2023 Revised Code of Washington › Title 9A - Washington Criminal Code › Chapter 9A.44 - Sex Offenses. › 9A.44.142 - Relief from duty to register—Petition—Exceptions.

RCW 9A.44.142
Relief from duty to register—Petition—Exceptions.
(1) A person who is required to register under RCW 9A.44.130 may petition the superior court to be relieved of the duty to register:
(a) If the person has a duty to register for a sex offense or kidnapping offense committed when the offender was a juvenile, regardless of whether the conviction was in this state, as provided in RCW 9A.44.143;
(b) If the person is required to register for a conviction in this state and is not prohibited from petitioning for relief from registration under subsection (2) of this section, when the person has spent ten consecutive years in the community without being convicted of a disqualifying offense during that time period; or
(c) If the person is required to register for a federal, tribal, or out-of-state conviction, when the person has spent fifteen consecutive years in the community without being convicted of a disqualifying offense during that time period.
(2)(a) A person may not petition for relief from registration if the person has been:
(i) Determined to be a sexually violent predator pursuant to chapter 71.09 RCW; or
(ii) Convicted as an adult of a sex offense or kidnapping offense that is a class A felony and that was committed with forcible compulsion on or after June 8, 2000.
(b) Any person who may not be relieved of the duty to register may petition the court to be exempted from any community notification requirements that the person may be subject to fifteen years after the later of the entry of the judgment and sentence or the last date of release from confinement, including full-time residential treatment, pursuant to the conviction, if the person has spent the time in the community without being convicted of a disqualifying offense.
(3) A petition for relief from registration or exemption from notification under this section shall be made to the court in which the petitioner was convicted of the offense that subjects him or her to the duty to register or, in the case of convictions in other states, a foreign country, or a federal, tribal, or military court, to the court in the county where the person is registered at the time the petition is sought. The prosecuting attorney of the county shall be named and served as the respondent in any such petition. The prosecuting attorney must make reasonable efforts to notify the victim via the victim's choice of telephone, letter, or email, if known.
(4)(a) The court may relieve a petitioner of the duty to register only if the petitioner shows by clear and convincing evidence that the petitioner is sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant removal from the central registry of sex offenders and kidnapping offenders.
(b) In determining whether the petitioner is sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant removal from the registry, the following factors are provided as guidance to assist the court in making its determination:
(i) The nature of the registrable offense committed including the number of victims and the length of the offense history;
(ii) Any subsequent criminal history;
(iii) The petitioner's compliance with supervision requirements;
(iv) The length of time since the charged incident(s) occurred;
(v) Any input from community corrections officers, law enforcement, or treatment providers;
(vi) Participation in sex offender treatment;
(vii) Participation in other treatment and rehabilitative programs;
(viii) The offender's stability in employment and housing;
(ix) The offender's community and personal support system;
(x) Any risk assessments or evaluations prepared by a qualified professional;
(xi) Any updated polygraph examination;
(xii) Any input of the victim;
(xiii) Any other factors the court may consider relevant.
(5) If a person is relieved of the duty to register pursuant to this section, the relief of registration does not constitute a certificate of rehabilitation, or the equivalent of a certificate of rehabilitation, for the purposes of restoration of firearm possession under RCW 9.41.040.
[ 2017 c 86 § 1; 2015 c 261 § 8; 2011 c 337 § 7; 2010 c 267 § 6.]
NOTES:
Application—2010 c 267: See note following RCW 9A.44.128.