Searching NSOPW vs Offendersearch
Searching NSOPW one name at a time is fine for a single lookup. For a team that screens regularly, Offendersearch searches all 58 US registries in one place — with stored searches and an audit trail, better narrowing, roster screening, teammates and a full API. No CAPTCHA on every search, and the first 25 searches are free.
NSOPW is a free public site for one-at-a-time lookups. Offendersearch is a screening tool for teams and developers.
| What matters | Offendersearch | NSOPW |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage per search | ✓ All 58 US registries in one search, scored and de-duplicated | Searched jurisdiction by jurisdiction; each result set limited to what that jurisdiction publishes |
| Result limits | ✓ No 300-result ceiling; when a response is capped it names what was left out | A search can be capped at 300 results with a "refine your search" message |
| How you access it | ✓ A no-code dashboard for staff and a full REST API for engineers | A public browser search only — no API, one lookup at a time |
| Getting to a result | ✓ No CAPTCHA between you and the answer | Each search requires accepting the conditions of use and completing a CAPTCHA |
| Screen a whole roster | ✓ Upload or paste a list and check everyone in one pass | One name at a time |
| Stored searches & audit trail | ✓ Every search is stored with the results returned — a record you can show later | No account and no saved history |
| Narrowing a common name | ✓ Name plus a date of birth or age, city or ZIP, a radius, and a match-precision control | Fields are limited to what each jurisdiction supplies, and vary from one to the next |
NSOPW (the National Sex Offender Public Website) is a public resource of the U.S. Department of Justice; this comparison is for informational purposes and is not affiliated with or endorsed by it. Offendersearch is not a consumer reporting agency and results are public-record data, not a consumer report — do not use them for employment, tenancy or other FCRA-covered decisions without the process the law requires.
Built for the one job you came for
A record you can show
Every search is stored with the exact results returned, so when someone asks "did you check?", you have the answer — what was searched, when, and what came back. A public one-off search leaves no trail.
One search, all 58 — and a confident match
Instead of working through jurisdictions one at a time, a single search covers all 58 US registries and comes back scored and de-duplicated. A date of birth or age turns a pile of same-name look-alikes into a confident match.
Made for teams and software
A no-code dashboard your staff can use, roster screening for a whole list at once, teammates and revocable keys, and a full REST API to build registry checks into your own systems — none of which a public browser search offers.
Switch to Offendersearch if…
- You screen people regularly and need a stored, auditable record of every check
- You want all 58 US registries in one search, scored and de-duplicated
- You need to check a whole roster at once, not one name at a time
- You want better narrowing — date of birth or age, city, ZIP, radius, match precision
- You want teammates, revocable keys, and a full API
Stay with NSOPW if…
- You need a single, personal, one-off lookup
- You do not need a saved record, roster screening, or an API
- A free public browser search fully meets your need
We would rather you pick the right tool than churn in a week. If that is NSOPW, this page did its job.
For a one-off personal lookup, a free public search does the job. For a team or a product that screens regularly, Offendersearch turns it into one search across all 58 US registries — scored, de-duplicated, stored with an audit trail, roster-ready, and available over a full API. Start free with 25 searches.
What people ask before switching
Does NSOPW have an API?
No — NSOPW is a public browser search, one lookup at a time, with a CAPTCHA on each search and no programmatic access. Offendersearch is built the other way around: a full REST API and a no-code dashboard, so you can run one search or a whole roster and integrate the result into your own workflow.
Why would a team pay when a public search is free?
Because the jobs differ. A free public search is fine for a single personal lookup. A team that screens regularly needs a stored, auditable record of every check, the ability to screen a whole roster, better narrowing to avoid same-name confusion, teammates, and an API — the things a purpose-built tool provides.
Can I use Offendersearch for hiring or tenant decisions?
Offendersearch is not a consumer reporting agency and its results are not a consumer report. Do not use them for FCRA-covered employment, tenancy or credit decisions without the process the law requires. It is built for awareness, safety, and registry checks inside a compliant process.
What does a search cover?
All 58 US sex-offender registries — every state, DC and the territories — in one search, each match cited to the registry it came from, so you always know which one answered.
Search every US registry in one place — free to start
25 free searches, no card and no subscription. Your API key and the no-code dashboard both work the moment you sign up.
One search, or a standing watch
A public search answers once, the moment you run it. Offendersearch can keep watching for you — set a recurring monitor and get an email the moment a matching registry record is added, changes, or is removed, checked every morning against our continuously updated data.
Watch a person · $3/mo
By name and date of birth. Know if a specific person is ever added to any of the 58 US registries, without re-running the search yourself.
Watch an area · $10/mo
An address and a radius across all 58 US registries. Set it up in the dashboard Notifications section or over the API with POST /v1/monitors.
Monitoring is for personal awareness and safety. It is not a consumer report and must not be used for FCRA-governed hiring, tenancy, or credit decisions.