DIFFICULT DESTINATIONS SERIES

Nevada’s “Visitors Registry” – a Special Report

From the 50 State Visitor Guide:

Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. 2019  §§179B and 179D (Effective Oct. 1, 2018)

AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

48 hours for initial registration and updates; updates may be in person.  §§179D.460, 479D.480.  However, Nevada SOR office states that visitors for less than 30 days are not placed on the SOR registry but on a separate “visitors registry” that is not public. Visitors must “check in” within 48 hours & provide info to law enforcement. Return to “check out” when departing the state. The “visitors registry” including the dates of your visit(s) is available to law enforcement agencies only.

This SOR office info updated & confirmed Apr. 2021.

Confirmed by Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. Oct. 2021.

Also: North Las Vegas Police “OffenderWatch” Safety Tips

https://sheriffalerts.com/cap_safety_1.php?office=54127

“Do I have to register as a sex offender in North Las Vegas if I am only visiting? Sex offenders who will be visiting North Las Vegas and will be staying in North Las Vegas for more than 48 hours, must register as “Sex Offender – Visitor”.” (emphasis added)

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

No statewide restrictions.

Duration & updates:

15 years to life. §179D.480.

Procedure available for removal from registry after departure.

What is Nevada’s “Visitors Registry” ?

Nevada is one of a handful of states that, by policy, treats a statutory very short (in Nevada’s case 48 hours) visitor registration requirement as a “duty to check in” but holds SO visitor information separately pending a commitment to depart within a specified time (up to 30 days); your info becomes part of a “visitors registry” that is not made public. Other states that do this are Alaska, South Dakota and Rhode Island.

I first became aware of this separate “visitors registry” while calling every state SOR office as part of my research in 2020. The nice lady at the Nevada SOR office told me all about it. And yet, there seems to be nothing on the Nevada SOR website about this.

In October 2021 I conducted field research at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (see photo). My sole purpose in going there was to find out if they knew anything about this separate unpublished “visitors registry.”

With a little prodding I was able to get the lady behind the bulletproof glass to go ask her supervisor about it, and when she returned she smiled cheerfully and said, “Yes, there is a visitors registry, and as long as you check in within 48 hours of your arrival, and give us all the information about your visit, and come back to check out before you leave, you will go on that visitors registry.”  But until now I have been too loathe to go into any registry office to actually apply, even to be on a visitors registry.

However …

A registrant’s experience with Nevada’s “Visitors Registry”

In early 2026 a member of Illinois Voices contacted me because they were obligated to attend a Las Vegas wedding.  Their obligation was going to last longer than 48 hours and what should they do?  They had read about the Visitors Registry on my travel website but wanted more information.

We discussed the Visitors Registry and I admitted that I’m too much of a chicken to have ever tried it, nor had I ever heard of anyone else trying it. It seemed that they would have to be the guinea pig.  I advised approaching the Las Vegas Police Dept. on MLK Drive with caution, and not giving them any personal information at all until they had confirmed the existence of the Visitors Registry, that it really is a separate registry and that their name would not appear on the main public registry.  Only after confirming all that should they proceed.

Las Vegas Metro Police Dept.

Here is the Illinois Voices member’s description of their experience:

“I took a Lyft yesterday from my hotel on the Vegas strip to the Las Vegas PD at 400 S Martin Luther King Blvd, Building C. I arrived around 2:40 pm. Just inside the entrance you wait in a short line to check-in. There they give you a ticket and you wait until your ticket is called. You go up to a window where you are interviewed. After that there’s a DNA cheek swab, photographs and full digital fingerprints/palm prints. There is no fee. The whole process took about 90 minutes. I was told I don’t need to return to check out. I would only need to return if I wanted to extend my visit.”

While this report confirms the existence of the Nevada Visitors Registry, there’s also one very troubling thing about it – as you can see, the NV SOR office put this visitor through the exact procedure as any person “applying” to be on their main registry, including DNA, finger and palm prints, everything.  The only difference is that they put your data in a different, non-published file.

Hey look!  These guys are open weekends & holidays!

This is different and far more onerous than any of the other Visitors Registry states.  In Alaska the entire process is done online, as recently reported on the ACSOL domestic travel discussion page.  You fill out AND submit their Visitors Registry form online at their SOR website, so obviously there’s no DNA sample or fingerprints. There’s also no in-person check in required.  Alaskans are pretty easy going folks.

South Dakota’s and Rhode Island’s Visitors Registries are apparently more informal affairs. If you check in and provide information about your visit, they’re ready to allow what the nice lady at the South Dakota SOR office described as “wiggle room.”  “We have hundreds of sex offenders coming to the Sturgis Bike Rally every year,” she said.  “They typically stay more than three days but less than a week.  Why would we want to register all these people and then have to remove them a few days later?”

