Stop the Paper Arrests – Know Your Reporting Requirements
What do we mean by “Paper Arrest?”
We also call it a “Paper Felony” when some error or omission in your registration paperwork results in an arrest because of the inaccuracy of the data you reported to your Sheriff office and, in turn, reported to FDLE.
That’s right… no contact, no repeat offense, no intentional crime….but rather an oversight on your registration paperwork that can result in a third-degree felony just for being unaware, forgetful, have a language challenge, or possibly have a reading disability like Dyslexia. While these are more often honest, human actions, these are also reasons to arrest you, detain you, risk loss of employment and income, and destroy lives.
For example:
- The utility trailer that has been stored under the old oak tree in the backyard and hasn’t moved in five years….MUST BE REPORTED. It requires a vehicle registration with DMV and therefore is the same the vehicle you drive every day.
- Transposing two numbers in your work/personal phone number.
- Being one-digit off on an address.
- Not updating the Tag number on your spouse’s vehicle when they got new plates (even though its the same vehicle that has been reported for 10 years….DMV replaces license plates every 10 years!
- Not removing a former employer from your registration, even if your current employer is accurate.
- Failure to register an Internet ID or APP that triggers the REQUIREMENT to register.
Check your paperwork carefully, and when it doubt – cover yourself!
Click here for a Summary of Florida Reporting Requirements
Join the FAC Membership Call tonight May 2, 2024 at 8pm ET for a review of the Reporting Requirements and common “Paper Felonies” that can be avoided. To participate, call 319-527-3487. If you have any problem connecting to the call for free, you can text CALL ME to 319-527-3487 for a call back from Free Conference Call and you will be connected to the meeting at no charge.
I woke up in the middle of the night one evening sweating thinking I had forgotten to register. I went to my safe and pulled out my records and found that I had registered after all. I was so worried I was about to puke.
I always write down the registration dates on my calendar and also put them in my phone, so I have no excuse to forget. But a shame that not registering puts such fear in us and causes such shame that can cause a grown man to have nightmares and wake up in fear and tears.
My FDLE issued flyer shows incorrectly that I own an “unknown trailer” that I don’t even own. There is no tag or VIN information on the flyer. The local Sheriff’s Office has never asked about it when I register. The Sheriff’s Office says they don’t even see it in their system. I’m no longer on probation but asked my probation officer about it in the past. They had no record of it. Is this something I need to worry about?
@Curious
Is the trailer actually on your property? If it doesn’t exist, ask for a supervisor to have that removed as false information like this can lead to bad consequences.
There are several people in my area with my same name and once the sheriff’s office tried to tell me I needed to register the other homes that are in my name. I said I do not know what you are talking about and said that many people have similar names and I do not own any of the homes listed.
I actually called the FDLE myself and they forced the sheriff’s office to remove the false information.
Cherokee, is the trailer on my property? Nope. It doesn’t exist. The feds and local cops have been to my property more than 50 times over the last decade and there’s never been a trailer on my property because I don’t own one. Guess I’ll have to point that out to them in writing.
Cherokee and all others, this is so weird. I just checked my flyer and the trailer information had been removed BUT so have all my vehicles even though my vehicles do appear on the registry paperwork. Any ideas on this?
That happened to me, too, in April, 2021. I emailed my concern to FDLE, and they actually bothered to write back, and responded:
‘The vehicle information listed on a sexual offender’s or sexual predator’s public registry flyer is that of which is provided and registered with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). Please note, our registry records show this vehicle as still being registered to you. If you have further questions regarding why this vehicle is no longer listed on your public flyer, you may contact the DHSMV directly.
If you have questions regarding Florida registration laws, you may contact Enforcement & Investigative Support, Offender Registration, on our toll-free line at 1-888-357-7332 to speak with an analyst.’
You might still want to contact them as well.
Last year I received a new Florida tag, went into sheriffs department to register tag, that I had put on vehicle they updated the tag, after I got home and reviewed the update I noticed they put an ( l ) where a ( 1 ) was supposed to be, so back to BSO ,I went, they said it wasn’t a big deal, and changed it to a 1, and I verified everything before I walked out of Registration office, lesson learned, 2 days later my thi-weekly police showed up to do another home and Vehicle check, he said we checked and see you have a new tag on the vehicle, I’m glad I checked it over or this would not have ended well…..
Rick, I’m sorry to he so cynical but it seems they made that “error” intentionally. It’s way too coincidental that they would do a follow-up almost immediately after you corrected their mistake. It’s more likely that they entered it with the hopes you wouldn’t catch it so they could make an easy arrest and boost their stats. This in turn helps boost their budgets.
@Rick
Yeah, it’s not a big deal until some aggressive cop has you in handcuffs. The judge will tell you that it is your responsibility to make sure all your info is correct.
I am glad you double checked because only you can save you in that situation. Also, I forgot all about the license plate thing. Mine has to be nearing due soon. I personally think it is a waste of state funding and citizens money to replace and perfectly good license plate. Unless it is damaged, why change it other than to get more money out of you.
All Florida license plates are reissued after 10 years. This is for everyone and everything. They say it’s because the plates eventually start to fade.
Just checked my FDLE flyer; all vehicles are gone! I suggest everyone check theirs. Database glitch or set-up for massive sting operation?
Only vehicles that you own will show up on the public side and the FDLE flyer. Vehicles owned by others that you have reported are available to Law Enforcement only. The vehicles DO will show on your paperwork but NOT on the the public flyer.
As I previously stated, ALL vehicles are gone, even the ONE I own. Savvy?
@JZ, please see my other comment on this page. This is very likely nothing to worry about. My vehicle has disappeared from the online flyer more than once. It’s probably just department of motor vehicles screwing around with things. Keep all of your re-registration receipts.
Even vehicles that are registrant-owned will not show if a non-registrant jointly owns it.
Presumably to avoid collateral consequences and obvious lawsuit.
Vehicles solely owned by a registrant, not sure why those wouldn’t show up on a flyer, but then again, the responsibility of the registrant is registration, not flyers, which are sheriff responsibility. If the sheriff wants to omit irrelevant information from their flyer, that is fine with me.
Our car was owned by my husband and myself. His name was removed from our car insurance as a driver; only my name remained as a driver. The car was always listed as vehicle owned on his public flyer, along with all the information listed.
My mistake— it’s vehicles owned solely by a non-registrant that are kept off the flyer.
I suggest you keep your paperwork from registration. I check mine 4 times a year at the registry office and have several times had to have them correct false, wrong or missing info.
Also, I save all of the registration paperwork all the way back from 1997. If I ever get off the registry, I will have the biggest bon fire this side of the Mississippi.
@CherokeeJack – Sorry to be a bummer, but remember that this BS is ‘civil’ punishment. As long as that fallacy persists, a state can bring anyone they choose back onto the registry. I’d keep that paperwork forever if I were you. Good luck with your efforts to get off though.
I just re-registered. My job was gone. I asked why it was removed and they said I would have to jabe done it online. I assured them I did not. Its been the same for 23 years. They said no big deal and back dated it and added it. I suspect there have been a lot of data loss and they aren’t telling us. Obviously this is a huge issues. I made a big stink about it. I also made them print me a copy for my records. Simce it seem the state site is not reliable. Or has been compromised somehow.
Pariah, it seems that showing a data loss or other errors on their part would help our cause. Not sure how to expose this problem other than a FOIA request and/or media release.