Florida Travel Alert – May 2023

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

Fla. Stat. 2019; Fla. Stat. §§775.21, 775.215; Fla. Stat. §§943.043 through 943.0435; Fla. Stat. §§944.606 through 944.607;  Fla. Stat. §947.1405, §985.481

AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

“Residence” means either (1) a place where one spends 3 or more consecutive days, (2) a place where one spends 3 or more aggregate days in a calendar year, or (3) a county in which one is present for 3 or more aggregate days in a calendar year.  In all cases, 3rd day triggers registry obligation.

Registrants must appear to register with law enforcement w/in 48 hours of establishing a residence, and must appear to provide any updates within 48 hours.

Transient registrants update every 30 days.

NOTE: "Day" will now be defined in Florida's SOR law to mean "any part of a day" except that your day of arrival doesn't count. Updated 3/2024.

Registrants must also appear to register with the driver’s license office of the FL DMV within 48 hours of registration to obtain a driver’s license or ID card labeled either “SEXUAL PREDATOR” or “943.0435, F.S.”

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction:  May not reside within 1,000 ft. of school, child care facility, park, or playground under certain circumstances. §775.215.  NOTE: Individual cities and counties often have additional more burdensome requirements upwards of 3000 feet.

Presence restriction: Registrants with conviction involving a minor cannot be within 300 feet “of place where children are congregating,” and face restrictions on ability to be present in schools and parks.  NOTE: Individual cities and counties often have additional more burdensome requirements.  Fla. Stat. §856.022

Visiting Registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED.

Duration & updates:

Lifetime.  Petition: 25 years.  “Predators” and certain others update quarterly.  All others update every 6 months.

Florida’s restrictions on registrants are particularly onerous and should be carefully consulted before visiting the state.

TRAVEL ALERT: If you are not currently registered in Florida you should not come here

Every major national or state registrant advocacy group – including NARSOL, ACSOL, Florida Action Committee (FAC) – strongly recommends that you avoid visiting Florida if at all possible.  To this I add my own voice.  Florida’s registry is lifetime for all offenses, no matter how minor.  Florida has no tiered registry – only “sex offenders” and “sexual predators.”  Furthermore, Florida is one of about 15 states where there is no procedure for removal from the registry upon returning to your home state.

As you may have heard in the news, this past year Florida’s governor and state legislature have been on a warpath against anything and anybody they consider to be immoral, perverted or out of step with their political agenda.  I am re-posting below travel advisories recently issued by the NAACP, LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) and Equality Florida (LGBTQ+ organization) warning of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state of Florida.

It will come as no surprise to anyone reading this post that registered citizens have become easy targets in this war.  In this year’s legislative session bills were introduced that would have:

1. Imposed a “scarlet letter law” that would require the personal information on the front of all registrants’ drivers licenses be in bold red ink.  Failure to do so would be a felony punishable by a prison term.

2. Just to rub it in, required that every registrant’s vehicle license plate must be fluorescent green (yes the word “fluorescent” was in the legislation).  Failure to do so would be a felony punishable by a prison term.

3. Required that any in-state or out-of-state registrant staying at a “vacation rental” for more than 24 hours must register that location within 48 hours.  Failure to do so would be a felony punishable by a prison term.

4. Imposed the death penalty for any sexual conduct with a minor 12 years or younger by vote of just eight of 12 jurors.  The bill uses the term “rape” but anybody reading this blog knows that any sexual conduct with a minor is by definition rape.

It was only with the concerted effort of hundreds of Florida Action Committee members and friends calling, emailing and visiting legislators on a nearly daily basis that the first three of these four bills were defeated.  A couple of members of the committees considering the “scarlet letter law” stated publicly that “I have received more calls and emails about this bill than anything else this session,” which is really saying something considering all the other bills to ban books, outlaw LGBTQ behaviors and activities, outlaw abortion and re-write American history that sailed through the legislature this year and were signed by our illustrious governor to great fanfare.