[As an aside, I was amused by how the SOR lady’s description of the Sturgis Bike Rally made it sound like an annual sex offenders’ reunion.  Hey, maybe NARSOL should hold next year’s national conference in Sturgis during the rally and make it official?]

Why is there a Visitors Registry anyway?

You may be wondering why any state SOR office, whether in Nevada, Alaska, Rhode Island or elsewhere, would go out of their way to create a separate visitors registry when it’s not spelled out in state law. As a person who worked as a government bureaucrat his entire career (until I ruined my life), I’m confident I know the answer: work avoidance.

You see, these states with separate visitors registries have very short visitor registration requirements, but they also have standardized procedures available to remove you from their registries after you leave (unlike Tennessee, Florida and 13 other states that keep you on their registries forever in order to pad their numbers and get more federal funding).

What this means for a SOR office (or sheriff’s department) bureaucrat is that any time a visitor is forced to register, they have to do all the work of adding that person to their registry and posting it on their website. Then as soon as that person leaves the state they have to do all the work of removing that person from their registry and their website.  That’s double the work for somebody they really couldn’t care less about. Thus is born the separate, low effort “visitors registry.”

However, this report from a person who actually made use of Nevada’s Visitors Registry doesn’t make it sound low effort at all!  Upon reflection I think it’s because, although it’s not saving any time for either staff or you at check-in, it was clearly the easiest procedure for the bureaucrat assigned to create it.  All he had to do was – Copy – Paste.  Assignment completed.

Most recent visit: August 2025

In early August 2025 I was on my way from Oregon to Utah and that necessarily took me through Nevada.  Before entering at the state’s incredibly remote northwest corner on SR 140 I made sure to gas up and pick up supplies in Lakeview, OR.  My mission was to get to the Utah state line and the Bonneville Salt Flats within 48 hours.  That’s not difficult since there’s nothing worth seeing in this part of Nevada anyway.  Passing through the Sheldon National Antelope Refuge and seeing no antelope kind of set the tone.  Instead I occupied myself by making a few

Small Town Notes:

Winnemucca – Not much to see here.  The whole town seems to be migrating towards I-80.

Battle Mountain – I read or saw somewhere that this town was “Voted Armpit of America.”  It’s not quite that bad – allow me to suggest Wendover, UT (see below) if you want to make a comparison.  But it is a jumble of rotting mobile homes.

West Wendover, NV as seen from Wendover, UT. Note that the front faces of the Montego Bay and Nugget casino buildings both go right up to the state line.  The Shell station is in UT.

West Wendover, NV & Wendover, UT – There is a military base just outside of Wendover, UT so that makes this just about the dumpiest base employee town I’ve ever witnessed, with mobile homes rotting into the ground.  West Wendover, NV is a failed military retiree mobile home community, where veterans could retire out in the desert and be close to base services.  Except it’s deteriorating and kind of not completed.  Also the only person I saw while driving around was a young latino boy walking his bicycle, which doesn’t fit well with the idea this is still a retirement community.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

Kentucky

Diamond Caverns

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

K.R.S. 2019  §§17.500 through 17.580.  502 K.A.R. 31:020

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

K.R.S. §17.510 states 5 working days for initial registration and updates.  Registrants employed in the state must register if present for a period of 14 consecutive days or 30 days in a calendar year.  Per Kentucky SOR office, visitors are not required to register unless present for 14 consecutive days, or 30 days in a calendar year.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: 1,000 ft. of schools, day care facilities, and publicly owned playgrounds; must move out of residence within 90 days if a new facility opens.  §17.545.  The state notes that the Kentucky Supreme Court forbid retroactive application of this law to those who committed offenses prior to July 12, 2006 and states “The Kentucky State Police do not evaluate or approve particular locations for compliance with sex offender residence restrictions. If you have any questions concerning whether you are subject to the residence restrictions in KRS 17.545 or whether you may legally reside at a particular location you may wish to consult an attorney.”

Presence restriction:  May not be present on grounds of school or daycare without advanced written permission.  K.R.S. §17.545.  Registrants are prohibited from using certain social media and chat rooms, and are forbidden to photograph or videotape minors without parental consent.  §17.546.

Per Kentucky SOR office, a procedure is available for removal from registry after departure.

Duration & updates:

20 years or lifetime, depending on offense. §17.520. Updates annual or every 90 days, depending on offense. §17.520. No tiers.

Most recent visit: May 2026

According to Kentucky state statutes, no registered person may reside within 1,000 ft. of schools, day care facilities, and publicly owned playgrounds.  K.R.S. §17.545.  Also, no registrant may be present on the grounds of a school or daycare without advanced written permission.  §17.545.  This isn’t as long a list as in some other states, but per the state SOR office, yes these restrictions will apply to you during the 14 consecutive days or 30 days per calendar year you are allowed to be in-state before you have to register. 

