While Other States Roll Back Residency Restrictions, Florida Keeps Tightening Them
In a time when many jurisdictions are rethinking overly draconian residency laws, Florida is heading in the opposite direction — making its buffer zones harsher and more restrictive. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the country, communities are dialing back restrictions over constitutional concerns, lack of housing, and legal risks. Let’s compare what’s happening in Forestville, Wisconsin and Union County, Florida to see just how far Florida has strayed from reason.
Forestville’s Village Board recently backed a change to its sex offender residency ordinance, reducing the prohibited distance from 2,500 feet to 1,000 feet of places where children congregate. The change comes after a legal challenge. A registrant had moved to a location only about 400 feet from the library, in full compliance with state registry, but in conflict with Forestville’s local 2,500-foot rule.
Officials acknowledged that the 2,500-foot restriction was likely too broad to survive legal scrutiny, especially given the village’s small size and limited area. The new proposed buffer of 1,000 feet is more moderate, more defensible, and (critically) more workable for housing and compliance.
Forestville’s move reflects a growing tension: How far is too far? When entire neighborhoods fall within exclusion zones, courts will often push back on municipal overreach. Forestville’s leadership is showing willingness to correct course.
By contrast, in Florida, some counties are not just resisting rollback — they are intensifying their restrictions. After neighboring Baker County passed a harsher ordinance, on September 15th, Union more than doubled theirs! Union Sheriff complained that there were 800-1000 people living in the woods because they have nowhere to go.
The new law also has a travel restriction that prevents registrants from “traveling through” the 2500 foot buffer zone except for certain circumstances!
As we’ve said before; if Counties are able to get away with this, neighboring ones will pass their own laws. As soon as our Putnam lawsuit gets underway, we will start working on Union!
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Wisconsin’s municipal ordinances are actually worse than Florida’s. Many have an “original domicile” rule, meaning you can’t even more to that community if you didn’t live there before the offense.
Speaking of Baker County, the next section of the municipal code under Sec. 26-1 is 26-2 banning same sex marriage.
Also can someone please email me these new Baker and Union County ordinances?
Floridians need to be asking for maps of the exclusion zones, what constitutes them, and if it is still applicable to the map with distances (e.g., is that business a real business in operation or just a license to hold the location without an operation), so they know how to abide by the law. If they cannot provide this map, then they cannot legally enforce the exclusion zone. Just because LE said you cannot live or be somewhere without any proof, that does not make it right. SCOTUS has said LE can lie in the administration of their job with the public. Make them prove where the lines are of the zone.
Don’t get carried away about WI. WI has over 1000 men on lifetime GPS. These are men who are done with their sentences and are NOT ON SUPERVISION. IMAGINE THAT. If I was still in WI I would also be on GPS for life. WI is so evil that they demand registration even if you don’t live there. I live in AZ and register there. But I still have to register with WI.
So much for “paying your ‘debt’ to society.”