As to the fourth bill, death penalty for a non-capital crime, that one passed to great acclaim by our state’s morality police.  One of the bill’s sponsors stated (paraphrasing) that anyone who would commit such a crime is “irredeemable” and should be executed.  What we as registered citizens know is that everyone is redeemable. We know that, like all other sexual offenses, up to 95% of all these offenses are committed by a first time offender who never re-offends again.  The fact that you and I have been certified as “completed therapy” is the state’s admission in writing that we are redeemed of whatever offense you may have committed.  Fortunately civil rights organizations beyond FAC have vowed to take the state to court over this obviously unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment law.

Those of us who are already registered in Florida have resigned ourselves to the fact that we need to keep fighting, year in and year out, against the cruelties of Florida’s war on anything and anybody they don’t like.  If you are NOT already registered here, stay away and keep yourselves off Florida’s cruel, vindictive, punitive and unconstitutional registry.

NAACP

May 20, 2023

Contact: Chyna Fields cfields@naacpnet.org

WASHINGTON – Today, the NAACP Board of Directors issued a formal travel advisory for the state of Florida. The travel advisory comes in direct response to Governor Ron DeSantis' aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools. 

The formal travel notice states, "Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color." 

"Let me be clear - failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all," said NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson. "Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon. He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We're not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation."

The travel advisory was initially proposed to the Board of Directors by NAACP's Florida State Conference. NAACP's collective consideration of this advisory is a result from unrelenting attacks on fundamental freedoms from the Governor and his legislative body. 

"Once again, hate-inspired state leaders have chosen to put politics over people. Governor Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida have engaged in a blatant war against principles of diversity and inclusion and rejected our shared identities to appeal to a dangerous, extremist minority," said Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, Leon Russell. "We will not allow our rights and history to be held hostage for political grandstanding. The NAACP proudly fights against the malicious attacks in Florida, against Black Americans. I encourage my fellow Floridians to join in this fight to protect ourselves and our democracy."

Following Gov. DeSantis' so-called leadership in driving the state to reject students' access to AP African American studies course in March, the NAACP distributed 10,000 books to 25 predominantly Black communities across the state in collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers's Reading Opens the World program. The majority of the books donated were titles banned under the state's increasingly restrictive laws. The NAACP continues to encourage local branches and youth councils to start community libraries to ensure access to representative literature.

The NAACP encourages Florida residents to join this effort to defeat the regressive policies of this Governor and this state legislature. Interested residents and supporters can visit www.naacp.org for additional information and updates.

LULAC

The League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, has announced a travel advisory for anyone going to Florida, in light of the state’s new immigration law.

Domingo Garcia, the national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, said Florida’s new immigration law is forcing the organization to do something they’ve only done once before. 

“We’re issuing a travel advisory for anybody traveling to Florida,” Garcia said at a press conference on Wednesday. “Florida is a dangerous, hostile environment for law-abiding Americans and immigrants.”

The law enforces a slew of penalties against people who employ or aid immigrants lacking permanent legal status. 

Starting July 1, employers with 25 or more employees have to use the E-Verify system to confirm new workers’ employment eligibility. Employers who don’t use the E-Verify system will be fined $1,000 per day, according to a graphic on Governor Ron DeSantis’ website. 

Anyone who assists a minor, or five or more immigrants, in illegally crossing the U.S. border will be subject to a $10,000 fine and up to 15 years in prison. Hospitals will also be required to collect and submit data on the costs of providing health care to these individuals. 

Lydia Guzmán, the chair for LULAC’s immigration committee, said she’s concerned this law will prevent immigrants from seeking essential medical care. 

“People will die because of this,” Guzmán said. “That is un-Christian, that is un-American.”

LULAC leaders compare this law to Arizona Senate Bill 1070, which made it a state crime to be in the U.S. illegally. It became known as the “show me your papers” law.

According to the Arizona Republic, the law cost businesses $141 million in lost revenue. Guzmán said Florida could suffer a similar economic impact with the state’s new law. 

LULAC leaders said they are looking into filing a lawsuit in federal court, as they believe immigration laws should only be enacted at a national, not a state, level.

EQUALITY FLORIDA

Equality Florida Issues Advisory Warning For Travel

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Today, Equality Florida took the extraordinary step of issuing a travel advisory, warning of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state. The move comes in response to a wave of safety inquiries Equality Florida has received following the passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum. 

