"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.

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.

NEW! Updated 6/25! Research on Local Restrictions

Derek Logue of OnceFallen is conducting research on local registry restrictions around the US, prioritizing the states with the worst local restrictions first. Be sure to check this site out if you are concerned about local laws.

Click HERE to see this research.


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.

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

 The Ozarks - Missouri & Arkansas

How to have up to a 10 day Ozark vacation

The Ozarks are a major travel destination located within two difficult to visit states, Missouri and Arkansas.  As a registered visitor Missouri allows you more time – 7 days aggregate per 12 month period – but has several onerous restrictions which I will describe below and which you should assume will apply to you as a visitor. 

Arkansas allows you only four days per calendar year, but for reasons I will also explain there are no residency or presence restrictions while you’re visiting.  Together with Missouri that’s a total of 11 days, but depending on which state you enter first one of those days may be double-counted, so for this blog entry I’m sticking with 10 days as the total you can count on.

Just remember, if you use up all your days on one trip you can’t come back for a whole year.

From the 50 State Visitor Guide : Missouri

R.S. Mo. 2019.  R.S. Mo. §43.650.  R.S. Mo. §566.147 through 566.150.  R.S. Mo. §§589.400 through 589.426.  AWA Compliant .

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 days for initial registration and updates. 

"Residence" is defined as “any place where an offender sleeps for seven or more consecutive or nonconsecutive days or nights within a twelve-month period” §589.404(5).

Visitors: “Any registered offender from another state who has a temporary residence in this state and resides more than seven days in a twelve-month period shall register for the duration of such person's temporary residency” §589.400.11. However, “temporary residence” is not defined.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction:  offenders may not reside w/in 1,000 ft. of school or child care center.  §566.147.

Presence restriction: offenders cannot be present w/in 500 ft. of school, day care center, park with playground equipment, childrens athletic facility, pool, or Missouri department of conservation nature or education center.  §§566.147-566.150. Updated Aug. 2022.

Missouri applies Halloween restrictions to all registrants, including sign posting mandate. §589.426.

Duration & updates:

15 years to life. Updates: Tier III – 90 days. Tier I & II – every 6 mo. §589.400

Where to “reside” – MO first, then AR

Missouri is a beautiful state, but you’ll have to be pretty darned careful if you travel there.  Visitors must register if in the state for more than 7 days in a 12-month period. §589.400.11.  However Missouri, unique among states, defines “residence” as “any place where an offender sleeps for seven or more consecutive or nonconsecutive days or nights within a twelve-month period” §589.404(5).

Now consider how this affects you as a visitor.  Unlike other states, you don’t need to worry about partial days or whether the “day” starts at midnight.  The only thing Missouri counts is the number of times you sleep there.  There can be only one “day” attached to each night’s sleep and logically that has to be the day leading up to it, not the day following.  Therefore when you wake up on your last morning never to sleep in Missouri again, that day does not count.

This means that if you go to Missouri first on your Ozark vacation, your day leaving MO will not be double-counted as your first (partial) day in AR, whereas if you go to Arkansas first, your last (partial) day in AR will be double-counted as your first day in MO – because you’ll be sleeping there that night.

Now let’s review Missouri’s onerous restrictions that you should assume will apply to you as a visitor:

         Offenders may not reside (i.e. sleep) within 1,000 ft. of a school or child care center.  §566.147.  Since I am from Florida, where similar restrictions apply, I can tell you 1000 feet can be a pretty hard standard to meet.  Be careful in selecting your motel room.

         Missouri used to apply Halloween restrictions to all registrants, including a sign posting mandate. §589.426.  However, recently ACSOL took the state to court and there’s now a restraining order in place against the state – although MO’s attorney general is currently appealing that decision.  So for now you can be there on Halloween.

         Offenders cannot be present within 500 ft. of school, day care center, park with playground equipment (which is most of them), or swimming pool. §§566.147-150.  Recently they added childrens athletic facilities and Missouri Department of Conservation nature or education centers to that list.  You may want to think twice, for example, about a motel with a pool – especially if you are reporting this as your “destination” at your own local sheriff’s department.  You may say, oh please!  Who’s going to check?  But my job here is to warn you about any potential problems you may face while traveling.

Missouri’s restriction against being present at or within 500 feet of a “park with playground equipment” is especially problematic for vacationers.  If you think about that wording – it could be a 1000 acre state park and yet if it had just one playground anywhere, you can’t go anywhere in that park.  It makes no sense, but it means most state or local parks are OUT.  For all these reasons I have to give Missouri a travel rating of 4 thumb screws.

