Maine

Yes, of course I visited Portland Head Light

From the 50 State Visitor Guide:

M.R.S. 2019

Offenses committed before Jan. 1, 2013: M.R.S. 34A §§ 11201 through 11256

Offenses committed on or after Jan. 1, 2013: M.R.S. 34A §§ 11271 through 11304

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

Convictions before Jan. 1, 2013:  Registrants have 5 days to register with the state Bureau of Identification (generally in writing) and 24 hours to register with local law enforcement using a form provided by the Bureau.  §§11222-11223.

Employees and students (and probably visitors) in the state must register with the bureau w/in 5 days and with local law enforcement w/in 24 hours of working for either (1) more than 14 consecutive days in the state, or (2) for an aggregate period exceeding 30 days in a calendar year.  §11224.

Convictions on or after Jan. 1, 2013: Registrants have 3 days to register with the state Bureau of Identification (generally in writing) and 24 hours to register with local law enforcement upon establishing a residence, using a form provided by the Bureau.  §§11282-11284.  “Residence” means 14 consecutive days in the state, or 30 days in one year.  §11273(12).

Procedure available for removal from registry after departure.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Restriction on Contact with Minors:  For registrants convicted after June 30, 1992 of an offense against a person younger than 14, Maine prohibits the knowing initiation of contact with a person younger than 14 in a “sex offender restricted zone,” unless the parent consents or the contact is for employment purposes.  “Sex offender restricted zones” include schools other than high schools, day cares, parks, playgrounds, and other places “where children are the primary users.” M.R.S. § 17-A:261. 

Duration & updates:

10 years to life.  Duration of reg. requirement and frequency of updates are determined by date convicted and tier.  §§11222, 11285.

 

Whale-watching tours in three consecutive years - 4;  Whales seen - 0

Most recent visit: May 2023

Maine’s rules for visiting registrants shouldn’t be too difficult to follow.  Registration Triggers and Deadlines for convictions before January 1, 2013 are confusing to read, but the bottom line is they’re about the same as for on or after January 1, 2013.  Fourteen consecutive days or 30 days per calendar year establishes a “residence,” so just don’t stay that long.

As for presence restrictions, if your offense was against a person younger than 14 (and I would always assume that includes a pornography offense), Maine prohibits the knowing initiation of contact with a person younger than 14 in a “sex offender restricted zone,” unless the parent consents or the contact is for employment purposes.  “Sex offender restricted zones” are the usual places.

As I read over these restrictions before entering Maine in July 2022, my reaction was, no problem.  I only planned to be in Maine for four days (including partial days) while my family was staying with my ex-wife’s cousins on Long Island, and of course, like any of you I had absolutely no intention of initiating contact with any person younger than 14 years, or much of anybody else for that matter.  I was there with just one purpose in mind – to go whale watching.

As I had the year before I overnighted at state park campgrounds, which are a little on the expensive side ($28-$38 per night for out-of-staters depending on the park) but quite well equipped, including nice clean hot water showers.

On my trip to Maine the previous year (May 2021) I had snagged a seat on a whale watching tour boat, only to see no whales.  The silver lining was that the tour boat company issued “standby tickets” to all passengers, good through the end of the 2022 season.  So now I was back to try to use my standby ticket and maybe see whales this time.  

Although it was peak season when you would expect it to be pretty difficult to use a standby ticket, the tour boat company was also running more frequent tours in July than they had been in May and I showed up for a mid-week (Thursday) morning tour on which there are often a few unfilled seats – in this case 20 (out of 125).

Tadahh! Off we went – but unfortunately, no whales!  

The tour boat company issued more standby tickets to all passengers.  Before returning to my campsite I asked the nice lady at the ticket booth how things were looking for the next morning’s (Friday) tour and she said, “Not good. Right now there’s 16 seats available.  If I put you on the list now you’ll be Standby #2.”  I said “Please do that and I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Next morning, 15 minutes before boarding, the nice lady at the ticket booth announced, “There are three standby seats available.”  I was #2.  Tadahh! Off we went – but again, no whales!  I told the tour guide lady. “I must be jinxing your tour!” but she replied “No, this just happens sometimes.” 

“Well there’s a limit to how much disappointment I can take in one vacation,” I said.  Besides, my final (partial) day in Maine would be a weekend day and the tours were already booked up.  The tour boat company issued yet more standby tickets to all passengers, good until the end of the 2023 season.

Which brings me to May 2023.  After leaving New Jersey where I had attended my brother’s interment and celebration of life, I figured, well, this is probably the only time this year that I’ll be in the Northeast and so my only opportunity to head up to Maine and use my standby ticket.  Checking online I noticed that this third week of May was also the very first week of the whale watching season, so off I went.

What’s the worst that can happen, right?  If I don’t see any whales I leave with yet another standby ticket.

Of course, that’s exactly what happened.  Oh well – we’ll see what happens next year when I try this for the fourth time!