“As an organization that has spent decades working to improve Florida’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live work and visit, it is with great sadness that we must respond to those asking if it is safe to travel to Florida or remain in the state as the laws strip away basic rights and freedoms,” said Nadine Smith, Equality Florida Executive Director. “While losing conferences, and top students who have written off Florida threatens lasting damage to our state, it is most heartbreaking to hear from parents who are selling their homes and moving because school censorship, book bans and health care restrictions have made their home state less safe for their children. We understand everyone must weigh the risks and decide what is best for their safety, but whether you stay away, leave or remain we ask that you join us in countering these relentless attacks.  Help reimagine and build a Florida that is truly safe for and open to all, and where freedom is a reality, not a hollow campaign slogan.”

Governor Ron DeSantis, who has made the extremist policies the centerpiece of his presidential campaign strategy, has weaponized state agencies to silence critics and impose sanctions on large and small companies that dissent with his culture war agenda or disagree with his attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Already, the adopted and proposed policies detailed in the travel advisory have led Florida parents to consider relocating, prospective students to cross Florida colleges and universities off their lists, events and conferences to cancel future gatherings, and the United States military to offer redeployment for service members whose families are now unsafe in the state. Businesses have spoken out against the governor’s abuse of state power to punish dissent, with Disney CEO Bob Iger calling DeSantis “anti-business and anti-Florida.” The worsening attacks, especially those targeting transgender youth, have also led to the proposal of policies around the country to provide refuge for those fleeing states like Florida. 

The Florida Immigrant Coalition, a statewide immigrant rights coalition of 65 member organizations and over 100 allies, also issued a travel advisory today, urging reconsideration of travel to Florida and providing critical information about where immigrant travelers can learn more about their constitutional rights. And just weeks ago, Florida chapters of the NAACP voted unanimously to request similar warnings to the Black community about the risk of traveling or relocating to the state.

Vermont

Texas Falls

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

13 V.S.A. 2021 §§5401 through 5414; C.V.R. 28-050-002

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Initial registration within 10 days of establishing residency, which is means 10 or more consecutive days in the state.  §5407.

Visitors intending to reside for 10 consecutive days or 30 days in a calendar year must register within 10 days of arrival. C.V.R. 28-050-002 §3.8

Updates within 3 days.§5407

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

None.  However, note that visiting Registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED (per Rolfe Survey and confirmed by state registry office).

Duration & updates:

10 years to life. SVPs update every 10 days; all others annually. §5407.

Ben & Jerry's Factory

Most recent visit: May 2023

Vermont is a small state, winters are brutal because it’s about as far north as you can get and still be in the U.S., and it’s far from everything because it’s parked way up in America’s upper right hand corner.  

The good news is that Vermont places very few restrictions on its registered citizens or visitors, you’re allowed to vote, and depending on your offense you can get off this state’s registry in as little as 10 years.  The bad news is that once you’re off the registry you’re stuck in Vermont, a tiny state with brutal winters and far from everything.  That’s why I didn’t consider Vermont as a possible summer home location.

However, it’s a great place to visit, which I did in May 2023 for the first time since coming home from prison.  I crossed Lake Champlain into the state at Chimney Rock late in the afternoon.  My first priority was to find a campground for the night.  I found Branbury State Park, which is quite nice and has bath houses, but then discovered that these are pay showers that take tokens that can only be purchased at the park office which was open when I checked in but closed for the night soon thereafter and wouldn’t open until 9:00 am by which time I would be gone.  

Early the next morning I left a note on the office door telling them I think they should offer to sell campers these tokens right at check-in.  Then I was on my way, taking Scenic State Road 100 northward toward the Ben & Jerry’s factory tour in the town of Waterbury.  There are several beautiful waterfalls along the way including Texas Falls, Moss Glen Falls and Warren Falls.

It had been, I believe, about two decades since the last time I’d been to Ben & Jerry’s, so I had forgotten just how crappy that tour is.  Oh well. From there I zipped down I-89 to Quechee Gorge, which is impressive but hard to get close to except for the most intrepid.

After that it was time for me to head for Bradbury Mountain State Park in Maine, where for one thing I had told my local sheriff’s department in Iowa I would be that night.

  New Jersey

I love New Jersey's train system!

