Atwo Zee, Registered Traveler

"From Alabama to Zion National Park"

Before I wrecked my life and ended up on Florida’s Sex Offender registry I always intended to travel in my retirement. Now, after prison and probation, I am in fact retired, and “free,” and have not given up my dream of seeing natural wonders and historic sites, visiting great cities, traveling to as many places as possible within the restrictions placed on me as a registered citizen.

While I may attempt traveling the world in the future, everything I’ve heard and read about International Megan’s Law requirements makes it sound difficult and even dangerous for a registered person. I therefore decided that my own home country is a pretty big place that, so far at least, nobody can keep my out of. Including all of its states and territories the United States spans half the globe and extends from the arctic to the equator. A guy could spend his whole retirement traveling this great land and never really see all of it.

As many of you may have discovered, however, interstate travel as a registered citizen isn’t as simple as getting in your car and driving away. Unless you don’t mind the prospect of inadvertently violating the registry laws of either your own state or whatever state you’re in at the time and ending up back in prison for a registry violation, it’s crucial to be conversant with and obey the registry laws of every state you plan to pass thru, which for me is every US state and territory.

The starting point for my research was the chart “Summary of State and Territorial Registration Laws Concerning Visiting and Temporary Residence by Adults” available on the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offender Laws (ACSOL) website. It’s a good summary chart, but it hadn’t been updated since 2018. Using the state statute references in the ACSOL chart I downloaded every state and territory’s registry laws, read them all, updated the information on the chart and corrected any errors that I found.

I also obtained a list of phone numbers for all 50 states’ SOR offices, and called every state to ask supplemental questions. As you might expect, some SOR offices don’t answer the phone and never call back if you leave repeated messages. Some states SOR offices have outgoing messages that don’t allow you to leave a message but only refer you to unhelpful online FAQ documents. Nevertheless, I found that when I was able to speak to a real person (which was about half the time) the SOR office personnel were uniformly courteous and willing to provide helpful answers to my questions.

The result of my research is the new and improved “Summary of State and Territorial Registration Laws Concerning Visiting and Temporary Residence by Adults” chart. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW. My plan is to keep re-researching and updating this chart for at least the next ten years (i.e. 2021-2031) while I travel the USA.

However, all of this research – whether the state laws themselves, written responses to letters, or the oral responses by a random person in a state SOR office – may bear no relation at all to what you or I may experience if pulled over by an over-eager redneck sheriff’s deputy because you have a blown tail light. Do you want to be the first person to test the limits of any of this? I’ll bet the answer to that is NO.

So be careful out there, and safe travels!

Legal Disclaimer

I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY. THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR QUALIFIED LEGAL ADVICE.

Because sex offender laws are frequently revised by legislatures and reviewed by courts, the most current version of the applicable laws should be consulted and can generally be found by using your search engine to locate the statutes referenced on this site. This website does not include all laws that may apply to registrants in any particular state.

NEW! Updated 9/24! State & Territorial Visitor Registration Laws Guide

Click HERE. It'll pop up on your screen in a separate window.

Summary Map Click HERE. It'll pop up on your screen in a separate window.

NEW! Updated 9/24! State & Territorial Visitor Registration Laws for FORMER & LONG-TERM Registrants

MANY REGISTRANTS DO NOT UNDERSTAND that most states have registration laws that apply to out-of-state visitors even if you have served your registration duty in your state of offense and are no longer required to register there. Violating these states' laws during your visit can get you caught in these states' registries or even incarcerated EVEN THOUGH you have been removed from your own state's registry!

Furthermore, you may be surprised to learn that some states' registration laws may not apply to visiting registrants who have, in your state of offense, served your registration duty for the number of years specified by law in the state you are visiting - even if you are still on the registry in your state of offense.

Because confusion surrounding this issue will be a growing problem as more and more Americans (including myself) become long-term or former registrants, I have researched the registration laws of every U.S. state and territory related to this issue.

Click HERE to see this new research.

Recorded 6/23: My 2023 NARSOL conference domestic travel presentation

I have given several presentations on domestic travel at NARSOL and other national conferences. My presentation at the 2023 NARSOL conferences was recorded and is now available as a You Tube video.

This is about an hour long but contains a lot of information about domestic travel, so Click HERE to watch.

The Traveling Registrant

The Once Fallen website offers this must-read information for all registrants planning to travel. Click here: http://www.oncefallen.com/travel.html

Unwelcome Images

My personal story of prison, probation and ... redemption? is posted on Medium. If you're interested you can click here:

https://therabbitisin.com/unwelcome-images-c06a3760b11a

Your first hurdle:

Permission to leave town

My state of offense (Florida) has a registry law that, like those of many other states, is completely silent on the question of what notice I as a registered person have to provide in the event that I intend to travel out of state temporarily but have no intention of establishing any “permanent residence,” “temporary residence” or “transient residence” in any other state. Instead, Florida’s SOR law reads as follows:

“A sexual offender who intends to establish a permanent, temporary, or transient residence in another state or jurisdiction other than the State of Florida shall report in person to the sheriff of the county of current residence within 48 hours before the date he or she intends to leave this state to establish residence in another state or jurisdiction … The sexual offender shall provide to the sheriff the address, municipality, county, [and] state … of intended residence … The department shall notify the statewide law enforcement agency, or a comparable agency, in the intended state [or] jurisdiction … of the sexual offender’s intended residence. The failure of a sexual offender to provide his or her intended place of residence is punishable as [a third degree felony].”

