Dec. 2025

As of 2026, Tennessee will now become the first state to implement a public registry for repeat DV offenders. This registry will focus specifically on patterns of repeated abuse and those already convicted. Tennessee’s action demonstrates that a domestic violence offender registry can be implemented thoughtfully, constitutionally, and without undermining civil liberties. It also confirms what many survivors and advocates have long understood: tracking repeat violent behavior is both legally feasible and policy-sound when properly define This petition does not call for a one-size-fits-all federal mandate. Instead, it urges lawmakers to consider a national framework that supports states in developing compatible domestic violence offender registries and allows for voluntary data alignment across jurisdictions. Such a framework would respect states’ rights while addressing a critical gap in survivor safety. Domestic violence does not stop at state lines. Survivors frequently relocate for safety, employment, or family support. Repeat offenders also relocate, often leaving behind a documented history of violence that becomes invisible in a new jurisdiction. A lack of continuity in tracking repeat convictions places survivors at unnecessary risk and undermines the intent of existing domestic violence laws. Tennessee has taken an important first step. This petition asks lawmakers to build on that progress by exploring policies that promote consistency, transparency, and prevention…while maintaining due process protections and judicial oversight. A national conversation informed by real precedent is not premature. It is timely.