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

N.J. Stat. 2019 §§2C:7-1 through 2C:7-23

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

10 days for initial registration; updates to address due 10 days prior to move; updates to employment and school enrollment within 5 days.  Statute only applies to residents, students, and non-resident employees. 

Visitors: Residence is apparently established by presence in the state for 10 days. §2C:7-2c.(3).

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

None.

Duration & updates:

Life. Petition to remove – 15 years, exceptions. §2C:7-2f. Updates for “compulsive or repeat” offenders quarterly; others annually, §2C:7-2

 Most recent visit: May 2023

Latin Jazzercise on the Jersey City riverfront.

For a registered visitor, New Jersey is a pretty easy state to get along with.  As with a number of other states, its statutes don’t specifically address visitors.  However, you should assume that the same ten day registration grace period that applies to new residents applies to visitors too.  There appears to be no limit on return visits per month or year. Beyond that there are no statewide residency separation or presence requirements, although you should be careful about any local rules that might apply to you.  

It so happens that I travel to New Jersey at least once per year because I was born and raised in the sprawling suburbs of the Garden State and still have family there. Most states’ registry procedures require your local sheriff’s department to report your “temporary address” and dates of travel to your own state’s SOR office, who will then send that info to the SOR office of the state you’re going to.  

Then it’s that state’s (in this case New Jersey) SOR office’s responsibility to pass the word along.  Whether any of that actually happens I have no idea.  I always adhere to my travel schedule and show up at the temporary address I have provided to my local sheriff’s department on the day I said I would, but I don’t go report to the local police, nor have they ever shown up anywhere I’ve ever gone to check on me.

This time it was a somber occasion that brought me back to New Jersey.  My eldest brother died last fall and my sister-in-law decided to hold off his interment and celebration of life until this spring when the weather would be nice.  It was therefore her home address that I reported as my “temporary address” to my local sheriff’s department – this time in Iowa but in the past it’s been in Florida.  

My brother & sister-in-law’s farm abuts a state park.  If they were in Florida I wouldn’t be allowed to stay there because I can’t “reside” within 1000 feet of a state or local park (as measured from property line to property line).  But Florida’s rules – and whatever rules apply to you in your home state – no longer apply as soon as you cross the state line.  New Jersey has no such restriction so you can stay wherever you want.

Portuguese Bakery in Newark's Ironbound neighborhood. Yummmmmm!

Whenever I come to New Jersey I like to make at least one side trip and have some fun.  This time I went to Newark where I spent my college years (Rutgers-Newark) just to see how it’s doing.  The answer is that Newark has come a long way since the dark days of the 1970’s and now has much to offer any visitor.  Whenever I go to Newark I especially like to head for the Ironbound neighborhood (a.k.a. “Down Neck”) and have lunch at a Portuguese (or on this occasion Brazilian) restaurant, followed up by a drool-worthy stop at a Portuguese bakery. Yum! 

As any reader of my travel blogs knows, I’m a sucker for a train ride.  New Jersey has some of the best rail transit in the U.S.  I grew up only a couple of blocks from a commuter rail line, all the kids in the neighborhood played at the railroad tracks, and I became a railroad geek at an early age.  Did you know that you can walk up to the ticket vending kiosk at any rail station in the New York metro area and buy a ticket to any other rail station? So you can buy a ticket from Port Jervis, NY to Atlantic City, or Philadelphia, or Islip, LI.

On a previous trip I wanted to visit Manhattan, but with a side trip to see the New Jersey riverfront in cities like Hoboken and Jersey City.  Yes they are amazing places that have spectacular front row seat views of Lower Manhattan.  I always get out of the PATH train at Exchange Place and go up to the surface to take in that view.  On that occasion it was a sunny morning and there was a Latin Jazzercise class going on one of Jersey City’s riverfront boardwalk plazas.  I went for a joy ride on the Hudson River Light Rail to see the sights.  That includes a commanding view of the Statue of Liberty.  Only after all that did I go back down to the PATH train and on to Manhattan.

New Jersey, the land of my birth, “The Crossroads of the Revolution,” is a great place to visit.

