Have You Been Injured Or Charged With A Crime?

Premises Restrictions As A Registered Sex Offender

Individuals who have been convicted of a sex crime in Iowa and are placed on the sex offender registry will not only face obstacles when searching for employment. Some of their personal information may be accessible by the public, and they will likely face restrictions in where they can live and work.

Dealing with these restrictions will change your life. You need to understand them. Failing to know your limitations could lead you to inadvertently violate the law and end up vulnerable to even bigger legal problems.

At Berger Law Firm, P.C., in Urbandale (the West Des Moines area), attorney Peter Berger works with clients to ensure they:

  • Receive strong defense through the criminal process
  • Understand their rights and legal obligations

Our goal is to mitigate the consequences of criminal investigations, charges and convictions while providing a platform on which our clients can develop a more stable future.

Contact us online or by telephone at 515-288-8888 to schedule a free, confidential initial consultation.

Where Am I Prohibited From Going if I Am on the Sex Offender Registry for Crimes Against a Minor?

The Iowa Code lists numerous restrictions on where a registered offender may be present and/or be employed. A person who is required to register as an offender in Iowa or in another jurisdiction for an offense involving a minor cannot do any of the following:

  • Be present upon the real property of a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school without the written permission of the school administrator or school administrator’s designee, unless enrolled as a student at the school.
  • Loiter within three hundred feet of the real property boundary of a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school, unless enrolled as a student at the school.
  • Be present on or in any vehicle or other conveyance owned, leased, or contracted by a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school without the written permission of the school administrator or school administrator’s designee when the vehicle is in use to transport students to or from a school or school-related activities, unless enrolled as a student at the school or unless the vehicle is simultaneously made available to the public as a form of public transportation.
  • Be present upon the real property of a child care facility without the written permission of the child care facility administrator.
  • Loiter within three hundred feet of the real property boundary of a child care facility.
  • Be present upon the real property of a public library without the written permission of the library administrator.
  • Loiter within three hundred feet of the real property boundary of a public library.
  • Loiter on or within three hundred feet of the premises of any place intended primarily for the use of minors including but not limited to a playground available to the public, a children’s play area available to the public, a recreational or sport-related activity area when in use by a minor, a swimming or wading pool available to the public when in use by a minor, or a beach available to the public when in use by a minor.

A sex offender who has been convicted of a sex offense against a minor:

  • Who resides in a dwelling located within three hundred feet of the real property boundary of public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school, child care facility, public library, or place intended primarily for the use of minors as specified in subsection 1, paragraph “h”, shall not be in violation of subsection 1 for having an established residence within the exclusion zone.
  • Who is the parent or legal guardian of a minor shall not be in violation of subsection 1 solely during the period of time reasonably necessary to transport the offender’s own minor child or ward to or from a place specified in subsection 1.
  • Who is legally entitled to vote shall not be in violation of subsection 1 solely for the period of time reasonably necessary to exercise the right to vote in a public election if the polling location of the offender is located in a place specified in subsection 1.

A sex offender who has been convicted of a sex offense against a minor shall not do any of the following:

  • Operate, manage, be employed by, or act as a contractor or volunteer at any municipal, county, or state fair or carnival when a minor is present on the premises.
  • Operate, manage, be employed by, or act as a contractor or volunteer on the premises of any children’s arcade, an amusement center having coin or token operated devices for entertainment, or facilities providing programs or services intended primarily for minors, when a minor is present.
  • Operate, manage, be employed by, or act as a contractor or volunteer at a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school, child care facility, or public library.
  • Operate, manage, be employed by, or act as a contractor or volunteer at any place intended primarily for use by minors including but not limited to a playground, a children’s play area, recreational or sport-related activity area, a swimming or wading pool, or a beach.
  • Operate, manage, be employed by, or act as a contractor or volunteer at a business that operates a motor vehicle primarily marketing, from or near the motor vehicle, the sale and dispensing of ice cream or other food products to minors.