Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and Residency Violations in Miami

Dennis Gonzalez Jr. is a former Miami-Dade prosecutor who has been defending people since 2012. Everything you tell us is confidential. Our office answers 24 hours a day.

What the State Must Prove (Instruction 11.14)

Every version of instruction 11.14 requires that you are a sexual offender (or agreed to that status), that you had a permanent, temporary, or transient residence in a Florida county, and that you knowingly failed to meet one duty under section 943.0435. The versions differ only in that duty:

• 11.14: registering in person with the sheriff within 48 hours after establishing a residence, release from state prison custody or supervision, or conviction; providing the required information; reporting vehicle changes.
• 11.14(a): details of a vehicle, mobile home, or boat you live in.
• 11.14(b): college enrollment, work, or volunteering, and changes.
• 11.14(c): a driver license office visit within 48 hours after registering.
• 11.14(d): a change of residence or legal name, or an in-state travel residence, within 48 hours.
• 11.14(e): a move out of state (48 hours ahead) or travel abroad (21 days ahead, or as soon as possible).
• 11.14(f): staying after announcing a move or trip.
• 11.14(g): reregistering twice a year (every third month for certain offenses), answering address-verification mail within three weeks, reporting email addresses and internet identifiers, and giving no false information.
• 11.14(i): reporting every 30 days with a transient residence.
• 11.14(j): any other knowing failure, or false information.

Unlawful Residency (Instruction 11.17)

Section 775.215 bars people convicted of certain sex offenses against a victim under 16, including sexual battery and lewd or lascivious offenses, from living within 1,000 feet of a school, child care facility, park, or playground. Under instruction 11.17, the State must prove the conviction, the victim's age, a covered offense date, and that you lived within 1,000 feet afterward.

2026 change: for offenses on or after July 1, 2026, and for anyone already covered who changes permanent residence on or after that date, public swimming pools are added (ch. 2026-17).

If you were already living there lawfully when the school, park, or other place was established, that is not a violation, and you cannot be forced to move. A violation is a third-degree felony if the original conviction was a first-degree felony or higher, and otherwise a first-degree misdemeanor.

Penalties

• Most registration violations are third-degree felonies: up to 5 years and a $5,000 fine. Each failure is a separate offense.
• Staying at a residence, or in Florida, after reporting that you would leave, without reporting back within 48 hours, is a second-degree felony (up to 15 years).
• For felony violations on or after July 1, 2018, if the court does not impose prison, it must impose community control with electronic monitoring: at least 6 months, 1 year, or 2 years for a first, second, or third offense.
• A person required to register under federal law who travels between states or abroad and knowingly fails to register or update a registration can also face a federal charge (18 U.S.C. § 2250), with up to 10 years.

How We Defend These Cases

• "Knowingly." The rules are technical. A "permanent residence," for example, means 3 or more consecutive days, not counting the first.
• Agency error. The instructions recognize a defense if you tried to comply but the sheriff's office (or another listed agency) misinformed you or otherwise prevented you from complying.
• Residency. How the 1,000 feet was measured, and which came first.

What to Do First

1. Register or update right away. An arrest or charge counts as notice of the duty. Registering afterward is not a defense, but failing to register immediately can bring a new charge.
2. Don't explain yourself to deputies. Ask for a lawyer.
3. Keep your proof: receipts, screenshots, letters, and leases. Then call us. See Bond & Nebbia Hearings and Probation Violations.

Why Choose Dennis Gonzalez Law, P.A.

• Former Miami-Dade prosecutor.
• Defending people since 2012.
• Super Lawyers recognition and an Avvo Rating of 10.0.
• Bilingual office — se habla español.
• We answer 24 hours a day. Call (305) 209-0384.

See our Results page, Sex Crimes Defense and, for designated sexual predators, Failure to Register as a Sexual Predator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I report changes online?

Some, such as in-state travel residences, vehicles, phone numbers, email addresses, internet identifiers, employment, and college status. Other residence changes, name changes, and reregistration are done in person.

How long does registration last?

Generally for life, unless the conviction is pardoned or set aside. Removal is possible only in limited cases.