§ 15-20A-18 — Adult Sex Offender - Identification Requirements

(a) Every adult sex offender who is a resident of this state shall obtain from the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency, and always have in his or her possession, a valid driver license or identification card issued by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency. If any adult sex offender is ineligible to be issued a driver license or official identification card, the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency shall provide the adult sex offender some other form of identification card or documentation that, if it is kept in the possession of the adult sex offender, shall satisfy the requirements of this section. If any adult sex offender is determined to be indigent, an identification card, or other form of identification or documentation that satisfies the requirements of this section, shall be issued to the adult sex offender at no cost. Indigence shall be determined by order of the court prior to each issuance of a driver license or identification card.
(b) The adult sex offender shall obtain from the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency a valid driver license or identification card bearing a designation that enables law enforcement officers to identify the licensee as a sex offender within 14 days of his or her initial registration following release, initial registration upon entering the state to become a resident, or immediately following his or her next registration after July 1, 2011.
(c) Whenever the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency issues or renews a driver license or identification card to an adult sex offender, the driver license or identification card shall bear a designation that, at a minimum, enables law enforcement officers to identify the licensee as a sex offender.
(d) Upon obtaining or renewing a driver license or identification card bearing a designation that enables law enforcement officers to identify the licensee as a sex offender, the adult sex offender shall relinquish to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency any other driver license or identification card previously issued to him or her by a state motor vehicle agency which does not bear any designation enabling law enforcement officers to identify the licensee as a sex offender. Nothing in this section shall require an adult sex offender to relinquish, or preclude an adult sex offender from possessing, any form of identification issued to him or her by an entity other than a state motor vehicle agency, including, but not limited to, the United States, a federal department or agency, a municipal or county government entity, an educational institution, or a private employer.
(e) No adult sex offender shall mutilate, mar, change, reproduce, alter, deface, disfigure, or otherwise change the form of any driver license or identification card which is issued to the adult sex offender by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency and which bears any designation enabling law enforcement officers to identify the licensee as a sex offender. An adult sex offender having in his or her possession a driver license or identification card issued to him or her by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency bearing any designation enabling law enforcement officers to identify the licensee as a sex offender which has been mutilated, marred, changed, reproduced, altered, defaced, disfigured, or otherwise changed shall be prima facie evidence that he or she has violated this section.
(f) Any person who knowingly violates this section shall be guilty of a Class C felony.

Legislative History

(Act 2011-640, p. 1569, §18; Act 2015-463, p. 1506, §1; Act 2017-414, §5.)