If you pull into a motel off the Interstate one evening it’s extremely unlikely you’ll be anywhere close to anything but a few other motels, a truck stop and other convenience services.  In that situation you have little to worry about.  On the other hand if you plan to spend a few days or more vacationing in Kentucky I would advise scoping your resort or timeshare’s neighborhood out just to be sure.

It so happens that I am a frequent traveler on I-24 through Kentucky because it’s part of my route from Iowa to Florida.  In May 2026 I entered Kentucky upon leaving my campground on the Tennessee side of Land Between the Lakes Nat. Rec. Area.  As usual I was “just passing through” on this trip, not spending the night, and like most states Kentucky allows that without counting it against your allowable time per visit or year.

Paducah

 

At the National Quilt Museum                                                  Downtown Paducah

My primary destination that morning was Paducah, which has done a good job of turning its quaint riverfront downtown into a tourist destination.  The main attraction is the National Quilt Museum.  No, I am not a quilter!  But the quilts here are true art, and they always have new featured exhibits, so you’ll see new art on each visit.

Downtown Paducah has other museums including the River Discovery Center and the Market House Museum.  There’s also a downtown market, lots of antiques and souvenir shops, and a new Riverfront Park which you’re aloud to go to because there’s no playground (… yet …).

Mammoth Cave

Mammoth Cave, KY

On a June 2021 road trip I was determined to get tickets for a good Mammoth Cave National Park cave tour, and to secure a campground for the night before said tour.  Every cave tour was booked solid as soon as its date became available on-line, which was only about 10 days out.  To beat that madness I decided to stop at the park on the northbound leg of my trip and buy tour and campground tickets for the date I knew I’d be back on the southbound leg.  And believe it or not, this strategy worked flawlessly! Eleven days later I pulled into my reserved national park campground (with no playground), and the next day I was on a high-demand cave tour.

Diamond Caverns is a privately owned cavern along the national park entrance road.  Obviously, it can’t compete with Mammoth Cave, but on my October 2020 trip I was able to walk right in there and get a same-day ticket and the tour was enjoyable.

Previous visit to Kentucky

 

Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace & Boyhood Home

In May 2023, while traveling east on the Western Kentucky Parkway (toll) my first real stop was Lincoln’s birthplace and boyhood home (two separate national parks within a few miles of each other).  Very interesting. 

Then I proceeded to Natural Bridge State Park.  Perhaps you noticed above that parks, historic sites, museums and Churchill Downs aren’t on the list of places you can’t “reside” within 1000 feet of, so there are a lot of places you can go in Kentucky without worry.  Also, the statute specifies only “publicly owned playgrounds,” so a hotel swimming pool or game room doesn’t count.  Neither does a playground at a timeshare or private campground like a KOA.

Natural Bridge State Park

With that in mind, I am pleased to report that (unlike most other KY state parks) there are no playgrounds in the campgrounds at Natural Bridge State Park.  They are all in other parts of the park.  Also, the natural bridge is really spectacular and offers scenic views of mountainous Daniel Boone National Forest which surrounds the park.

Red River Gorge National Geological Area (part of Daniel Boone Nat. Forest) is right across Mountain Parkway (toll) from Natural Bridge, so the next morning I went for this very beautiful drive.  After wending my way through several more national forest byways I came to I-64 east which took me to West Virginia.

 Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area: A Special Report

From the 50 State Visitor Guide (Kentucky):

K.R.S. 2019  §§17.500 through 17.580.  502 K.A.R. 31:020

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

K.R.S. §17.510 states 5 working days for initial registration and updates.  Registrants employed in the state must register if present for a period of 14 consecutive days or 30 days in a calendar year.  Per Kentucky SOR office, visitors are not required to register unless present for 14 consecutive days, or 30 days in a calendar year.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: 1,000 ft. of schools, day care facilities, and publicly owned playgrounds; must move out of residence within 90 days if a new facility opens.  §17.545.  The state notes that the Kentucky Supreme Court forbid retroactive application of this law to those who committed offenses prior to July 12, 2006 and states “The Kentucky State Police do not evaluate or approve particular locations for compliance with sex offender residence restrictions. If you have any questions concerning whether you are subject to the residence restrictions in KRS 17.545 or whether you may legally reside at a particular location you may wish to consult an attorney.”

Presence restriction:  May not be present on grounds of school or daycare or publicly owned pool or splash pad without advanced written permission.  K.R.S. §17.545.  Registrants are prohibited from using certain social media and chat rooms, and are forbidden to photograph or videotape minors without parental consent.  §17.546. Updated Aug. 2024

Per Kentucky SOR office, a procedure is available for removal from registry after departure.

