HOUSTON – With Halloween approaching, Houston-area parents can use a free online map from the Texas Department of Public Safety to check where registered sex offenders live before planning their children’s trick-or-treating routes.
The Texas Public Sex Offender Registry allows users to search for registered sex offenders by location and view available registration information, including photos, addresses and offense details. The database covers communities across Texas, including the Greater Houston area.
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How to check the Texas sex offender registry
Parents can search the state database before deciding where their children will trick-or-treat.
Here’s how to use the map:
- Visit the Texas DPS Public Sex Offender Registry.
- Follow the website’s instructions and review its disclosure statement.
- Enter an address or use the available search options to find registered sex offenders in the area.
- Review the results and click individual records to see available information.
The registry is maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety and contains information reported by law enforcement agencies. DPS cautions that it cannot guarantee every record has been correctly matched to the person a user is seeking.
Read more about the Texas Sex Offender Registration Program.
Are registered sex offenders allowed to hand out candy on Halloween?
Not every person listed on the sex offender registry is automatically prohibited from participating in Halloween activities. Restrictions can depend on an individual’s parole or probation conditions and applicable local laws.
Texas DPS recommends checking the registry as part of Halloween planning. The agency also advises families to stick to familiar neighborhoods, supervise children and avoid entering strangers’ homes.
Read Texas DPS Halloween safety tips.
Halloween safety tips for families
Before heading out for trick-or-treating, parents and guardians should remind children to:
- Stay with a trusted group and follow an agreed-upon route.
- Visit homes with their porch lights on.
- Never enter a stranger’s home or vehicle.
- Walk on sidewalks and use crosswalks when crossing streets.
- Carry a flashlight, glow stick or other light to remain visible to drivers.
- Avoid costumes or masks that block their vision.
- Know how to contact a parent or trusted adult if they get separated.
- Bring all candy home for an adult to inspect before eating it.
- Avoid eating unwrapped treats.
Parents should accompany young children and make sure older children have a plan, stay in contact and know when to return home.
Homeowners can also help keep trick-or-treaters safe by turning on porch lights, clearing walkways, removing tripping hazards and using LED candles instead of open flames in decorations.
Search the registry: Texas Public Sex Offender Registry
