In accordance with Megan's Law, The Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act, The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000, and certain provisions contained in Section 115 of the General Provisions of Title I of the Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (and coordinated by the Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act of 1996) all 50 states are required to register sex offenders and perform community notification.

However, state guidelines for such aspects as (but, not strictly limited to) community notification, level of sex offenders required to register, public access to sex offender databases and what information is shared is determined by the individual states themselves.