Under Iowa Code Section 692A.114, any registered sex offender who has been convicted of an "aggravated offense against a minor" is prohibited from residing within 2,000 feet of the real property comprising a public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school, or a child care facility.

An offender residing within 2,000 feet of these facilities does not violate the law if any of the following state exemptions apply:

• The sex offender is required to serve a sentence at a jail, prison, juvenile facility, or other correctional institution.
• The sex offender is subject to an order of commitment under Iowa Code Chapter 229A.
• The sex offender established their residence prior to July 1, 2002.
• The sex offender established their residence prior to a newly located school or child care facility being established.
• The sex offender is a minor.
• The sex offender is a protected person/ward in a guardianship, and a district or probate judge grants an exemption.
• The sex offender is a patient at a health care facility or hospice program, and a district or probate judge grants an exemption.

Please note: The State of Iowa prohibits local municipalities from creating their own residency ordinances. The 2,000-foot restriction is a uniform statewide law enforced by the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office.

To search for registered sex offenders in Dickinson County and across the state, please visit the official Iowa Sex Offender Registry website