Duration & updates:

20 years or lifetime, depending on offense. §17.520. Updates annual or every 90 days, depending on offense. §17.520. No tiers.

From the 50 State Visitor Guide (Tennessee):

Tenn. Code Ann. 2019  §§40-39-201 through 40-39-306

AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

48 hours for initial reg. and updates, but “within 48 hours” is defined to not include weekends and holidays.  §40-39-202(32).  

Visitors must register “within 48 hours” of entering state. Per Tenn. SOR office, the 48 hour clock starts upon crossing the state line but will be interrupted from midnight to midnight on weekends and holidays. Also, per SOR office there is no limit on number of repeat visits per week, month or year.

“Primary residence” established after 5 consecutive days. “Secondary residence” means any residence for 14 or more aggregate days in a calendar year, or 4 or more days in a month.  “Residence” means physical presence. §§40-39-202, 40-39-203.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence & Employment Restriction:  1,000 ft. from school, day care center, child care facility, public park, playground, recreation center or athletic field, or the offender’s victim or victim’s family. §40-39-211.  In 2019 TN applied new restrictions to residence with any minor; these restrictions are under a Temporary 

Restraining Order pending trial (see NARSOL Digest 8/19 p. 5).

Residence restriction:  Violent offenders and those with convictions against minors may not reside in on-campus housing of any institution of higher education. 

Presence restriction: 1,000 ft. from school, day care center, child care facility, public park, playground, recreation center or athletic field, with exceptions. §40-39-211.  Tennessee libraries have authority to restrict access by Registrants.  §40-39-216.

Per Tenn. SOR office, these restrictions DO apply to visitors during the 48 hour grace period.

Duration & updates:

Life.  Petition to remove – 10 years from end of probation.  §163A.125.

Violent offenders update quarterly; all others annually.  §40-39-207

Most recent visit: May 2026

Land Between the Lakes is not a national park but rather one of the crown jewels of America’s National Recreation Area system, which is in turn administered by the National Parks Service – which means, like Great Smoky Mountains National Park which is also partly in Tennessee, that it is “out of the jurisdiction” of state and local law enforcement.  The harsh residency and presence restrictions of the states where it’s located are not enforced here.

My May 2026 campground

In May 2026 I camped at one of the little campgrounds near a boat ramp on the Tennessee side of Land Between the Lakes.  This was Night #2 of my two-nights-and-one-day-but-less-than-48-hours trip the long way through Tennessee just to show how it can be done.  It was an off-season weeknight so I had the place almost to myself, so I took a lakeside site with a beautiful view.

Land Between the Lakes is a creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, situated between two long skinny lakes (Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley) created as a result of the construction of Kentucky Dam at the confluence of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.  The two rivers, and therefore the two lakes, run parallel to each other for over 50 miles and the TVA acquired this land as part of its water quality control plan.  

Now it’s a National Recreation Area with lots to offer in a part of our country where high quality outdoor recreation opportunities can be hard for registered people to find.  According to Kentucky state statutes, no registered person may reside within 1,000 ft. of schools, day care facilities, and publicly owned playgrounds.  K.R.S. §17.545.  Per the state SOR office, yes these restrictions will apply to you during the 14 consecutive days or 30 days per calendar year you are allowed to be in-state before you have to register.  

So what this means is, yes you can go to Kentucky state and local parks but you can’t camp anywhere within 1000 feet of a playground.  And guess what?  Most Kentucky state parks have playgrounds conveniently located in each of their campgrounds.  Oh well!  But Land Between the Lakes is out of their jurisdiction. Yey!

Tennessee is even worse, as I have pointed out in other blog posts.  Tennessee has statewide 1000 ft. residency AND presence restrictions preventing you from getting anywhere close to having any healthy outdoor recreation at their state and local parks.  Who knows what additional punishments local governments have piled on.  Oh well!  But Land Between the Lakes is out of their jurisdiction. Yey!

Notice that Law Enforcement is part of Parks Administration

Now let’s be clear – there is a reason why Land Between the Lakes is not a national park.  It doesn’t have natural wonders or places of historical or cultural significance.  It just happens to be a (large) spit of land between these two hydroelectric reservoirs.  

BUT!  If you want to go boating, swimming, water skiing, ATVing, dirt biking, hiking, backpacking (they have a 57.8 mile long “North-South Trail”), visit the planetarium at the visitors center, or for that matter go admire the dam which is an amazing piece of engineering, you can do so at Land Between the Lakes without fear of violating any state or local rule, and without worrying that some dickhead sheriff’s deputy is going to hassle you.  And that is a very good thing.

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.  It’s a place every registered traveler should know about, and visit often.

