Who to Call When Someone Is a Registered Sex Offender in Florida — FDLE Contacts and the 48‑Hour Rule

If you need the official state point of contact for questions or concerns about a registered sexual offender or predator in Florida, call the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Sexual Offender/Predator Unit (SOPU) at 1-888-357-7332.

SOPU is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Call during those hours if you need to confirm information or figure out your next step.

Florida's sexual offender/predator registry isn't a static list. FDLE's database gets continual updates from the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), and law enforcement agencies across the state. Records can change as new information comes in and gets processed.

Florida law requires registered offenders and predators to report any new address within 48 hours of moving in. They report through DHSMV, which then sends the update to FDLE's state registry.

What Families Can Do

• ✓ Call FDLE’s Sexual Offender/Predator Unit (SOPU) at 1-888-357-7332.
• ✓ Ask how address changes are supposed to be reported within the 48-hour window (reported to FDLE through DHSMV) and what information they can confirm.

Think someone moved and didn't report it? Call SOPU at 1-888-357-7332 and ask how to handle your specific situation. They'll point you to the right agency so you don't have to guess who handles what.

FDLE's registry pulls from multiple systems - FDC, DHSMV, and local law enforcement across Florida. Sometimes one system shows a change before another catches up. If something looks inconsistent, it doesn't necessarily mean nothing was reported. The information might still be working its way through the update process.

If you're trying to sort out a possible reporting problem or have a safety concern, verify it with the right authorities. SOPU is a solid first call. For concerns that need a local response, contact your local law enforcement.