2005 North Carolina Code - General Statutes § 14-208.14. Statewide registry; Division of Criminal Statistics designated custodian of statewide registry.

§ 14‑208.14.  Statewide registry; Division of Criminal Statistics designated custodian of statewide registry.

(a)       The Division of Criminal Statistics shall compile and keep current a central statewide sex offender registry. The Division is the State agency designated as the custodian of the statewide registry. As custodian the Division has the following responsibilities:

(1)       To receive from the sheriff or any other law enforcement agency or penal institution all sex offender registrations, changes of address, changes of academic or educational employment status, and prerelease notifications required under this Article or under federal law. The Division shall also receive notices of any violation of this Article, including a failure to register or a failure to report a change of address.

(2)       To provide all need‑to‑know law enforcement agencies (local, State, campus, federal, and those located in other states) immediately upon receipt by the Division of any of the following: registration information, a prerelease notification, a change of address, a change of academic or educational employment status, or notice of a violation of this Article.

(2a)     To notify the appropriate law enforcement unit at an institution of higher education as soon as possible upon receipt by the Division of relevant information based on registration information or notice of a change of academic or educational employment status. If an institution of higher education does not have a law enforcement unit, then the Division shall provide the information to the local law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction for the campus.

(3)       To coordinate efforts among law enforcement agencies and penal institutions to ensure that the registration information, changes of address, prerelease notifications, and notices of failure to register or to report a change of address are conveyed in an appropriate and timely manner.

(4)       To provide public access to the statewide registry in accordance with this Article.

(b)       The statewide registry shall include the following:

(1)       Registration information obtained by a sheriff or penal institution under this Article or from any other local or State law enforcement agency.

(2)       Registration information received from a state or local law enforcement agency or penal institution in another state.

(3)       Registration information received from a federal law enforcement agency or penal institution. (1997‑516, s. 1; 2002‑147, s. 21.)