I think this is Barkley Dam

 North Carolina

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

N.C. Gen. Stat. 2019 Art. 27A, §§14-208.5 through 14-208.45

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 business days for initial reg. and updates.  §§14-207, 14-208.9. New residents: w/in 3 business days of establishing residence, or whenever present in the state for 15 days, whichever comes first (“residence” not defined). §14-208.7.  “Employed” means more than 14 days or more than 30 days in a calendar year.  §14-208.6

Per Rolfe Survey, visiting registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: 1,000 ft. of school or child care center, with exceptions.  §14-208.16.  NC law includes a very expansive definition of “child care” that includes e.g. Boys & Girls Clubs. §110-86. However, “school” does not include “institutions of higher education” or “home schools” as defined in §115C-563.

Presence restrictions:  For offenses involving a victim under 16 and other offenses, may not be present on “place intended primarily for the use, care, or supervision of minors,” or w/in 300 ft. of such a place if it is located on another property such as a mall. Also may not be present “where minors gather regularly for scheduled educational, recreational, or social programs.”  Various exceptions for parents on school business, or in need of medical care. §14-208.18.  

Duration & updates:

30 years to life. Petition to remove – 10 years. Tier III updates every 90 days; all others every six months. §§14-208.7A, 14-209A

North Carolina Arboretum, Ashville

Most recent visit: May 2026

North North Carolina has a lot of onerous residence and presence restrictions which you should be concerned about.  However, according to state law (§14-208.16) these restrictions apply to “an offender who is required to register,” and therefore in theory not to a visitor who is not required to register because you’re in the state for less than 15 days.  Unfortunately, when I put this question to the nice lady at the NC SOR office in 2022 she said that actually they do apply.  What do you expect, right?

Therefore I would certainly suggest staying away from schools, child care centers and “places where minors gather regularly.”  You can, however, attend your college reunion because “institutions of higher education” are excluded by definition from the term “school.”

North Carolina has no law against registered people visiting parks, whether local, state or national parks.  You can visit Smokey Mountains National Park, national forests or any state park in North Carolina without fear.  You can also visit historic sites, museums and monuments of which the state has many. Just stay away from the playgrounds!

In May 2026 I entered North Carolina from Myrtle Beach, SC on US 17. My primary destination this time was the Outer Banks, but on Partial Day 1 I only wanted to get as far as a very nice campground in Croatan National Forest. 

In the morning of Day 2 I drove the very long way to the Outer Banks by taking Scenic Route US 264 through marshy coastal towns along Pamlico Sound.  I had not ridden this road in 55 years. 

Outer Banks

In my teen years growing up in New Jersey, my parents took us to the Outer Banks for our annual summer vacation.  US 264 is still the same and as scenic as ever, but Outer Banks towns like Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills have completely re-invented themselves since 1970.  I remember one two lane road with mostly bait shops along it, and sandy old beach bungalows like the one my family stayed at every year.

Bodie Lighthouse

There have been enough devastating hurricanes in the past 55 years to wipe away those old beach towns, providing ample opportunities to re-build themselves to withstand 150 mph sustained winds. Big, expensive and up on stilts is the Outer Banks new calling card.  US 158 is now a four lane by-pass highway with commercial pods in accordance with modern suburban planning principles (get ready for some round-abouts!).

Wright Memorial, showing Kill Devil Hill in background and landing spots in foreground

That afternoon I first visited Cape Hatteras National Seashore, especially Bodie Island Lighthouse. Next stop Wright Brothers National Memorial, followed by Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.  Fortunately it was too early in the season to see the Lost Colony play – as a kid I was forced to watch it a couple of times and didn’t like it.

Kitty Hawk Kites

Only two businesses that I know of survive from the old days – Kitty Hawk Kites, where I tried unsuccessfully to learn hang-gliding as a teenager, and:

Regional liquor store chain you should know about:

Brew Thru – Yes that’s right, it looks like a big car wash but you drive thru displays of alcoholic beverages.  When I was a kid there was only one, but now it’s a chain.

Regional restaurant chain you should be warned about:

Smithfields - It's a BBQ chain, it's in NC, so you would think the BBQ would be good, right? No.

That evening of Day 2 I retreated inland and found a cheap motel in Williamston.  My only objective for Day 3 was to drive across NC so I’d be set up for my visit to Pisgah National Forest.

Pisgah National Forest

Pisgah is the National Forest covering most of North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains region.  It is in two big pieces, northeast of and southwest of Asheville.  Like Smoky Mtns. National Park (see my separate “special report” blog post) it’s federal land so you can see its many natural wonders and points of interest without worry. 

