Registered Sex Offenders in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Luzerne County stretches across a significant swath of northeastern Pennsylvania, covering more than 900 square miles of the Wyoming Valley and surrounding ridges. Wilkes-Barre, the county seat, anchors the valley along the Susquehanna River and serves as the center of government and law enforcement for the county. Like every Pennsylvania county, Luzerne participates in the statewide Megan's Law registry administered by the Pennsylvania State Police, allowing residents to search for registered sex offenders anywhere in the county. This page explains the search process, outlines Pennsylvania's tier structure, and describes how local agencies share responsibility for keeping the registry accurate.

About the Luzerne County Sex Offender Registry

Luzerne County has a long and storied history rooted in the anthracite coal industry that once defined northeastern Pennsylvania's economy. The county was established in 1786 and named after Chevalier de la Luzerne, a French minister who supported the American colonies during the Revolutionary War. Today the county is home to approximately 315,000 residents living in a mixture of urban, suburban, and rural settings. Wilkes-Barre is the largest city, followed by Hazleton, which has grown substantially in recent decades, and a string of smaller boroughs and townships that fill the Wyoming Valley and the surrounding mountain communities.

The sex offender registry for Luzerne County is integrated into Pennsylvania's statewide Megan's Law database, administered by the PSP. All offenders convicted of qualifying sex offenses who live, work, or study in Luzerne County must maintain current registrations in this system. The Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas processes local sex offense cases, assigns registration tiers at sentencing, and refers cases to the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board when an SVP designation may be appropriate. Residents can search the public portion of the registry at meganslaw.psp.pa.gov without creating an account or paying any fee.

Note: Luzerne County's geography includes both dense urban neighborhoods in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton and sparsely populated mountain townships, and the registry covers offenders across all of these areas equally.

How to Search Luzerne County Sex Offenders

The Pennsylvania State Police Megan's Law website is the correct starting point for any search of Luzerne County sex offenders. The database covers all offenders registered anywhere in Pennsylvania, including every municipality and township in Luzerne County. Searches can be structured in several ways depending on what you are looking for.

A name search is the most direct approach if you want to look up a specific individual. A county-level search lets you select Luzerne County and receive a listing of all offenders currently registered there. Zip code searches allow you to target specific communities: Wilkes-Barre (18701, 18702, 18703, 18705, 18706), Hazleton (18201, 18202), Nanticoke (18634), Pittston (18640), and other areas each have distinct zip codes that can be entered to focus a search. The address-based proximity search is especially useful for checking around a specific home, school, daycare, or park: simply enter the address, choose a radius in miles, and review all offenders registered within that area. Each result includes the offender's photograph, physical description, current registered address, and the offense underlying the registration requirement.

Luzerne County and Pennsylvania Megan's Law

Pennsylvania's current sex offender registration framework was established through Act 111 of 2011, which implemented the federal SORNA standards required under the Adam Walsh Act. This legislation replaced the older community-tier notification system with a three-tier classification model based on offense severity rather than risk assessment. The new framework took effect on December 20, 2012. Offenders convicted after that date are placed in Tier I, II, or III based on the specific nature of their offense. Offenders sentenced before December 20, 2012, may be covered under transitional provisions of earlier Megan's Law versions.

Luzerne County courts have applied these standards consistently since the new framework took effect. The Luzerne County District Attorney's Office works with PSP and the SOAB to ensure that offenders are correctly classified and that SVP evaluations are requested when warranted. The county has seen a variety of sex offense prosecutions over the years, ranging from offenses involving digital technology to traditional contact offenses, and the courts apply the tier criteria regardless of how the crime was committed. Residents should understand that the registry reflects legal classifications based on convictions -- it does not independently assess current risk.

Sex Offender Tiers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's SORNA-aligned tiered registration system is established in Title 42, Chapter 97 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. The Sexual Offenders Assessment Board (SOAB) assists courts in evaluating offenders and provides formal assessments when SVP designations are being considered. The three tiers differ in registration duration, verification frequency, and the extent of public disclosure.

Tier I covers the least severe qualifying sexual offenses and requires 15 years of registration with annual in-person verification. This tier includes a range of offenses that, while serious, are considered less severe than those in higher tiers. Tier II covers offenses of intermediate severity -- including many crimes targeting minors and certain repeat situations -- and requires 25 years of registration with verification every 180 days. Tier III applies to the gravest sexual crimes, including rape, aggravated indecent assault of a child, and similar offenses, and mandates lifetime registration with in-person verification every 90 days.

Beyond the three tiers, Pennsylvania separately classifies individuals as Sexually Violent Predators following a court determination based on an SOAB evaluation. SVPs face lifetime registration and quarterly verification, identical to Tier III, but also trigger mandatory community notification that is far more active than the passive availability of information in the online registry. For Luzerne County residents and institutions, SVP notifications provide targeted warnings about specific high-risk individuals who have been assessed by professionals and designated by a court as posing an elevated ongoing risk to the community.