 West Virginia

Kanawha Falls, West Virginia

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

W. Va. Code 2019  §§15-12-1 through 15-12-10.  W. Va. Code §62-12-26.  W. Va. C.S.R. 81-14-20.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Statute does not disclose initial registration deadline.  Updates to registration info required within 10 business days. §15-12-3.  Incarcerated persons must register within 3 business days of release. §15-12-2.

Any out of state registrant who “is a visitor in this state for more than fifteen continuous days,” or is employed, attends school, or habitually visits property owned or leased in W.Va., “shall register in this state.” §15-12-9.

Procedure available for removal from registry after departure.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Certain registrants on supervised release for 10 yrs. or longer may not reside within or loiter within 1,000 ft. of school, child care facility, victim, or victim’s family, with exceptions. §62-12-26.

Duration & updates:

10 years to life. §15-12-4.  Updates: SVPs quarterly; others annually. §15-12-10.

Grandview Point at New River Gorge National Park, WV

Most recent visits: May 2023 & June 2022

For registered visitors, West Virginia’s requirements are better than average.  You get 15 days before being required to register, and there appears to be no limit on return visits per month or year.  Also, few if any residency or presence restrictions apply to visitors.  Still, as with many other states you should be careful of local sheriffs and police departments.

The good news is that West Virginia is every bit the spectacular vacationland that it advertises itself to be, and you’re allowed to go anywhere and see all of it.  Before spending a delightful evening at a Beech Fork State Park campground in June 2022 I stopped at a nearby I-64 Welcome Center and picked up a bunch of brochures for historic homes, caverns, “coal heritage” tours, Green Bank Observatory, historic train rides – the list goes on.  

Having just one day before needing to head for the NARSOL National Conference in June 2022 I chose New River Gorge, America’s newest national park (it was previously a “national scenic river”).  The New River Gorge Bridge is very impressive and the Fayette Station Road Tour under the bridge is incredible.  I had seen a documentary about the Thurmond Historic District on TV (Smithsonian Channel I think) and it absolutely lived up to its advance billing.  Then there is Grandview, which couldn’t possibly be more aptly named.

My last stop at New River Gorge, Sandstone Falls, was the park’s only disappointment.  The access road to it, while beautiful, would take me so far out of the way I couldn’t have fit this side trip into my one available day.  There is a much more accessible overlook, it’s pretty darned far from the falls, and even from that distance you can see that Sandstone Falls are not impressive enough to be worth the rest of the trip.

In May 2023 I had one day and one night to devote to West Virginia. I went back to New River Gorge National Park but just checked out a few highlights before using my collection of brochures from the year before to find Lost World Caverns in the town of Lewisburg.  Any reader here knows I’m a sucker for a cavern tour.

Lost World Caverns

From Lewisburg I drove north through scenic Monongahela National Forest until I found Seneca Shadows Campground, recently renovated with modern amenities. The next morning I lingered long enough to check out nearby Seneca Rocks, then continued through Monongahela Nat. Forest until I left the state on my way to Pennsylvania.

Everything else would have to wait until next time.  But since registered visitors can be in this state for up to 15 days, there definitely will be a next time.

 Kentucky

Mammoth Cave, KY

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.

 

Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace & Boyhood Home

Most recent visit: June 2021

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 nothing 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.

In May 2023 I entered Kentucky on I-24 with a plan to spend two days there before moving on to West Virginia. My first stop was Paducah, home of the National Quilt Museum and the River Discovery Center. Unfortunately it was early morning and I was unwilling to wait around two hours for these places to open, so I explored downtown Paducah a little before moving on. 

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.  

Natural Bridge State Park

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.

With that in mind, on a previous trip I had decided to see about staying overnight in a Kentucky state park campground, only to discover that the park in question (Columbus-Belmont S.P., right on the Mississippi River) included two playgrounds.  One was in the main park area near the museum, which raised no concerns because it was a day use only area.  The other, however, was in the middle of the campground loop, thus excluding me from staying overnight.

After that unsettling experience I decided that at some point I’d check out a few other Kentucky state parks to see if playgrounds may be a “standard design feature” at state park campgrounds in this state.  I am, therefore, pleased to report that 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-64neast which took me to West Virginia.

Diamond Caverns

Previous visits to Kentucky

On my June 2021 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.

