When a Sex Offender Comes to Visit
Information for Sex Offenders
A new study by Shawn M. Rolfe, Doctoral candidate at the University of Louisville, helps identify some of the requirements each individual state has when a registered sex offender travels there.
A chart contained in the study provides a useful reference.
Just out of curiosity, who keeps track of these ‘three day’ jaunts per year? The government can’t even keep track of those coming across the border illegally. Our legislators have legislated themselves into ‘lala land’.
My question is it 3 calendar days or business days? Because what if you arrive on Friday and Monday is a holiday? Technically that will be 4 days right?
Your vehicle registered to you will get automatically flagged when you go by a flock camera or any other type of law enforcement license plate reader and the local law enforcement will be notified. I guess if it catches you for more than 3 days they will look for you.
I am heading up a construction crew and will be traveling to Florida end of Feb for 6days. I work closely with site safety officials and am not allowed to leave the premises except for lunch ad short breaks. Work hrs are 7am-5pm and I do an hour of zoom with my office from my hotel afterword. How would I go about registering?.
If I refuse this project, I will most likely for obvious reasons, be demoted or terminated. Any advice? Also I have 3 children in college. It’s ultra expensive so my career is paramount to getting them through. Thank you in advance.
Don’t sweat it man. Go do your work and go back home. Keep yourself busy and stay out of trouble lol
uhhh no. Call the FDLE and ask how they propose you register. We never recommend people avoid the registration requirements and risk a felony
My wife and I both require home care. Our son left his work in NY to become a live in caregiver. He was/is required to register.
The county in which we live is CERY CLOSELY monitored for offender movement. That said, he did not have a y problem registering after wading through knee deep regulations.
Following up on the registration is a stickler and be sure to follow the “quarterly update” rules. I cannot speak to all locations, but where we reside a knock came at the door the day after he registered to confirm his residence. The officer was very polite and professional. Just so you know they will check at your residence AND PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT.
A couple of other things:
1) no matter where you live permanently the state of Florida will notify your home state that you have registered. You may want to find out what your home state does with that.
2) by virtue of checking your location here they may also notify your employer at the home office. Not sure how you’d check on that without preemptive revealing the situation to your employer.
My personal advice … Find a way to avoid a visit to Florida.
Anonymous: be aware that once you register in Florida, in all likelihood you will remain on the Florida registry for life. Florida is one of the few (if not the only) states to publicly index their registry, so for the rest of your life whenever someone Googles your name, unless you are independently famous or notable for some reason, your FDLE sex offender page will be the first thing that comes up and even if you’re famous or notable it will be on the first page of results. This will be forever (for at least one year even after your death). I would seriously consider whether the trip is worth this. Even if you are eventually removed from the registry in your home state, you will probably remain on the registry in Florida for life even if you only come here once and never return.
I am Planning on travelling from PA to FL to move my elderly mother back to PA sometime in the next 6 months. I have a 25 year registry in PA. What is my time period to check in with the local PD in Orange County? What are the restrictions I need to adhere to? I do not plan on being in Florida for more than 4 or 5 days.
Don’t be in the same county in Florida for more than 3 days in the aggregate per year otherwise it triggers lifetime registration.
They don’t remove you when you leave the state.
Is this “same county” rule dependable? Can I really stay for 12 days, say, if I change my hotel to a different county every just-under-three days?
what constitutes 3 days? Arriving Tuesday leaving Thursday? or Arriving Tuesday leaving Friday?
The law does not define what three days is.
A ‘Day’ is a 24 Hour Period of Time in Nomenclature.
‘Others’ are Trying to Re-define the Term/Word of ‘Day’; FLori-DUh Politicians are Notorious For Doing This and One Particular Political Party is to Blame…
……You, All, Can Figure that Out-I do not speak Politics EVER!–I Cannot Vote-My Constitutional Right Was Taken Away Without Due Process of Law….., So Why Even Discuss Politics-I just Reference It!
Can I petition to get remove from the Florida Registery as a visitor.
Eddie
I believe you have to wait 25 years before you can petition; however you should contact Ron Kleiner, a Florida attorney, who can help you. Thought I had his contact information, but I don’t.