Note: Pennsylvania does not allow offenders to petition for removal from the registry based on rehabilitation alone; removal requires specific legal grounds established by statute or successful appeal.

Luzerne County Law Enforcement and Registered Offenders

Law enforcement responsibility for sex offender registration compliance in Luzerne County is shared among several agencies operating at different levels. The Pennsylvania State Police Troop P serves the northeastern Pennsylvania region and is the central authority for receiving and processing registration information. Within Wilkes-Barre, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department handles compliance monitoring and enforcement within city limits. The Luzerne County Sheriff's Office extends coverage to municipalities across the county that rely on sheriff's patrols or state police coverage rather than municipal departments.

Hazleton, which has become one of the county's largest cities, has its own police department that monitors registered offenders within city limits. Throughout the county's many boroughs and townships -- including Kingston, Nanticoke, Pittston, Edwardsville, and dozens of smaller communities -- local police departments or PSP conduct periodic verification visits and follow up on community tips. The Luzerne County District Attorney's Office prosecutes registration violation cases and has worked closely with law enforcement to maintain the integrity of the county's registry through consistent enforcement. The Luzerne County Prison and county probation office also interface with PSP to ensure offenders who pass through the correctional system maintain their registration obligations.

Registration Requirements in Luzerne County

Registered sex offenders in Luzerne County are subject to the same registration requirements that apply across all of Pennsylvania under Title 42, Chapter 97. These obligations are not discretionary -- they are legal mandates enforced by PSP with support from local agencies, and failure to comply can result in serious criminal charges.

The most frequently triggered obligation is the three-day reporting requirement for changes to address, employment, and school enrollment. An offender who moves from one Wilkes-Barre neighborhood to another, relocates from the city to a township, or changes jobs anywhere within or outside the county must report the change to PSP within three business days. This window applies regardless of whether the offender is on probation or parole, and it applies even if the change seems minor or temporary. International travel requires 21 days of advance written notice to PSP, enabling the agency to alert foreign authorities when appropriate under international law enforcement agreements.

Offenders must also keep current their registered vehicle information, all internet identifiers they use -- including email addresses, messaging app usernames, and social media accounts -- and any professional licenses they hold. These disclosures help law enforcement and, through the public registry, the community track where and how registered individuals are operating in daily life. In-person verification appointments at PSP locations must also be kept on schedule, as missing a verification appointment constitutes a violation in its own right.

Community Notification in Luzerne County

Active community notification in Pennsylvania applies only to offenders who have been formally designated as Sexually Violent Predators by a court. Standard Tier I, II, and III offenders in Luzerne County are listed in the public online registry, but PSP does not proactively alert neighbors or institutions unless the offender carries the SVP designation. The SVP classification carries substantially more intensive notification requirements.

When a Sexually Violent Predator registers or changes their registered address in Luzerne County, PSP notifies neighbors within 250 feet of the registered address -- or the 25 nearest neighbors, whichever results in more notifications being sent. Elementary and secondary schools within one mile of the address receive direct written notification. Licensed daycare centers in the area are also notified. Colleges and universities within 1,000 feet of the registered address receive notification as well. This comprehensive notification structure is designed to ensure that the people and institutions most directly affected by the SVP's presence are informed before any potential contact occurs.

Residents of Luzerne County who want to monitor registry activity in their area without manually checking the database can use the free email alert system on the PSP Megan's Law website. Subscribers select a zip code or geographic area of interest -- such as a neighborhood in Wilkes-Barre, the area around a school in Hazleton, or a rural township -- and receive automatic email notifications when new offenders register in that zone or when existing offenders move into it. Signing up for this service is free and requires only an email address.

Reporting Non-Compliance in Luzerne County

If you live in Luzerne County and believe a registered sex offender is not in compliance with their registration requirements -- living somewhere other than their registered address, working without disclosing employment, or otherwise evading the registry -- report your concern to the Pennsylvania State Police at 1-866-771-3170. This tip line is the designated statewide channel for sex offender registration non-compliance reports, and anonymous tips are accepted. PSP will investigate and involve local agencies as needed.

Failure to maintain sex offender registration in Pennsylvania is a criminal offense under 18 Pa.C.S. § 3130, and violations can result in felony charges with serious penalties. The Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Luzerne County Sheriff's Office, and local municipal departments throughout the county can also receive non-compliance tips and will coordinate investigations with PSP. When reporting a concern, provide as much specific information as possible: the offender's name, where they appear to actually be living or working, and what led you to believe the registered information is inaccurate. Residents should never attempt to verify information about an offender's location themselves or confront a suspected non-compliant individual -- that work belongs to trained law enforcement officers.

Nearby Counties

Luzerne County is surrounded by five neighboring counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, all of which are listed in the same statewide Megan's Law registry.

View All 67 Counties