Kentucky boasts other national parks, national forests and historic sites too.  On my June 2022 visit on my way home from the NARSOL National Conference I stayed at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.  It offers a full range of campgrounds including electric, water, RV sites and even cabins but without any playgrounds to worry about.  Also, if you’re in the mood for fishing or boating it’s a great place.

 Illinois

The Bean as viewed from the street.  This is as close as you're allowed to get.

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

2019  20 I.L.C.S. §4026/15  45 I.L.C.S. §§20/1 through 20/2  720 I.L.C.S. 5/Art. 11  730 I.L.C.S. §5/3-3-11.5  730 I.L.C.S. §§150/1 through 152/999  20 Ill. Adm. Code §§1280 through 1282.30

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 days for initial registration and updates.  “Residence” is any place at which one resides for 3 or more days in a year.  FAQ states that visitors are required to register if they spend “more than 3 days in a calendar year” in the state. Adams County sheriff dept. (Quincy) Nov. 2020, confirmed that it’s the 4th day that triggers registration.  Students and employees present for 5 or more days or for an aggregate of 30 days in a calendar year must register.  Transient registrants must report weekly.  730 I.L.C.S. §150/3

Per Rolfe Survey, visiting Registrants are placed on state’s website.  Per Adams County sheriff dept. (Quincy) Oct. 2020, procedure is available for removal from registry after departure.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: “Child sex offender” may not reside w/in 500 ft. of school, park, playground, or facility where minors gather.  §730 I.L.C.S. §150/8.

Presence restriction: May not knowingly be present in “any public park.” “Public park” defined as any state or local park or “forest reserve”, but doesn’t mention national parks or forests.  May not loiter w/in 500 ft. of school facilities or be present in school facilities unless a parent present for specific reasons. 720 I.L.C.S. 5/Art. 11.

Duration & updates:

10 yrs to lifetime.  SO moving to state: lifetime.  SVP must update quarterly. All other annually.  §730 I.L.C.S. §150/5-10.

And you can't go on the Chicago River Ride because the entire river and riverfront are parks!

Recognizance Mission: October 2020

Illinois has among the most onerous restrictions of any state, applying both to its own registered citizens and to visiting registrants. No “Child sex offender” may reside within 500 feet of any school, park, playground, or facility where minors gather.  §730 I.L.C.S. §150/8.  No registrant of any kind may knowingly be present in “any public park,” nor loiter within 500 ft. of school facilities or be present in school facilities unless you are a parent present for specific reasons. 720 I.L.C.S. 5/Art. 11. “Public park” is defined as “any state or local park or forest reserve.”  Therefore no registrant, whether resident or visitor, can visit Chicago’s famed Millennium Park or any museums or displays therein.

However, state law doesn’t mention historic sites, national parks or forests, of which Illinois has many.  Therefore you can presumably visit Lincoln’s Home National Historic Site in Springfield.  You can also go camping and hiking in Shawnee National Forest.  If you plan to visit any of these places, however, you’d better make it quick because Illinois allows you only three aggregate days in-state per calendar year before you will be required to register.  And while an Illinois resident’s duration of registration for a Tier 1 offense is “only” 10 years, it’s lifetime for all out of state offenders no matter the offense.

In October 2020 I conducted a recognizance mission to Illinois.  I sneaked in across the Mississippi River from Missouri to visit the Adams County Sheriff’s Department in Quincy, IL to get answers to questions not addressed in state law or in their on-line FAQ document.  Questions I hadn’t been able to get answers to because the Illinois SOR office doesn’t answer the phone.

The lady behind the bullet proof glass referred me to “the sheriff’s deputy who handles all the SO’s.”  I wanted to know:

* As a visiting registrant, do partial days count toward my precious three aggregate days per calendar year?  Answer: Yes – but only if you stay at least one night.  “So if I stay overnight tonight and leave tomorrow that’s two days, but if I get in my car and go back to Missouri before the end of today, this partial day won’t count?”  “Yes that’s right.”

* If I have only three aggregate days per calendar year, does that third day trigger my registration requirement?  Or does the requirement only trigger if I stay a fourth day?  Answer – Fourth day.  That’s actually a glimmer of good news, because some states don’t even cut you that much slack.

