Volusia County has launched what officials say is Florida’s first online database allowing residents to search for domestic violence offenders — giving people a new tool to make more informed decisions about who they allow into their lives.

Anyone convicted of a domestic violence charge in a Volusia County courthouse will be added to the live, running database, which is connected directly to the county’s court system. The registry includes people with domestic or dating violence convictions in Volusia County over the past 10 years.

[GET HELP: Find programs for domestic violence survivors across Central Florida]

The database was the idea of Volusia County Councilman Matt Reinhart, who says its usefulness extends beyond dating or romantic relationships.

“We have a very large elderly community here in Volusia County, and unfortunately, not everybody is equipped with the financial means to put them into residential treatment or something,” Reinhart said. “They have to involve individuals coming into their home. Wouldn’t you want to know if those individuals had a propensity to violence?”

Domestic violence survivor advocate Emma Sanders says the tool could be life-changing — even if it only helps one person.

“It’s not the answer to everyone’s problem, but an answer to someone’s problem,” Sanders said. “And the goal is to, even if we just reach one, then we’ve done our job.”

Sanders says the database gives people the information they need when it matters most.

“So I have informed decision-making choices and my ‘what to do next’ if I come across this person in my everyday life,” Sanders said.

The registry is available on the Volusia County government website HERE and includes offenders’ names, booking photos and related court cases. It does not include any information about victims.

Reinhart emphasized the database only reflects convictions — not arrests.

“The database will receive information on Volusia County convictions only,” Reinhart said. “So someone is convicted of domestic violence or anything under that relevant statute. They will go into that database once they’re convicted, not arrested but convicted. And it is one conviction.”

The county describes the registry as another way to access public records — not a guarantee of someone’s current behavior. Sanders hopes other counties will follow Volusia’s lead.

“It should be everywhere, because then you can’t escape from one county to the next,” Sanders said.

Reinhart says they are already working with state leaders who would like to see the database expand statewide within the next year.