Waterfalls in Pisgah Nat. Forest

While traveling with family in the past (see “previous visit” below) they have usually focused on Asheville, Biltmore, and areas southwest.  On Day 3 of this visit I decided to spend a day in the other part of Pisgah to the northeast, with emphasis on seeing as many waterfalls as I could get to easily.  The entire Pisgah region is known for its waterfalls.

This region is also dominated by Grandfather Mountain – which is a mountain, a state park (just off the Blue Ridge Parkway), and also a pretty good private tourist attraction.

"Mile High" suspension bridge and the view from it at Grandfather Mtn. attraction

At the end of Day 3 my goal was to take I-40 just over the TN state line and find a motel there, thus starting the clock on my two-nights-and-one-day-but-less-than-48-hours drive through Tennessee (see my “Tennessee/Nashville/Memphis” blog).

Blue Ridge Parkway

Folk Art Center, Blue Ridge Parkway near Ashville

The Blue Ridge Parkway is perhaps America’s most famous Depression-era road building project. It.  At the north end it connects with Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park.  It is under the jurisdiction of the US Parks Service.  Therefore you can safely travel on this road, which twists though the majestic Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains in VA and NC, with reduced fear of local sheriffs departments. You can safely stay at any of the campgrounds and visit attractions along its length, as I had on previous occasions.

Registered travelers should always take advantage of opportunities like the Blue Ridge Parkway to see great sights and visit great places without fear of local police harassment.

Previous visit – March 2024

In March 2024 I joined my family for their Spring Break vacation in the mountains of North Carolina.  They came from Florida.  I came from Iowa, but afterwards traveled with my family to Florida, all of which I properly reported at my local Iowa sheriff’s department as a 6 1/2 week trip with multiple destinations in multiple states.  I even told them that in the middle of this trip I’d be inserting another trip with my ex from Florida to New Jersey and back before returning to Iowa. 

The view from Chimney Rock State Park, NC

Iowa had no problem entering this level of travel complexity into my registry sheet – which just goes to show that you shouldn’t worry about complex travel plans.  I like to think that having my sheet with the answers to any suspicious police officer’s questions sitting right in my glove compartment protects me during my travels.

During my NC family vacation we visited the usual attractions – museums, quaint small towns, Chimney Rock State Park, drove the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped at the Folk Art Center, etc.  We arrived on Monday and left on Friday, so even including partial days that makes five days, well within the 14 days allowed by North Carolina without triggering an obligation to register.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

  South Carolina

From the 50 State Visitor Guide:

S.C. Code Ann. 2019  §§23-3-400 through 23-3-550.  AWA Compliant.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 business days for initial registration and updates for “residence.”  Residence / temporary residence means one’s home, or any place where one “habitually resides” or resides for a period of 10 consecutive days or more.  Residing in the state for 30 or more days during a 12-month period also establishes a residence. §§23-3-430, 23-3-450, 23-3-460.

Visitors: “Summary” FAQ website states that registration is required if you are planning to visit for 10 days or more.

Per Rolfe Survey, Visiting Registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: For certain offenses against minors, may not reside w/in 1,000 ft. of school, day care center, “children’s recreational facility,” park, or playground.  §23-3-535.

State pre-emption: A local government may not enact an ordinance that: (1) contains penalties that exceed or are less lenient than the penalties contained in state statutes; or (2) expands or contracts the boundaries of areas in which a sex offender may or may not reside. §23-3-535(E).

Duration & updates:

Lifetime.  Tier III and SVP update every 90 days; all others every 6 mo.  §23-3-460.

Most recent visit: May 2026

Yes, while visiting South Carolina you will be bound by their registry restrictions.  However, for a visitor these restrictions are “relatively” few. In fact, if your offense was not against a minor you’re off the hook, and only apply for “certain hands-on offenses” although I’m not ready to offer a definition of “hands-on” here.

Also, SC is one of nine states that have laws pre-empting local governments from adopting any law more restrictive than the state law.  So believe it or not – in South Carolina yet – you can travel without fear of getting snagged by a local restriction.

Congaree National Forest

Boardwalk trail at Congaree Nat. Pk.

Even so, in my travels to date through South Carolina I have never tried to test their system. When camping I still prefer national parks and forests.  My main objective for this trip was Charleston, but on this trip I figured an afternoon would be enough and that left time to go visit Congaree National Forest, which is SE of the state capitol Columbia. 

Congaree is a vast southern swamp, so remote back in the day that slave holders were unwilling to enter it in search of for escaped slaves.  The freedom seekers built their own town and sustained themselves there for many years.  Nowadays there are trails and boardwalks and yes – campgrounds.

Charleston

I have actually been to Charleston a fair number of times, usually with family, and usually going to the same places – the Battery, City Market, Rainbow Row, and eating at a downtown restaurant.  On this trip I was, as usual, running behind after my side trip to Congaree National Forest, but I wasn’t concerned because I had already decided to get on an on-off tour trolley and stop wherever I wanted.