* If I find myself in a position where I am required to register in your state, is there a procedure for removal after I return to my home state?  Considering that it’s lifetime registry for all out of state offences, I consider this to be a crucial question.  Answer – Yes (good news!) but they don’t make it easy.  You will of course have to notify the local Illinois sheriff that you’re “moving out of state” (presumably back to your actual home state).  They put you in “moving status” and notify the state you are “moving to” that you’re coming.  You must arrive within three days, and your home sheriff’s department must notify Illinois of your arrival.  Illinois puts you in “inactive status,” takes you off their website and according to this Adams County sheriff’s deputy you don’t show up as an Illinois registrant if you get pulled over for a blown taillight in Montana.  However, they keep you in their file system in case you have the insolence to return some day and stay for more than three days.

With these answers in hand I got in my car and sneaked back to Missouri before the end of the afternoon, thereby not using up even one of my precious three aggregate days for calendar year 2020 in Illinois.

Lincoln's Home National Historic Site, 

which you can visit because it's a national park, not a state or local park.

Most recent visit: May 2023

As part of my 2023 Mid-South & Northeast tour I passed through southern Illinois on my way from Missouri to Kentucky.  I decided this would be my first time staying overnight, specifically in Shawnee National Forest.  The map shows many available campgrounds but the one I set my sights on turned out to be a hard to find place with absolutely no facilities. Note to self: next time, definitely skip Lake of Egypt. The silver lining was that it was free – you get what you pay for.  The next morning I was on my way out of state.

However, just staying in that crappy campground one night consumed two of my precious three days per calendar year in Illinois, and here I am admitting to it in writing.  Therefore I will need to avoid staying overnight for the rest of 2023, although I can drive through without staying overnight as many times as I want.

And so I did – on my way home to Iowa from the Northeast on the same cross-country trip.  I was just passing through on I-80 but I had as much of the day as I wanted to do it, so I looked at my map of Illinois and picked out a few not-too-far-off-the-highway attractions to stop at.  These included:

• Norwegian Settlers Monument in Sheridan (watch out – it’s really quite close to Sheridan Correctional Center!) 
• A nearby piece of guerilla sculpture in the form of a crashing airplane!
• Wild Bill Hickok’s Birthplace Memorial in Troy.
• A bald eagle’s nest, with growing eaglets visible and everything, in a tree appropriately across the street from the bust of Wild Bill!

Guerilla sculpture near the Norwegian Settlers Monument in Sheridan, IL

Visiting Chicago in June 2022

While traveling from my Iowa summer home to the 2022 NARSOL National Conference I had to pass through Illinois anyway, so I decided to make a little side trip and spend most of a day sightseeing in Chicago.  This turns out to be a little trickier than you might think, due mainly to Illinois’s restriction against being present in any state or local park of which there are many.  In fact many of the main museums and public events you want to visit are within Millennium Park which sprawls across Chicago’s lakefront.

Example: A gentleman at the NARSOL Conference told me he was planning on attending Chicago’s Pride Month event the following weekend.  I had to reply to him, “Not if it’s in Millennium Park you’re not!” explaining about the presence restriction.  I was able to offer the following possible out:  Often the crowds and booths and activities with this kind of event spill out into the public sidewalks and streets surrounding the park.  Even the sidewalk on the east side of Michigan Ave. isn’t part of the Millennium Park, it’s part of the street right-of-way and you can be there.

Parking upon your arrival in Chicago is another tricky issue.  The main parking garages all the signs direct you to are the big ones underneath Millennium Park.  You can’t park there!  Even the elevators up to street level let you out within the park.  Instead you’ll need to find parking anywhere else!

Once you’ve solved that problem you can visit any attraction that’s not in a park or school.  You can eat at any of the city’s great restaurants and go to its theaters.  The famous Picasso sculpture is in an office building plaza that’s open to the public.  That’s not a state or local park, so you can walk right up to it, take your photos and even touch it.

You can stay as late in the evening as you want and enjoy the nightlife – as long as you skedaddle afterward and stay overnight at an out-of-state motel to avoid using up two of your precious three days aggregate per calendar year in the state of Illinois.  After my Chicago visit I crossed into Indiana where I was allowed to stay the night at a state park campground.