ACT Policing has been granted powers to monitor registered child sex offenders, including being able to force offenders to hand over digital information and be photographed.
Police will also be given the power to publish the photos, names and identifying details of child sex offenders if they fail to report to police as required or if they are believed to pose a risk.
The amendments, which were introduced by Attorney-General Simon Corbell after consultation with police and human rights groups, were passed by the ACT Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
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Mr Corbell said the changes would strengthen the ability of police to protect the lives and sexual safety of children.
"The introduction of entry and search powers will ensure that ACT Policing has modern tools to allow for the effective monitoring and management of registered sex offenders in the ACT," he said.
Mr Corbell said the amendments would enable police to verify the details of registered offenders and ensure their compliance with prohibition orders.
Registered offenders will no longer be able to refuse to have their photographs taken, including photos of tattoos or birthmarks that can help identification.
The government said photographs would only be taken when the offender reported each year or when an offender reported a changed tattoo or birthmark.
Offenders will also be required to report a change to their car, including a paint job, tinted windows or new wheel rims.
"The provisions have been drafted in close consultation with police and [the] Human Rights Commission and are in accordance with the Human Rights Act," Mr Corbell said.
Police will also be able to apply to include historical offenders on the sex offenders register; a rule that applies to people convicted prior to the introduction of the 2005 register.
The decision would depend on when the offence was committed, the seriousness, the offender's age and the risk he or she posed.
It also allows police to apply to have people removed from the register, taking into account the severity of the offence, the age of the offender at the time, compliance and rehabilitation and other issues.
Mr Corbell said the amendments had been subjected to intense scrutiny and had been revised to ease any concerns about human rights violations.
Greens MLA and Justice Minister Shane Rattenbury supported the amendments, given changes were made to clarify police powers.
"The amendment clarifies that evidence found by police when executing an entry and search warrant, or when examining electronic data of a registered offender, cannot be used for the prosecution of any offence except for those in the child sex offenders act," he said.
"This is one of the protections in the bill to help ensure it balances human rights considerations with its purpose of protecting the community, in particular young people from harm."
Opposition leader Jeremy Hanson said a scrutiny committee had raised several issues about the proposal and the government had adequately responded to the concerns.
"We have looked at this in detail and the comments made by the scrutiny committee are enlightening and useful in terms of commentary on the bill," he said.
"I am satisfied that the government's response and the amendments moved by the Attorney-General satisfy the concerns that have been raised."
Nearly 100 people are listed on the child sex crimes register.
