Yellowstone National Park

From the 50 State Visitor Guide (Wyoming):

Wyo. Stat. 2019 §§7-19-301 through  7-19-320

AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 business days for initial registration and updates, including temporary trips and vacations. “Temporary residence” includes hotels, motels, camping areas & parks. §7-19-301(xi)(C).

Visitors must register within 3 business days. §7-19-302(c)(iv).

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

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: Adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302” may not reside within 1,000 ft. from schools. §6-2-320.

Presence restrictions:  Adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302” may not enter school grounds if s/he “has reason to believe children … are present and are involved in school activity or when children are presents w/in 30 mins. before or after scheduled school activity” and may not “knowingly loiter on a public way within 1,000 feet from the property line of school grounds.” Various exceptions apply. §6-2-320.

Because §6-2-320 says these restrictions apply to adults “who are required to register … pursuant to §7-19-302”, and visitors in state for less than 3 business days are not required to register, such visitors would, in theory, not be subject to these restrictions.  However, this theory remains untested.

Duration & updates:

Lifetime; petitions for removal available. §7-19-304. Updates: §7-19-302.

From the 50 State Visitor Guide (Montana):

Mont. Code Ann. 2019 §§46-23-504 through 46-23-520.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 business days for initial registration and updates; transients shall register within 3 business days of entering state.  

Visitors: Must register within 3 business days of entering the state for a temporary residence of 10 days or more, or for an aggregate period of 30 days in calendar year. §§46-23-504, 46-23-505.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

None

Duration & updates:

Life. Petition to remove – T1 - 10 yrs.  T2 – 25 yrs.

Updates by mail: T1 – annual; T2 – 6 mo.; T3 –90 days. Transients in person - 30 days. §§46-23-504, 56-23-506.

From the 50 State Visitor Guide (Idaho):

Idaho Code 2019 §§18-8301 through 18-8414

I.D.A.P.A. §11.10.03.000 through 11.10.03.012.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

2 working days for initial registration and updates.  Transient registrants must report location every 7 days. §§18-8307, 18-8308.

Statutes do not address registration requirements for visitors.  However, "Temporary lodging" means any place in which the offender is staying when away from his or her residence for seven (7) or more days 18-8323 (1)(h). Added Aug. 2024.  Rolfe survey indicates that visits of 7 days or more require registration.  

Temporary volunteers or employees:  Must register if in state for more than ten consecutive days, or for an aggregate period of 30 days in a calendar year.  If “employment involves counseling, coaching, teaching, supervising or working with minors in any way,” must register “regardless of the period of employment.” §18-8303(6).

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

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

May not reside or loiter within 500 ft. of school, and may not reside within more than one person also required to register, with certain exceptions. §§18-8331, 18-8332.

Presence restriction:  Day cares, unless picking up or dropping off one’s own children. §18-8327.

Duration & updates:

Life.  Petition to remove – 10 yrs.  Sexually Violent Persons must update every 3 months.  All others update annually. §18-8307.

Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful

Most recent visit - July 2015

Much as I may have wanted to, I did not visit Yellowstone as part of my recent 2023 Pacific Northwest tour.  Actually, I have visited Yellowstone only once, and that was just before I wrecked my life and ended up on the registry.  On that trip I spent three days at Yellowstone and still didn’t see nearly all of it.  In fact, it was knowing that those previous three days at Yellowstone were the bare minimum needed to be able to say I saw it all that kept me from adding it to my 2023 tour.  Even though I had four weeks for this trip, there wasn’t enough time to include Yellowstone.

I’d like very much to return and see more, and now that I’m on the registry I realize that the number of days allowed in each of the three states – Wyoming, Montana and Idaho – without triggering an obligation to register, is a tricky issue that will involve careful planning.

First let’s compare the visitor requirements of each of these three states.  Most important is Wyoming, where visitors must register within 3 business days. §7-19-302(c)(iv).  NOTE: “Within 3 business days” means the third day will trigger your obligation to register, so you really only get two days; however, it’s business days, so if you include a weekend that stretches it to four days (five if you can throw in a holiday).  Keep in mind that, as with many other states, partial days will count.  Also, Wyoming law defines “temporary residence” to include hotels, motels, camping areas & parks. §7-19-301(xi)(C), so they’ve got you covered no matter where you spend the night.

However, Wyoming has no limitations on the number of return visits per month or year.  This is an important consideration for registered visitors because it means that if you leave the state for at least two nights and one day (so that the intervening day can’t be counted against you as a “partial day”) you can return and restart the clock.  By planning carefully you can have the time you need to really see Yellowstone.

Yellowstone Falls and Grand Canyon as seen from Lookout Point

If you need to spend a little time outside Wyoming, the obvious choice for registered visitors is Montana.  That’s because unless you’re staying 10 or more days there (or 30 per calendar year) you don’t need to register.  Also, Montana has no statewide residency or presence restrictions.  So your Yellowstone trip can be split into two 4-5 day weekends with a mid-week side trip to Montana.  How bad can that be?

The northern entrance (via U.S. 89) and western entrance (via U.S. 20) both take you to Montana, although the western entrance also takes you in short order to Idaho. Both entrances have motels, resorts and campgrounds for you to choose from as you are staging yourself for your Yellowstone visit.  However there’s not really much to do in West Yellowstone while you’re on your two night hiatus, and it’s remote from many Montana or even Idaho attractions.

Speaking of Idaho, as I noted in my recent blog entry about that state, calling the Idaho SOR office is useless because all you get is an outgoing message that says they only answer questions from attorneys.  Therefore in discussing the number of days you can be in this state or what restrictions might apply to you while visiting I need to err on the side of caution. 

For example, “transient registrants” must report location every 7 days (§§18-8307, 18-8308) and I notice that the Rolfe Survey claims visits of 7 days or more require registration.  Putting those two things together I conclude that if you’re in state for 7 days or more that would automatically make you a  “transient registrant” and you have to register … so just be back for your second weekend at Yellowstone by the end of Day 6.

Porcelain  Basin, Norris

In 2015 I was not yet on the registry so I had the leisure to travel across Wyoming on my way (from Florida) to Yellowstone.  That’s no longer an option for me or you because any day you’re traveling across the state is a precious day that will be subtracted from your Yellowstone trip.  

The road network in Yellowstone is laid out in a Figure 8 pattern.  Nearly all of the main attractions – Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Canyon Village, Yellowstone Grand Canyon and Falls, West Thumb etc. etc. – are located along these main roads and don’t require strenuous hikes.  

However, there are so many of these attractions, and each one is going to require an hour or more of your time to really see, so just get used to the fact that it’s going to take way more time than whatever you originally thought.  For example, Old Faithful erupts every 80 minutes or so.  Suppose you show up when it’s not set to go for another hour?  You can’t go do something else and come back because whatever you do is going to take more than an hour, so you have to just sit it out.  

Most of the other geysers aren’t on a clockwork schedule.  They have signs that tell you the estimated time for the next eruption, but don’t be surprised when it says, “sometime between 3:00 and 6:00 pm.”  It’s not much help.

That’s why you need to allow at least a few days to see all of Yellowstone.  And that’s why you as a registered citizen need to plan around Wyoming’s cruel registry laws to make your Yellowstone vacation memorable (in a good way).