MT HB268

County attorneys must now mail a copy of petitions for relief from sex offender registration to the Attorney General's office prior to any court hearing, in addition to notifying victims

Sexual offenders must register for life, with Level 1 offenders eligible to petition for relief after 10 years and Level 2 offenders after 25 years of registration

Violent offenders register for 10 years and are automatically removed from the registry unless convicted of a felony or registration violation during that period, which triggers lifetime registration

Courts may grant relief from registration if the offender maintained a clean record (no felonies, no sexual offenses, completed supervision and treatment) and continued registration is not necessary for public protection

Certain offenders are permanently ineligible for relief, including those convicted of sexual assault involving force or victims under 12, repeat offenders, and designated sexually violent predators