Rainbow Row

Unfortunately it turns out that Charleston has no on-off trolley! This really surprised me.  They do have an ordinary city tour bus that takes you to all the sites, and I did that, but I didn’t have the energy left to go retrace my steps to see anything I couldn’t get off to see on the tour.  In the end I was disappointed.

The Battery

One thing to point out about Charleston:  Their visitors center is centrally located and has plenty of all day parking (which of course you have to pay for). It’s a good jumping off point for your day in Charleston and it’s where you should go first.

City Market

Upon leaving Charleston I found a campground in Francis Marion National Forest. The next morning I passed through Myrtle Beach, which is just as touristy as you can imagine, but also has a beachfront state park.  It was a Saturday morning, but it was off season so few people were there. But I’ll bet it’s a nightmare in the summer.

 After that it was on to North Carolina and the Outer Banks.

 Georgia

Including Atlanta, Savannah 

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

2019 O.C.G.A. §§42-1-12 through 42-1-19

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 140-2-18.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Registration required within 72 hours of establishing a residence or entering the state. §42-1-12(f).  Visitors: registration required if in the state for 14 consecutive days, or for more than 30 days in calendar year.  §42-1-12(e)(7). Per SOR office, residency & presence restrictions DO NOT apply during the 14 day grace period. Updated Aug 2024.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

All persons required to register may not reside, loiter, or be employed within 1,000 ft. of child care facility, church, school, or “area where minors congregate” defined to “include all public & private parks & recreation facilities, playgrounds, skating rinks, neighborhood centers, gymnasiums, school bus stops, public libraries, & public & community swimming pools” §42-1-12(3).  However, visitors are not “required to register.” Updated Aug. 2024.  Certain employment restrictions apply.  §§42-1-15 through 42-1-17.  It is a misdemeanor to intentionally photograph a minor in Georgia without parental consent.  §42-1-18.

Visiting Registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED. (per Rolfe Survey and confirmed by state registry office).

Duration & updates:

Life.  Sexually Dangerous Predator updates every 6 months.  All others update annually within 72 hours of birthday.

Registry removal restrictions:

Per NARSOL Digest Aug/Sep 2024 pp.13-14: SB 493 (effective 7/1/24) makes 2 changes –

1. Some registrants 80+ yrs old may petition for removal.

2. Those with out-of-state offenses must have been removed “in another state,” presumably the state where offended. This makes Georgia a “whichever is longer” state by petition for all convictions after 7/1/24. Updated Sept. 2024

Savannah waterfront

2024 Georgia Update – Fewer restrictions on visitors …

In 2020 I called every state SOR office and spoke to anyone who would answer the phone during a pandemic.  One question I asked every SOR office was: While I am in your state as a visitor and leaving before the end of your grace period (GA = 14 days), do your residency and presence restrictions (which in GA are many and horrible) apply to me as a visitor?  In 2020, Georgia was among states that answered “yes” to that question.

However, since 2020 the GA SOR office has completely changed its tune.  In 2022 they said the weirdest thing ever – that any restrictions applying to you in your home state will apply to you while in Georgia.  After I hung up the phone I laughed and asked myself, how the hell are you going to enforce that? Are my restrictions different if I’m coming from my home in Iowa vs. Florida?

By 2024 the GA SOR office has come full circle – now they say residency & presence restrictions DO NOT apply during the 14 day grace period.  Apparently, GA law enforcement has concluded that trying to inflict all their oppressive requirements on unwitting tourists is a waste of their time and resources. Wow! – stop making sense!

To me, however, the most important point is – they figured this out all by themselves.  Nobody pushed them or lobbied them.  Nobody begged or pleaded with them.  And the thought occurs to me – if Georgia law enforcement, of all people, can figure out the stupidity of arresting hapless tourists on bogus charges – well, maybe with a little help, law enforcement agencies in other states can figure this out too.

If there is anyone out there with a good enough relationship with Georgia law enforcement to inquire as to how they were able to come to this relatively humane decision, we at Atwo Zee, Registered Traveler would really appreciate your help.  Maybe together we can spread logic and reason to other state SOR offices.

… but making it harder to get removed

I think people from other parts of the US may be somewhat surprised by this, but in my experience (at group therapy, meet & greets etc.) Georgia has enjoyed an undeserved reputation as some kind of beacon on the hill among Florida registrants – mainly because even though their registry totally sucks, they have at least until now always had a provision allowing those with so-called “low level offenses” an opportunity to apply to be removed from their registry (whereas Florida is famously lifetime with no chance of getting off). 