Missouri’s Ozarks – Sept. 2025

Yes, the Ozarks are Missouri’s main vacation destination, and for the registered traveler there’s a bit of good news.  Many of the attractions there are either federal (like Ozark National Riverway and Mark Twain National Forest) or privately owned attractions (which I will describe below), so you can avoid the whole state-park-with-a-playground problem.  On the other hand, because it’s such a big tourist area get ready to pay through the nose.



Rocky Falls, Ozark National Riverways

In part because Missouri is such a park-camping desert for registered citizens, I have sought the oasis of Ozark Riverways several times over the years, including September 2025, and visited some of its attractions like Round Spring (which also has a cave), Blue Spring, Alley Mill and Two Rivers.  And because it’s a riverway, all manner of rafting and canoeing are ready for you.


Alley Spring Mill

Since I was coming from Iowa, I had to go through Missouri in both directions on my way to Arkansas.  I slept one night in MO each way so that counted as two days toward my rolling 12 month total there.  In most other states that would have been a total of four days, all partials.  On MO Day 1 (southbound) I visited Ozark Riverways and camped at a Mark Twain Nat. Forest recreation area.  When I left Missouri the next morning that day didn’t count against my MO total, but it did count as my first (partial) day in Arkansas.

Here I’d like to point out that if you really dislike the idea of having a long distance move in the middle of your Ozark vacation, one option is the twin towns of Thayer, MO and Mammoth Springs, AR.  Both are tourist towns with plenty of lodging options, and this way you only have to move a short way.

In Sept. 2025 my Day 2 in Missouri came when I left Arkansas four days later.  But please note:  This time my day’s drive from the AR Ozarks to the MO Ozarks was counted by both states – a partial day in AR and one sleeping night in MO.

All this counting isn’t trivial for me because I have in fact previously slept in Missouri within the past 12 months.  In April and May 2025 I slept two more nights – while coming and going on my Louisiana and Texas trip.  That means I have three MO sleeps left between now and next April.

Entering from Oklahoma in early May 2025, the Ozarks don’t start right away, but the westernmost tract of Mark Twain NF is between Cassville and Branson.  That’s where I found a very nice Army Corps of Engineers campground.  In a restrictive state like Missouri registered travelers should be on the lookout for Army Corps recreational facilities.  Anywhere the Army Corps has built a dam they own the land around that lake and there’s a pretty good chance they’ve set up boat ramps and campgrounds.



Dogwood Canyon Nature Park

The next morning on my way to Branson I stopped at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, a private attraction on State Road 86.  Looks nice but unfortunately it was closed on account of rain.  While there I picked up some brochures that explained that this would be one of four attractions that I would go to but not go to that day, all owned by Jimmy Norris, founder of Bass Sporting Goods.  The other three are all at Top of the Rock, which is a big gated mega-development where you have pay $10 just to get in. 

Then you come to Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail AND Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum.  You can’t buy the tickets separately, only together, it’s about $100 per adult and it’ll take about four hours altogether.  I hadn’t planned on that amount of time but maybe next time I’ll know what to expect.  And that day the nature trail golf cart checkout stand was closed because even though it had stopped raining the 3 mile long trail was still slippery.  PS the “world class” golf course is the fourth attraction. 

There is yet a fifth Jimmy Norris attraction, Wonders of Life National Museum and Aquarium, in Springfield.  I stopped there on MO Day 2 of my Sept. 2025 Ozarks trip.  I didn’t like it.  It’s expensive and not that great, and instead of a museum gift shop, all doors lead to the World’s Largest Bass Pro Shop and Corporate Headquarters.  Fact: You can’t get out of that building without going through all that – I tried!

In May 2025 I also opted for a cave tour at Fantastic Caverns, just north of Springfield.  The unique thing about this one is they put you in an open trailer and drive you through the tour.  Then a short 10 minute walk takes you to the waterfall where all the cave water pours into the river.



Fantastic Caverns

From the 50 State Visitor Guide : Arkansas

A.C.A. 2019 §§ 5-14-128 through 5-14-134, §9-27-356, §§ 12-12-901 through

12-12-926, §12-12-1513, 004 00 C.A.R.R. 002, 172 00 C.A.R.R. 014.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

“Residency” includes 5 or more aggregate days in a calendar year.  §12-12-903(10) & state policy. If relocating within state, register 10 days before or 3 business days after an eviction or natural disaster.  Homeless registrants report every 30 days. §§12-12-904, 12-12-909.

