Registered Sex Offender Residency Restrictions

In January 2011, the City of North Richland Hills passed Ordinance #3125, which regulates the area where certain registered sex offenders may live.

Restrictions

  • Convicted/adjudicated sex offenders whose victims were younger than 17 years of age are prohibited from residing within a 1,000 feet protected area.
  • A person is prohibited from allowing a convicted/adjudicated sex offender whose victim was younger than 17 years of age to reside within 1,000 feet of a protected area.

While the ordinance will not regulate the daily movements of these offenders within the 1,000-foot safety zone, it does restrict them from residing within a 1,000 feet of a protected area. The 1,000-foot boundaries are established from property lines. Ordinance #3125 also indicates that nobody will be required to sell or dispose of any real estate as a result of the ordinance.

Identified protected areas include:

  • parks
  • swimming pools
  • daycare facilities
  • arcade and gaming businesses
  • schools
  • family entertainment sites


Defenses

There are five defenses to prosecution stipulated in the ordinance:

  1. Offender resided at the location prior to ordinance adoption.
  2. Offender was a minor at the time of offense & conviction.
  3. Offender is a minor.
  4. The protected area opened after the offender established legal residency.
  5. The information on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website was incorrect.  

 


For more information, contact the North Richland Hills Police Department: 817-427-7039 or
817-427-7030, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.


Additional information is available online from the TxDPS Crime Records Service.