Because of this, rumors have spread that (I’m sure you’ve all heard similar bullshit before no matter where you live) all you have to do is move to Georgia and get off the registry and all your problems will magically disappear.  I actually looked into this by calling a GA attorney who spoke at a NARSOL conference, and he made it clear these rumors are false.  Nobody gets away with flying into Atlanta and heading to the nearest courthouse to get off the registry.  This attorney opined that if you have at least 5 years residency in Georgia, a judge might be willing to entertain your application. Meanwhile you get to live with all the horrors of being a Georgia registrant.

And now the Georgia legislature has closed even this tiny loophole.  As reported in the NARSOL Digest, Aug/Sep 2024 pp.13-14 (and posted on our “Former and Long-term Registrant Chart”), SB 493 (effective 7/1/24) makes 2 changes –

1. Some registrants 80+ yrs old may petition for removal (gee whiz, thanks for nothing. “Some registrants may apply?”).

And here comes the important one:

2. Those with out-of-state offenses must have been removed “in another state,” presumably the state where you offended.  At least they inserted a grandfather clause that allows those with convictions before 7/1/24 to continue to apply for removal.  What kind of reception you might get in a GA courtroom is anybody’s guess.

Sorry about that.

Also, according to the state SOR office, national parks and forests are “out of our jurisdiction,” and there are quite a few of those, especially in northern and central Georgia.  Since most of my cross-country travel plans involve camping overnight at national park or national forest campgrounds, that’s good news for me.

NOTE:  Georgia is one of about 15 states where there is no procedure for removal from the registry upon returning to your home state.  So be extra careful.

Savannah

Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters

My two most recent visits to Georgia included a stop in Savannah. In April 2024 my ex-wife and still Best Friend Forever and I were traveling on our way back to Florida from attending a wedding in New Jersey when we decided to stop overnight and spend a little time in Savannah.  We entered Georgia from South Carolina on I-95 and checked into a hotel near Savannah Airport.  Given its location in a primarily airport-industrial area I didn’t worry about either Georgia’s residency or presence rules.  We just checked in and got some sleep that night.

The next morning I continued to not worry about Georgia’s presence or loitering rules. Instead my BFF and I toured downtown Savannah, checked out the waterfront and tourist commercial district, had lunch at a local restaurant and were on our way, arriving home in Florida in time to have dinner with family.

That’s two partial days in Georgia, far fewer than the 14 consecutive days the state allows.  That’s also a nice morning touring Savannah with my best friend without being excessively paranoid about state rules.

Savannah's City Market District as seen from a nearby square

In May 2026 I was travelling on my way to NC’s Outer Banks after having visited my BFF in Florida and returned for an afternoon and evening on my own in Savannah, this time this time working from a list of “top sights to see in Savannah.”  Sights I saw:  Savannah’s famous squares, Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, City Market, and Forsyth Park. Notice again that I didn’t worry about either Georgia’s residency or presence rules.  Had dinner at a downtown restaurant.  Stayed overnight a local hotel before proceeding to South Carolina.

Atlanta

I have not traveled to Atlanta too much (except for NARSOL conferences) because, actually, I’m not fond of this city.  I have an old friend whose family moved to Atlanta after we met in New Jersey in 6th grade.  We remained friends and I visited him in Atlanta through my high school years and since. 

Unfortunately my old friend is … hmmmm … “self oriented,” and as a result he never cared at all about Atlanta except in so much as it had something to do with him.  Therefore I never saw much of it except dirty streets, a crumbling downtown and expressways – lots of them. And since then I’ve never been very interested in Atlanta.

On a visit to GA in April 2022 I entered Georgia from Tennessee in the morning, enjoying a beautiful mountain drive through Chattahoochee National Forest.  I stopped to see De Soto Falls – very nice. Then I continued to Historic Dahlonega, which at that time I hadn’t been to for long time.

Historic Dahlonega, GA

After a nice lunch in Dahlonega I continued on to Atlanta, where I visited the World of Coca Cola.  That was a mistake.  I was expecting an interesting factory tour like one finds at Pabst in Milwaukee, Jim Beam in Tennessee or Hershey Park in Pennsylvania, but no such luck. The World of Coca Cola sucks.  It’s all advertising and no education. And it’s right next door to the Georgia Aquarium which I’m sure would’ve been a better bet.  Oh well. 

The World of Coca Cola. My advice is to skip it.

Afterward I had an early supper at the Varsity, Atlanta’s culinary must stop.  I only say that because my old friend took me there in the 1970’s and said it was great.  These days it’s looking a little long in the tooth.  Then it was southeast bound to the Lake Sinclair, the southernmost campground in Oconee National Forest, the southernmost national forest in Georgia. Very nice, secluded and has hot showers.  The next morning I made my way southward toward Macon, I-75 and back to Florida.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler