FAQ Listing

Under 34. U.S.C. § 20929 of the Adam Walsh Act, federally recognized Indian tribes not subject to the criminal jurisdiction of a state under 18 U.S.C. § 1162 are entitled to elect whether to carry out the requirements of this section or delegate the functions to the state(s) in which the tribal land is located. Newly federally recognized tribes also have the option to elect to be a SORNA tribe or to delegate the functions to the state.

SORNA provides that if the Attorney General determines a tribe has not substantially implemented the law’s requirements by the deadline and is not likely to be able to do so within “a reasonable amount of time,” then the sex offender registry function may be delegated to the state.

The Department of Justice accepts applications for the Tribal Access Program on an annual basis, usually in the fall. More information about the program is available at the Tribal Access Program webpage. Or email [email protected] for more information.

Under SORNA, the SMART Office provides several registry and notification tools at no cost. SMART provides a hosted registry program for tribes and territories (Tribe and Territory Sex Offender Registry System). The SMART Office also provides a platform for information sharing among jurisdictions (the SORNA Exchange Portal). Contact the SMART Office at [email protected] for more information.

A criminal records database allowing criminal justice agencies to enter or search for information about stolen property, missing or wanted persons, and domestic violence protection orders; to get criminal histories; and to access the National Sex Offender Registry.

Formerly known as the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) – a database of palm and fingerprints and mugshots, allowing verification of identity, submissions of arrest information, and access to fingerprint-based criminal histories.

A national investigative information sharing system giving access to records from across the nation to aid in criminal investigations. Investigators can review criminal justice data from state, local, tribal, regional, and federal agencies, 24/7, from any secure Internet-capable device. Data includes incident reports, arrest reports, booking and incarceration reports, pre-trial investigations, and probation and parole records.

A system used by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to determine a person’s eligibility to buy firearms or explosives, helping to ensure prohibited persons are prevented from purchasing firearms, and to issue firearms-related permits, and manage seized firearms.

A gateway for criminal justice agencies to access unclassified law enforcement intelligence products, as well as systems or services such as N-DEx, Intelink, the Regional Information Sharing Systems Network (RISSNET), National Gang Intelligence Center, eGuardian, Virtual Command Center, and others.

An interstate justice and public safety network owned by the states supporting inquiry into state systems for criminal history, driver’s license and motor vehicle registration, as well as supporting inquiry into federal systems, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Law Enforcement Support Center, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Drug Pointer Index (NDPIX), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aircraft Registry, as well as the Government of Canada’s Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC).