities with pages on this site. Both use the Madison County Sheriff for sex offender registration.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Huntsville in north Alabama. Each has its own county for sex offender registration.