• Sex offenders in Texas must abide by a number of laws.handcuffs image by William Berry from Fotolia.com
  
  Sex offenders are people convicted of certain crimes involving sex, such as rape or possession of child pornography. In addition to the punishment sex offenders receive for their crime, many are required to continue to register with local agencies as sex offenders for many years after the end of their sentence. In Texas, a number of laws regulate the conduct of registered sex offenders.
  
  

Registration

• Upon release, sex offenders must register regularly with local agencies, usually for life. Most will register annually, but those convicted of two or more violent offenses must register every 90 days. It is up to the judge's discretion as to whether a juvenile convicted of a sex crime is required to publicly register.
  
  

Address Verification

• Sex offenders must regularly verify their address with authorities. Civilly committed sex offenders must verify every 30 days; adult sex offenders convicted of at least two or more violent offenses must verify every 90 days; and all others must do so annually.
  
  

Penalities for Violation

• Failure to comply with regulations regarding address verification and registration is considered a felony, with penalties generally stricter for those convicted of more serious crimes. For example, according to the Klaas Kids Foundation, if an offender who must register annually for the rest of their life fails to do so, he may be guilty of a third-degree felony, which is punishable by between 2 and 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. An offender who is required to register every 90 days and fails to do so may be guilty of a second-degree felony, which is punishable by between 2 and 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
  
  

Location

• Offenders under the supervision of a parole or probation officer must have their choice of residence approved by their supervising officer. An officer may forbid them from living near a school or playground. Those not on probation or parole can live wherever they like.
  
  

Sign Posting

• Some sex offenders are ordered by judges to post signs alerting neighbors that they have been convicted of a sexual offense. However, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, most do not have to meet this condition.
  
  

Approaching Children

• Restrictions on approaching children vary by sex offender, but sex offenders on probation must respect child safety zones. This forbids them from approaching within a certain distance of schools, parks or other places frequented by minors.
  
  

Postcards

• If a sex offender with a high risk level moves into a new community, the Texas Department of Public Safety is legally required to send post cards to the community notifying them of his arrival. Offenders are graded with "Static 99"---a tool that examines their criminal history and rates them as a low, medium or high risk.
  
  

Newspaper Printing

• Sex offenders convicted after September 1, 1995, of a crime involving a victim under 17 years of age are required to have their names printed in a newspaper when they move to a new community. If an offender is rated as low risk, his name is only published once, when he first registers. Juvenile offenders' names are not placed in the newspaper.