Failure to register
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
(a) In General. Whoever—
(1) is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act;
(2)
(A) is a sex offender as defined for the purposes of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act by reason of a conviction under Federal law (including the Uniform Code of Military Justice), the law of the District of Columbia, Indian tribal law, or the law of any territory or possession of the United States; or
(B) travels in , or enters or leaves, or resides in, Indian country; and
(3) knowingly fails to register or update a registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act;
shall be or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
(b) International Travel Reporting Violations. Whoever—
(1) is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (42 U.S.C. 16901 et seq.); [1]
(2) knowingly fails to provide information required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act relating to intended travel in foreign commerce; and
(3) engages or to engage in the intended travel in foreign commerce;
shall be , imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
(c) Affirmative Defense. In a prosecution for a violation under subsection (a) or (b), it is an affirmative defense that—
(1) uncontrollable circumstances prevented the individual from complying;
(2) the individual did not contribute to the creation of such circumstances in of the requirement to comply; and
(3) the individual complied as soon as such circumstances ceased to exist.
(d) Crime of Violence.
(1) In general. An individual described in subsection (a) or (b) who commits a crime of violence under Federal law (including the Uniform Code of Military Justice), the law of the District of Columbia, Indian tribal law, or the law of any territory or possession of the United States shall be imprisoned for not less than 5 years and not more than 30 years.
(2) Additional punishment. The punishment provided in paragraph (1) shall be in addition and consecutive to the punishment provided for the violation described in subsection (a) or (b).
History: (Added Pub. L. 109–248, title I, §141(a)(1), July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 602; amended Pub. L. 114–119, §6(b), Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 23.)
1 See References in Text note below.
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime for a person required to register as a sex offender to knowingly fail to register or update a registration, if the person was convicted under federal (or similar) law or travels between states or countries or in Indian country. It is also a crime to knowingly fail to report planned international travel and then travel or try to travel.