General Information - Sex Offender Registration Transactions (SOQ/SOR, SON)
Sex Offender Registration Transactions (SOQ/SOR, SON)
An agency may request out-of-state Sex Offender Registration records by using a Sex Offender Registration Query (SOQ). The SOQ message type will interrogate the destination state database and return with information on the subject or a notification of "no record" (SOR).
The Sex Offender Registration Notification (SON) serves as a formal method for an agency to communicate with another agency regarding the relocation of a sex offender.
This section provides an overview and details regarding the Sex Offender Registration Query (SOQ) and the corresponding Sex Offender Registration Response (SOR).
Multi-State Query Functionality
Nlets supports the Multi-State Query functionality for the SOQ message format. This functionality allows the query to be automatically sent to all states that participate in the message type and returns a single merged response.
In order to send a Sex Offender transaction using the Multi-State Query, the query should be sent in its typical format to the destination NL. Nlets will take this query and send it to ALL states that support the SOQ message key. Nlets then collects all relevant responses to this query, merges them together while suppressing the NO HIT responses, and sends them onto the querying user as a single response. These responses will also contain summary data indicating which states this query was sent to, which states responded with hits, which responded with no hits, and which states did not respond at all.
States receiving legacy text or GJXDM formats will see the summary data and state responses in a flattened text format (wrapped in XML for GJXDM), whereas states receiving responses in NIEM will receive the summary and state responses in a standardized XML structure detailed below.
An important detail to note is that if a response is received after Nlets has forwarded on the merged Multi-State response, the late response will be sent individually to the original user. This would be most likely to occur if a participating state happened to be 'down' at the time of the query but came back up at a later time and responded.
Overview
To send a Sex Offender Registration Query (SOQ), a user must enter one of five different indices: Name/DOB/Sex, State ID Number (SID), FBI Number (FBI), Social Security Number (SOC) or Miscellaneous Number (MNU). The user may request a photo image as an additional option. See the "Query" box below.
Positive Sex Offender Registration Responses (SOR) may contain information such as the items listed in the "Registration Response" that follows below. A Sex Offender Registration Response (SOR) may include an image if one was requested and is available.
If no information is available, the state will return a "NO RECORD" message.
Note: It is important to recognize that some states will not be able to respond to a Sex Offender Registration Query (SOQ). Nlets has set up an exception
table and upon state request, Nlets will not forward Sex Offender Registration requests to a state.
Query Requirements
Note: Only criminal justice agencies authorized to access criminal records will be allowed to submit SOQs to Nlets.
- Some states treat this type of information as criminal history and some do not. Therefore, inclusion of the purpose code and attention fields is optional.
- If a state does not require the PUR and ATN fields and the SOR includes them, the state should ignore these fields and process the inquiry normally. The state HELP files should include information on this.
- It is not required that a state provide an automated response to an SOQ. If a manual response is forthcoming, however, the state should generate a message notifying the inquirer of this fact.
- The Sex Offender Registration Query (SOQ) format includes an optional image field (IMQ/). When this field is included in the inquiry with a "Y" as a value, the receiver should return an image if one is available.
- Some states may not support an SOR file. Nlets will reject the inquiry if a state does not support the file.
- All Sex Offender Registration inquiries should be answered by the matching response message type.
Query Help
There are HELP files created by each state that will provide details regarding access, availability, and any idiosyncrasies of a state. The Nlets "NLSONHELP" file lists the states that support SONs while the Nlets “NLSORHELP” file lists the states that support SOQs.
More information on help files can be located in Help File Transactions.
Sex Offender Registration Inquiries
Records may be requested using one of five different indices: Name/DOB/Sex, State ID Number (SID), FBI Number (FBI), Social Security Number (SOC) or Miscellaneous Number (MNU). Only one set may be used per inquiry. In other words if an inquiry is made on the social security number, the user cannot include other fields in the inquiry.
The purpose code (PUR) and attention field (ATN) are optional. If they are included, they must be the first two fields in the inquiry. Trailing spaces should be eliminated in all data fields.
XML Tag:
Legacy
Prefix:
Field Size:
Data Requirements:
Translation:
PUR/
1
Alpha Characters
Must be C, F, E, D, J or S.See Introduction Page
for more information.
<n2:ResponseAttentionDescriptionText>
(optional)
IMQ/
1
See NCIC Manual
Image; Use Y (Legacy) or true (NIEM)to request images on file
(optional)
One of the following indexable sets of data elements must be included:
<nc:PersonName>
<nc:PersonFullName>
</nc:PersonName>
<j:PersonStateFingerprintIdentification>
<j:PersonFBIIdentification>
<nc:PersonSSNIdentification>
<nc:PersonOtherIdentification>
The NCIC/Nlets purpose codes are located in Introduction Page.
Responses to Sex Offender Registration Inquiries
- An SOR must be used to respond to an SOQ inquiry.
- Nlets will not dictate response formats.
- States should utilize their state formats in the responses. Responses should be understandable. If there are codes or other state-specific information that may be difficult for an out-of-state reader to understand, this information should be included in the HELP file.
Sex Offender Notification
The Sex Offender Notification format provides a means for an Nlets user to notify, in a formal, fixed format request, another agency that a sex offender is relocating to their area.
The table below describes the data elements for text-based Sex Offender Notifications (SON). Several of these are designed to be clearly understood and use plain English. The NIEM section contains a standardized XML format.
Date Element Name:
Size:
Explanation:
NAME/
30
Name of sex offender registrant
SEX/
1
Use standard codes
SEX OFFENDER REG#/
OR
FBI#/
OR
SID#/
Max. 200
Only one of these numbers is required:
sex offender registration #
or
FBI #
or
State ID #
RELOCATION ADDRESS/
60
Relocation street address
RELOCATION COUNTY/
30
County of relocation
STATE STATUTE#/
OR
STATE OFFENSE LITERAL/
MAX 50
State statute number
or
state offense literal
PLANNED DATE OF RELOCATION/
8
Optional field, ccyy-mm-dd
REMARKS/
500
Free form remarks field.
This field may be used to provide a
description of the subject,
employment history, information on
contact person in sending state or
any other information that might be
of use to the receiving agency.
- The message key for the Sex Offender Notification is "SON".
- The "REMARKS" field has been included to allow states to add additional information, not assigned a specific field.
- Data element identifiers are longer and more readable for Sex Offender Notification messages. For example instead of using "ADR/" to indicate the relocation address we have used "RELOCATION ADDRESS". This should make this message more understandable to the receiver.
- Although the sending agency may have additional information, this notification is meant to alert the agency to which the registrant is relocating. This agency is encouraged to contact the sending agency if additional information on the subject is needed.