You can click on each of the states below to follow a link to the laws governing the duration of registration for adult sex offenders. As I was compiling this list, I came across Megan’s Law on Klaas Kids website. They have the most up to date information on the laws as they are amended. It is important to know that I do not have any legal expertise. All of this information was simply compiled from google searches. If there are any edits that need to be made, please leave a comment and let me know.  

Alabama: lifetime registration, may petition for relief from employment restrictions

Alaska: lifetime registration for recidivists/aggravated offenders, 15 years for others; early termination only available upon reversal of conviction

Arizona: lifetime registration or 10 years depending on offense/recidivist status; no specific provision for early termination

Arkansas: lifetime registration for a sexually violent predator, or if convicted of an aggravated sex offense or multiple offenses; 15 years for others; less serious offenders may petition court for relief 15 years after release from incarceration

California: lifetime registration; adults may petition the court for a “Certificate of Rehabilitation” in some cases or a full Governor’s Pardon in most cases

Colorado: lifetime registration; adults may petition the court for relief after 20/10/5 years (from date of discharge DOC) depending on the offense, or upon successful completion of deferred adjudication 

Connecticut: lifetime registration or 10 years depending on offense, sexually violent predator status, recidivist status; full pardon “erases” conviction and relieves all legal disabilities, though no authority directly on point, no other provision for early termination

Delaware: lifetime registration for tier III/recidivists, 25 years for tier II, 15 years for tier I; tier II/III misdemeanor offenders where victim was not under 13 (if offender was 18 or older at time of commission) may petition for relief immediately; tier I offenders may petition for relief 10 years from last day of Level IV/V sentence, or from the date of sentencing if no IV/V sentence imposed; tier II/III offenders may petition for redesignation and eventually reach a tier I designation, though certain waiting periods and eligibility criteria apply

Florida: lifetime registration; may petition for relief 25 years after release for less serious offenses; the state attorney in the circuit in which the petition is filed must be given notice of the petition at least 3 weeks before the hearing

Georgia: lifetime registration; certain less violent offenses: may petition court for relief from registration, residency and employment restriction 10 years after completion of sentence; such offenders with level I risk may petition for relief at any time; non-sexual kidnapping of a minor may petition for relief immediately; physically incapacitated registrants those in a nursing home or permanently disabled may petition for relief immediately

Hawaii: lifetime registration; any offender may petition court for relief after 40 years (from later of date of sentencing/release), certain tier II offenders may petition after 25 years, certain tier I offenders after 10 years

Idaho: lifetime registration; may petition court for full relief after 10 years if not an aggravated offender/violent sexual predator; may petition for relief from bars on employment with child care facility/proximity to facility after 10 years; pardon for violent and sex crimes available 5 years after completion of sentence 

Illinois: lifetime registration or 10 years, depending on offense/sexually violent predator status/recidivist status; no specific provision for early termination

Indiana: lifetime registration or 10 years (from later of release from incarceration/placement on community supervision), depending on offense/sexually violent predator status/recidivist status; no specific provision for early termination

Iowa: lifetime registration or 10 years, depending on offense/sexually violent predator status/recidivist status; tier I offenders may petition for modification of registration requirements after 2 years, tiers II and III after 5 years 

Kansas: lifetime registration or 25 years or 15 years, depending on offense/sexually violent predator status/recidivist status; no person required to register as an offender pursuant to the Kansas offender registration act shall be granted an order relieving the offender of further registration under this act; expungement relieves public registration obligation only 

Kentucky: lifetime registration or 20 years, depending on offense/sexually violent predator status/recidivist status; registration terminates upon completion of pretrial diversion/deferred adjudication 

Louisiana: lifetime registration or 25 years or 15 years depending on offense; 15 year registration may be reduced to 10 years upon petition, lifetime registration may be reduced to 25 years upon petition

Maine: lifetime registration for tier III/recidivists, 25 years for tier II, 10 years for tier I; registration not required for charge dismissed following completion of deferred disposition

Maryland: lifetime registration (tier III offender), 25 years from release/placement on conditional sentence (tier II offender), 15 years (tier I offender); registration period of tier I offender may be reduced to 10 years upon petition after 10 years

Massachusetts: lifetime registration or 20 years, depending on offense/sexually violent predator status, recidivist status; 20 year registrants may petition for termination after 10 years 

Michigan: lifetime registration (tier III offender), 25 years (tier II offender), 15 years (tier I offender); tier I registrants may petition for relief after 10 years, tier III offenders after 25 years

Minnesota: lifetime registration or 10 years, depending on offense/sexually violent predator status, recidivist status; no specific provision for early termination

