Domestic violence is not a private issue—it is a public safety crisis.

In North Carolina, survivors of domestic violence are often left to navigate dangerous situations without adequate tools to protect themselves or their children. While our state maintains registries for sex offenders, there is currently no public registry for individuals convicted of domestic violence offenses—even though domestic violence frequently escalates, recurs, and in many cases precedes homicide.

Survivors are expected to trust blindly. Parents are expected to co-parent safely. New partners are expected to assess risk without access to critical information. Communities are left vulnerable.

A Domestic Violence Offender Registry would:

• Increase transparency and accountability for repeat offenders
• Empower survivors to make informed safety decisions
• Help prevent repeat abuse and escalation
• Protect children, families, and future partners
• Support law enforcement and judicial systems in identifying patterns of abuse

Domestic violence is often underreported, minimized, or treated as an isolated incident—yet research consistently shows it is pattern-based and repetitive. Offenders frequently reoffend, often across multiple relationships, while survivors are forced to repeatedly prove danger only after harm has occurred.

North Carolina has an opportunity to lead with prevention instead of reaction.

Survivors deserve protection—not secrecy for abusers.

 
What I Want to Change:

I am calling on the North Carolina General Assembly and state leadership to:

1) Create a Domestic Violence Offender Registry for individuals convicted of qualifying domestic violence offenses, including but not limited to:

• Assault on a domestic partner
• Violation of a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO)
• Stalking, harassment, or strangulation involving an intimate partner or family member

2) Ensure the registry is publicly accessible, with safeguards to protect survivor privacy while allowing:

• Survivors
• Parents
• Prospective partners
• Employers in sensitive roles to make informed safety decisions

3) Include repeat-offender tracking, recognizing that domestic violence is rarely a single incident and often escalates over time.

4) Align the registry with existing protective laws, such as DVPOs and firearm restrictions, to strengthen enforcement and prevention efforts.

5) Implement survivor-informed policy design, including input from domestic violence survivors, advocates, and victim-support organizations.

This registry is not about punishment—it is about prevention, accountability, and saving lives.

North Carolina already recognizes that certain offenses pose ongoing risks to public safety. Domestic violence should be treated with the same seriousness.

Silence protects abusers. Transparency protects lives.