Sexually Violent Offenders report every 3 mo. All others report every 6 mo. §§12-12-909, 12-12-919.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction:  L3 & L4 offenders: 2,000 ft. of elementary or secondary school, public park, day care center, youth center, also 2,000 ft. of victim.

L4 offenders: 2,000 ft. of a church.

Presence restriction:  L3 & L4 offenders: may not knowingly enter a swimming area, water park, or playground in a state park. §15-14-134.  May not enter schools in certain circumstances. §§5-14-132 through 5-14-134.

NOTE: Per Arkansas SOR office, visitors aren’t bound by these restrictions until required to register – because that’s when they will assign an offense level.

NOTE: Visiting Registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED. (per Rolfe Survey and confirmed by state SOR office). $250 one time registry fee.

Duration & updates:

Life. Petition after 15 yrs. except SVP

Arkansas’s Ozarks – Sept. 2025

Arkansas, home of the Ozarks, Hot Springs and many historic sites, has much to recommend it as a travel and vacation destination. However, as a registered person you’ll need to be careful about planning your trip there because you only get five days aggregate per calendar year before you have to register. Furthermore, if you re-read the language above you’ll see that it says “‘residency’ includes 5 or more aggregate days in a calendar year.” In other words, the 5th day triggers the registration requirement, so you really only get four days. And as always, one should always assume that partial days will count toward the total.

Last but certainly not least, Arkansas is one of about 15 U.S. states where, according to the Rolfe survey and confirmed for me by the very friendly lady at the state SOR office, if you screw up and wind up on their registry, YOU ARE NEVER REMOVED when you leave. And like most of those 15 states, Arkansas is a LIFETIME registry state no matter your offense or tier level. So please plan your trip to Arkansas very carefully.

The silver lining is that, because Arkansas’ onerous presence and residency requirements apply only to “Level 3 & 4” registrants, and because these tier levels are only assigned after registration, they can’t very well apply them to you as a short term (four days or less) visitor, now can they? This was also confirmed for me by the nice lady at the SOR office.


Mammoth Spring

In September 2025 my first stop upon entering AR from MO was Mammoth Springs State Park, which is really quite nice and you can go there because it’s in Arkansas – even though it’s right on the MO state line.  After that my plan was no more complicated than to wander around the AR Ozarks for four days (including partials) just to relax and show that it can be done.


Roadside Ozark Quilt Barn

Just as MO has Ozarks National Riverway, Arkansas has Buffalo National River.  It’s big and has campgrounds and recreation areas and lots of canoeing and kayaking and tubing outfitters for you to choose from.  Therefore if river recreation is what you want, the fact that you need to change states in the middle of your outdoor adventure isn’t a problem at all.  In fact it adds variety.


Potter's shop at the Ozark Folk Center

Other attractions include: 

Ozark Folk Center, Mountain View – Your wife will love it! (and you won’t have such a bad time either).

Natural Bridge of Arkansas, Clinton – Impressive enough, not expensive and not a long walk from the parking lot.


Natural Bridge of Arkansas

Cave Tours – The Ozarks are also cave country.  When you’re at a welcome center be on the lookout for a brochure called “Caves of Arkansas & Missouri.”  However – Hurricane River Cave no longer exists and Blanchard Springs Caverns is seasonal.

Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, Springdale

Eureka Springs – a tourist town

Grand Canyon of Arkansas – Unfortunately you will not see this on any tourist map.  However, if you drive south from the town of Jasper on AR 7 you will come to three poorly maintained scenic overlooks – first at a souvenir shop about five miles south, then at the Cliff House Inn a couple of miles later, and finally at a public overlook further south.


The "Grand Canyon of Arkansas" near the town of Jasper

On AR Day 4 around lunch time I left Arkansas, returning to Missouri for one more sleep on my way home to Iowa.

Small Town Notes:

Mountain Home – Despite the small-towny name, it’s not small.  It’s a touristy mess along US 62.

Harrison – Also too big to be a small town

Jasper – An small town that has successfully embraced an Ozark Hokey image.  Neighborhoods look okay too.

St. Joe – No. See photo.



No comments:

Post a Comment

  The Ozarks - Missouri & Arkansas How to have up to a 10 day Ozark vacation The Ozarks are a major travel destination located withi...