Mississippi: lifetime registration; tier I offenders may petition for relief after 15 years, tier II after 25 years; relief not available for certain offenses against persons younger than 15

Missouri: lifetime registration; certain non-violent offenders may petition for relief after 10 years

Montana: lifetime registration; less serious level 1 sex offenders may petition court for relief after 10 years, level 2 offenders after 25 years, not available for sexually violent predators

Nebraska: lifetime registration or 25 years or 15 years, depending on offense/recidivist status; 15 year period may be reduced to 10 years upon petition after 10 years

Nevada: lifetime registration (tier III offender), 25 years (tier II), 15 years (tier I); tier I offender may petition for 5 year reduction of term after 10 years

New Hampshire: lifetime registration (tier II/III offender), 10 years from later of conviction/release (tier I); tier II offender may petition for relief after 15 years, tier I offenders after 5 years

New Jersey: lifetime registration; may petition for relief 15 years from later of conviction/release, certain offenders ineligible

New Mexico: lifetime registration or 10 years (from later of release/placement on supervision), depending on offense/recidivist status; registration is required while under deferred sentence, but not after a conditional discharge, no provision for early termination

New York: lifetime registration (level 2/3/sexual predator/violent/predicate offender), 20 years from later of date of conviction/release from custody (level 1); level 2 offenders not designated sexual predators/sexually violent offenders/predicate sex offenders may petition for termination after 30 years, level 2/3 offenders may petition for reclassification to a lower level, pardon relieves registration obligations, 

North Carolina: lifetime registration or 30 years (from later of conviction/release from custody), depending on offense/sexually violent predator status/recidivist status; 30 year registrants may petition for termination after 10 years 

North Dakota: lifetime registration or 25 years or 15 years, depending on offense/risk classification/recidivist status; no specific provision for early termination

Ohio: lifetime registration (tier III), 25 years (tier II), 15 years (tier I); tier I offender may petition for termination after 10 years

Oklahoma: lifetime registration (level 3/habitual/aggravated offender), 25 years (level 2), 15 years (level 1); level 1 offenders may petition for termination after 10 arrest and conviction-free years

Oregon: lifetime registration; misdemeanor/class C felony offenders may petition court for relief 10 years after termination of supervision/probation, not available for predatory sex offenders; level 1 offender may petition for relief after 5 years at level 1 classification; may petition for reclassification of offense level after 10 years

Pennsylvania: lifetime registration (tier III/sexually violent offender/juvenile offender*), 25 years (tier II), 15 years (tier I); no early termination of registration requirements available for adult offenses

Rhode Island: lifetime registration or 10 years, depending on offense/sexually violent predator status/recidivist status; no specific provision for early termination; tier II/III offenders subject to community notification may seek review of assessed notification level/manner of notification ordered

South Carolina: lifetime registration; no provision for early termination 

South Dakota: lifetime registration; certain tier II offenders convicted of incest/bestiality may petition for removal after 25 years; offenders of any tier may petition for exemption from community safety zone restrictions, only after 10 years, not available for offense against child under 13

Tennessee: lifetime registration; non-violent offenders may petition for termination after 10 years if victim was not 12 or younger

Texas: lifetime registration or 10 years, depending on offense; may petition for early termination after completion of minimum federal registration period

Utah: lifetime registration or 10 years, depending on offense/recidivist status; 10 year registrants convicted of less serious offenses may petition for relief after 5 years 

Vermont: lifetime registration or 10 years, depending on offense/recidivist status/offender designation; registration obligation terminates after completion of deferred sentence agreement

Virginia: lifetime registration; certain registrants may petition for termination after 15/25 years (from later of conviction/release), depending on offense; offenders with a qualifying physical disability (including those ineligible to petition after 15/25 years) may petition for termination at any time, obligation to register may be reinstated if the disability no longer exists

Washington: lifetime registration or 15 years or 10 years (from later of conviction/release), depending on offense/recidivist status; may petition for full relief after 10 years, relief from registration is not available for sexually violent predators/certain class A felonies; may petition for termination of notification requirements only after 15 years without a subsequent disqualifying conviction

Washington D.C.: lifetime registration for class A offenders, 10 years for all others

West Virginia: lifetime registration or 10 years, depending on offense/sexually violent predator status/recidivist status; no provision for early termination of registration requirements 

Wisconsin: lifetime registration of 15 years, depending on offense/recidivist status/sexually violent predator status/court order; no provision for relief from lifetime registration if mandated by certain code; some may petition for termination of supervision after 15 years 

Wyoming: lifetime registration; may petition for relief after 25/10 years for less serious offense