Washington County Sex Offenders

Washington County sex offenders are registered through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and managed locally by the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Stillwater and city police departments including the Woodbury Police Department. With a population of about 267,000, Washington County is one of the larger east metro counties in Minnesota. It includes cities like Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Oakdale, Stillwater, Forest Lake, and Lake Elmo. Residents can search for predatory offenders through free state databases, and this page covers the specific agencies and tools available for sex offender searches in Washington County.

Washington County Sheriff's Office

The Washington County Sheriff's Office in Stillwater oversees predatory offender registration and community notification for the county. All sex offenders in Washington County must comply with Minnesota Statute 243.166, which requires registration with local law enforcement and reporting any address changes within five days of moving. Not complying is a felony. The Sheriff's Office at (651) 430-6000 coordinates with the BCA to maintain the statewide predatory offender registry. The office is located at 15015 62nd St N, Stillwater, MN 55082. Visit co.washington.mn.us/178/Sheriff for more information.

Washington County borders Wisconsin along the St. Croix River. This means the Sheriff works with Wisconsin law enforcement when offenders move across the state line. The county also borders Ramsey County and Anoka County, two other large metro counties, so cross-county coordination is a regular part of the Sheriff's work on predatory offender registration. Public records requests for Washington County are handled at co.washington.mn.us/694/Public-Records-Requests.

Woodbury Police and Washington County Sex Offenders

The Minnesota DOC public registrant search is the primary state tool for Level 3 sex offenders in Washington County: DOC Public Registrant Search.

Search by name, city, or zip code. For Washington County, try Woodbury, Stillwater, Cottage Grove, Oakdale, or Forest Lake to find offenders registered in those areas.

The Woodbury Police Department is located at 2100 Radio Dr, Woodbury, MN 55125 and can be reached at (651) 714-3600. Woodbury is the largest city in Washington County, so the city police handle a significant share of predatory offender registrations in the county. Their page at woodburymn.gov/police has contact details and department information. Sex offenders in Woodbury register with city police, who coordinate with the county Sheriff on data sharing and community notification.

The BCA Predatory Offender Registry at por.state.mn.us covers all registered offenders statewide. Only Level 3 records are visible to the public. Reach the BCA at (651) 793-7070. Level 1 and Level 2 offenders are registered and supervised but do not appear in public searches. In a county the size of Washington, the actual number of registered sex offenders is considerably higher than what the public database shows.

Community Notification in Washington County

Level 3 sex offenders in Washington County trigger a formal community notification process under Minnesota Statute 244.052. The Sheriff's Office or city police department issues these notifications to affected residents, schools, day cares, and community organizations near the offender's address. In larger cities like Woodbury, the city police department leads the notification process. In rural and unincorporated areas, the Sheriff handles it. The DOC community notification page at mn.gov explains the statewide framework.

Washington County's suburban and semi-rural mix means notifications can vary in scope depending on whether the offender lives in a dense neighborhood or a more rural area. Schools and parks near the offender's address are always prioritized for outreach. Level 2 notifications are more limited. Level 1 offenders receive no public notification at all.

Additional Resources for Washington County Residents

VINE is a free alert service for custody changes at Washington County corrections facilities. If someone in custody is released or transferred, VINE sends you a phone, text, or email alert. Sign up at vinelink.com or call 1-877-664-8463. The service is open to anyone.

The National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov connects registries from all 50 states into one federal search tool. If an offender has moved from Washington County to Wisconsin or another state, this site can help you find their current registration. It is run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Court records for sex offense cases in Washington County are available through the Minnesota Court Records Online system at mncourts.gov. Search by name or case number to review charge and sentencing history for criminal cases heard in Washington County District Court.

Cities in Washington County

Washington County includes several growing communities. All sex offenders in the county register through local law enforcement and the state BCA system.

Other communities in Washington County include Stillwater, Cottage Grove, Oakdale, Forest Lake, Lake Elmo, Hugo, and Mahtomedi. All sex offenders in these areas register through their local police department or the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota predatory offender registry.

Nearby Counties

These Minnesota counties border Washington County. If a sex offender may have moved, check the registries for neighboring counties.