Various amendments to the Child Sex Offender Registration Act 2006 (SA) came into operation on 16 February 2026, marking an important shift in how information about certain offenders may be accessed.

For the first time, members of the public can apply to access limited information from South Australia’s Child Sex Offender Register.

Historically, the Register was maintained by South Australia Police (SAPOL) for law enforcement purposes only. The recent amendments now allow SAPOL to release specified information to eligible applicants in defined circumstances.

Importantly, this is not an open public database. Information is only available upon application and subject to strict eligibility criteria, identity verification requirements, and legal obligations.

There are 3 types of applications you can make:

1. Wanted Child Sex Offenders: View images and details of wanted child sex offenders who are not complying with mandatory reporting obligations
2. Local Search: Apply to view images of serious child sex offenders living in your local suburb. Access is subject to identity verification and eligibility checks
3. Disclosure Request: Apply to check whether a person who has had unsupervised contact with a child in your care, has a history of child sex offences. Disclosure is limited to what is relevant to the application

When making an application, you must agree to the following:

“By accessing this website and the information contained within it, you acknowledge and agree to the following conditions:

• You will not create, promote or increase animosity toward or harassment of a person identified by this site; and
• You will not publish, distribute or display any photographs or personal information provided by this site without the prior written approval from the Police Commissioner.

The Child Sex Offenders Registration (Public Register) Amendment Bill 2024 provides that it is a criminal offence to misuse the information made publicly available by this website. Those found guilty of committing such an offence can be liable to up to 10 years imprisonment.”

The seriousness of these provisions was demonstrated almost immediately following commencement, when a Port Augusta man was charged within a day of the amendments coming into effect for allegedly unlawfully sharing images obtained from the Register. See more here: https://www.police.sa.gov.au/sa-police-news-assets/front-page-news/man-arrested-for-unlawfully-sharing-images

For further information regarding the Child Sex Offender Register, visit: https://www.police.sa.gov.au/your-safety/child-safety/child-sex-offender-register 

To make an application, visit: https://www.csor.apps.police.sa.gov.au/