943.0435(7) FS.

Apparently, the drafters of Florida’s SOR law – and the many similarly worded statutes of other US states – never anticipated that a registered person would ever leave their state for any other reason than to establish a “permanent residence,” “temporary residence” or “transient residence” wherever they're going. Therefore I assume that I and many of you could legitimately assume we would be within our legal rights to just leave our state without telling anybody as long as you have no intention of, and scrupulously avoid, establishing any kind of residence that would violate your state’s statutes.

However, I DO NOT recommend doing this under any circumstances.

Why? Because there’s a 120% chance that your local sheriff’s department believes you have to tell them you’re leaving and where you’re going no matter what your state’s SOR law says or doesn’t say. Suppose you get pulled over somewhere for having a blown tail light. The sheriff’s deputy looks you up and discovers you’re an out-of-state registered offender. Next, he calls local law enforcement in your home state and asks, “Hey, did y’all know this guy was here?” They of course will say “No, we didn’t even know he left our state and we think that’s a registry violation – he is an ABSCONDER!” at which point you’ll be arrested, handcuffed and sent back to prison.

I don’t know about you, but that’s not how I want to spend my vacation.

Therefore I strongly suggest that you visit your local sheriff’s department or registry office and inform them of your intention to travel. I did this for the first time in October 2020, and have traveled out of state frequently since then, each time making sure to do so “within 48 hours before the date he or she intends to leave this state.”

Having gained some experience with traveling while registered I offer you the following advice:

Always notify your local law enforcement of your intention to travel and provide as much detail as possible about your travel plans. In particular, it helps to have at least one specific destination for your trip. Your local law enforcement is expecting you to have a destination. You probably do have at least one destination, and if it’s not a friend or relative’s home you probably had to make some kind of reservation ahead of time. Either way you know at least one address where you’ll be, so give it to the staff person behind the glass. They will feel more comfortable with this even if your plans include extended time to get to and return from the specific destination(s), during which you’ll be enjoying yourself.

I have found that if I give a general description of your travel, like some of the states you’ll be passing through, the staff person will happily enter that onto whatever form their filling out as “additional notes.” This may actually help you in case you get pulled over someplace because when the sheriff’s deputy calls your home state it’s all right there in the computer.

Recently I established a summer home in Iowa. Unlike Florida and many other states, Iowa’s registry law explicitly, but clumsily, addresses out-of-state travel. It says:

“[A] sex offender, within five business days of a change, shall also appear in person to notify the sheriff of the county of principal residence [i.e. the principle residence in Iowa], of any location in which the offender is staying when away from the principal residence of the offender for more than five days, by identifying the location and the period of time the offender is staying in such location.” 692A.105 IS.

While I was at my new Iowa sheriff’s department registering, getting photographed, fingerprinted and providing a DNA sample, I took the opportunity to ask how travel was going to work in my new state. I pointed out that although I can always provide a destination when traveling, there is no way I’ll be able provide locations and addresses ahead of time for every campground or motel room I might be staying at along the way.

The lady behind the bullet-proof glass stated that their policy for this type of travel is that I will need to keep a travel log for each trip, which I will need to turn in upon my return. This just shows how local sheriff’s departments come up with some policy to deal with these situations. As you know from reading elsewhere on this blog, I recommend you always keep a travel log as well as all receipts just in case you need to prove your whereabouts, so this sheriff’s department requirement, while ridiculous, turns out not to be a problem for me or anyone following my recommendations.

Friday, May 10, 2024

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 visit: April 2024

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. I returned to West Virginia in April 2024 and for the third time my main destination was New River Gorge, America’s newest national park (it was previously a “national scenic river”). This time I was bringing my ex-wife but still Best Friend Forever to see it for her first time.

New River Gorge Bridge as seen from the bottom of the gorge

The New River Gorge Bridge is very impressive and the Fayette Station Road Tour under the bridge is incredible. Some years ago I saw a documentary about the Thurmond Historic District on TV (Smithsonian Channel I think) and for me it absolutely lived up to its advance billing. My BFF hated it mainly because the road leading in is pretty treacherous. Then there is Grandview, which she really loved and couldn’t possibly be more aptly named.

The day before New River Gorge my BFF and I had stopped at Harper’s Ferry Nat. Historic Park, which is also in West Virginia. So that partial day was Day 1 of our trip to WV. On Day 2 we re-entered the state, visited New River Gorge, and stayed overnight at a hotel. Day 3 we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast and then headed south out of state. All well within WV’s 15 day limit and with no concerns about residency or presence laws.

Previous visits: May 2023 & June 2022

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 to spend most of it at New River Gorge, which I described above. However, on that visit my last stop at New River Gorge was Sandstone Falls, which turned out to be the park’s only disappointment. There is a fairly accessible overlook, but 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 to the closer viewpoint.

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.

Atwo Zee, Registered Traveler

Friday, May 10, 2024

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