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 4/25! 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 10/24: My 2024 ACSOL conference domestic travel presentation

I have given several presentations on domestic travel at NARSOL and other national conferences. My presentation at the 2024 ACSOL conference 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.

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Louisiana

From the 50 State Visitor Guide

La. Rev. Stat. 2023 §§ 15:541, 15:542, et seq., 15:543, et seq., and 15:544.

La. R.S. §§14:91.2, 14:91.5, 14:91.9, 14:313, 14:313.1, 15:551, and 15:553

La. R.S. §§40:1321(J) and 32:412(I)

AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 business days for Initial reg. and updates. La. R.S. §15-542. New residents to the state have 3 business days to register and to provide information to police and the community as required by §§15:542.1.3 and 15:542.1. Residence defined as: “a dwelling where an offender regularly resides, regardless of the number of days or nights spent there.” Added Aug. 2024.

Resident registrants planning to acquire “temporary lodging” for 7 consecutive days or more must register within 3 business days before establishing temporary lodging. §542.1.2(F)(1). Employees and students must register within 3 business days of beginning. §542.1.3(C), (D).

Visitors: Per Louisiana SOR office, visitors must register if in state 7 consecutive days (no limit per year).

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence and presence restrictions apply to registrants convicted of offenses involving victims under the age of 13, including parks and libraries, youth centers, public pools, video arcades, etc. with few exceptions. §14:91.2

Use of “social networking websites” by registrants with computer-related crimes or where victim was a minor, is prohibited. §14:91.5. Registrants must obtain and possess “special identification cards” from the DPSC, and branded drivers licenses. §§40:1321(J), 32:412(I).

Registrants may not wear “masks or hoods” or disguise their identity in public during holidays (including Mardi Gras). §14:313 Candy or other gifts may not be given by offenders to persons under 18 on holidays, with exceptions. 14:313.1 Certain occupations prohibited to SO’s. 15:553. Updated Aug. 2024

NOTE: Per Louisiana SOR office, these restrictions DO apply to not-yet-registered visitors.

Duration & updates:

15 years to life based on tier. §15:544. Updates based on tiers: TI – annual, TII – 6 mo., TIII – 3 mo. §15:52.1.1

Most recent visit: April 2025

This is the first time I am posting about Louisiana. I have been to New Orleans several times but that was before I ruined my life, and it was usually on business. I have driven through Louisiana without stopping many more times but that’s because I and my ex live in Florida and our son lives in Texas, and we have to go through Louisiana to visit him.

If you scan back through Louisiana’s ridiculous registry restrictions set forth above you’ll see the two most problematic items are: (a) if your victim was under 13 (and why do I have to keep reminding people that includes CP images?) you can’t go to any of the usual suspect locations but in particular the parks where many of the events you may be interested in are taking place, and (b) you can’t wear masks or disguise your identity in public and you can’t give candy or trinkets to anyone under the age of 18.

It’s pretty obvious where this stuff is coming from – the good citizens of Louisiana are terrified that an army of criminal perverts is invading to take over Mardi Gras. But wait – aren’t perversions what Mardi Gras is all about …? Anyway, just be on your toes and mindful of these rules.

Since I began travelling I’ve wanted to visit Louisiana, and of course the time you’re supposed to do that is Mardi Gras. However … it so happens that Mardi Gras usually occurs very close to March 3, the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s infamous (to us PFR’s) Smith vs. Doe decision that legitimized America’s disgusting registry system. Since 2023 ACSOL and NARSOL have cooperated to hold DC conferences and vigils on the Supreme Court steps to mark this anniversary. Every registered person and their loved ones need to be in DC every year to participate – we will never get anywhere with public opinion until we can have 10,000 PFR’s vigilling at the Supreme Court and get some actual press coverage. Even that would be just 1% of everyone on America’s registries today.

New Orleans

That makes it kind of hard to go to Mardi Gras. However … it recently occurred to me that if I was a business owner in the French Quarter I’d definitely want to turn Mardi Gras into a season, so I’d have more time to sell beads and trinkets and alcohol. So in April 2025 as part of my South Central US tour I made an “off-season” exploratory trip to New Orleans to see how it all works.

I made an advance motel reservation, arrived mid-afternoon and wandered around the French Quarter until the evening to see what it was like on an off-season Saturday night. Then the next morning I stopped at the new New Orleans Welcome Center to ask them whether Mardi Gras is a season (the Welcome Center has moved – my gps took me to the wrong place).

Small brass band, off-season Saturday afternoon

The answer to that is Yes, of course it’s a season, but not as long as I had supposed – only about a week and a half. Evenings start cranking up on that weekend before the weekend before, with at least one parade every day usually late afternoon. From that point the excitement builds day by day until you get to actual Mardi Gras Day, when the partying and parades start around 9 am and go until they scrape the last drunk off the sidewalk Ash Wednesday morning. There are no special events like scheduled jazz performances on a stage like you might see on Beale Street in Memphis, for example (I asked). It’s all Mardi Gras all the time.

Street performers, off-season Saturday afternoon

One positive about this arrangement is that you as a visitor get to choose your desired intensity level. I’m an old geezer and a real stick in the mud too because I don’t drink or gamble. But even I can go stick my toe into it let’s say about a week before, have as much fun as I can stand and say I did it.

When I do go for my Mardi Gras road trip I think I’ll add a day of other New Orleans site seeing a couple of days exploring Cajun country. Those should come before the day I do Mardi Gras so I can run from there to DC in plenty of time for the Vigil. That would be about four days in Louisiana all together, well within the 6 available consecutive days we’re allowed (no limit per calendar year).

Atwo Zee, Registered Traveler

Saturday, May 10, 2025

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