Good luck Eddie
One of the problems is that in Pennsylvania you can petition for removal from the registry. However, one of the issues will be if you are currently on the registry of any other state. Florida will keep you on their registry for life++. If you are on Florida’s registry it may adversely impact your petition in Pennsylvania.
We are planning a little get away trip to Florida next month and want to take our son with us to visit the Florida Keys and then travel back up through Miami. Our son lives in Florida and is on the registry so I was wondering if he will have to report that he will be traveling with us. We are driving down to the Keys on a Sunday staying overnight and then leaving on Monday to travel back through Miami to do some sight seeing basically, staying overnight in Homestead and then traveling back to where he lives on Tuesday. Basically, a 48 hour sight seeing round trip. I have another question as well, we would like to fly our son home for a weekend in Ohio and was wondering if he would have to register here or can he stay with different relatives. Like he would stay with my parents, his other grandma, his sister, etc. We are only looking at maybe a Thurs., Fri. to Mon.,Tues. scenario. We just don’t want to do something and have him get in trouble just because we wanted to do something with our son. We miss him and he hasn’t seen his family in almost 6 yrs. It has been especially hard on his twin sister not having him around. Thanks for any advice…
he will be OK – only 3 or more days require registration.
From the fine print on my registry requirements. Any changes to any registry info must be reported within 48 hrs. A few years ago it was 72 hrs. (3 days). Also if you cross state lines for more than 48 hrs. It must be reported with FDLE that you are leaving the state and must report to the local authorities in the state you’re visiting. Several years ago I moved to Texas for a few months and had to go through all that. Except back then I had 72 hrs (3 days) to make the necessary changes. Currently, unless I’m mistaken it’s only 48 hrs (2 days)
There’s no requirement to notify FDLE simply for crossing state lines. Even if you won’t be back for > 48 hours.
Unless it’s part of your Probation paperwork, leaving the state, without establishing residence, and returning, are none of FDLE’s business.
FAC is that your understanding also?
Is it 3 or more days away from home? Or, is it 3 or more days in the same location? That seems to be the confusing part. So, if he were to leave with us and we traveled around to different locations would he only be able to be away for 48 hours from home or would it be 48 hours in one location? I did check on your information page about the state we live in and if he is going to be in the state for 3 days or more he would have to register in the state but I also read somewhere that a day doesn’t begin until a night has been spent in the state. So, if he were to come up on a Friday and leave on a Monday he would be okay in the state??? I know life isn’t fair but at the same time I just don’t feel as though it is right that it is not just the offender that has to suffer these draconian laws but also the family members. I feel like my rights are violated at times along with my son because I can’t plan anything more than a certain amount of days. I feel like the registry is punitive and it isn’t just punitive for the registrants but also the family members.
I just moved to Florida, my cuz used to live in Florida, now in TN and is registered in TN. Is he still registered here? Can he stay with me for three days, then different county for 3ndays and back to me for 3 days?
You can check the registry here to see if he is on: https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/sops/offenderSearch.jsf
If he’s on, he’s on.
He can stay with you, but three or more days require registration. He would need to go register at the local sheriff’s office and he would also need to go to the DHSMV to get a branded driver’s license or ID.
Sandra
If your cuz does come and visit you for 3 days just know your address will be placed on the Florida registry. My advice is for him to stay out of Florida because it’s not worth the hassle of lifetime registration.
Since he was once registered in florida,Florida, is still on it. Just tell him to behave and don’t stress it. I know many SOs have gone to florida and not register without issues.
Horrible advice
Have fun and not worry. It’s a small trip and no he doesn’t need to inform anyone of his travel plans within the US.
I think most people have missed the point that you stated that your son “lives in Florida and is currently on the Florida registry.” From what I know, if you son decides to leave Florida. He must report when he is leaving and where he is going with FDLE. I’m not sure if he needs to report that he’s leaving within a certain time but I do know he has only 48 hrs to report to the local authorities in Ohio once he reaches Ohio. Basically in Florida any changes to any registry info must be reported within 48 hrs. So, your son should be ok to leave his local residence in Florida to travel with you to the Keys with out any trouble. Especially if it’s only going to be 48 hrs. Anything past that would he would be required to report it to keep him out of trouble. Hypothetically speaking. Let’s say you get pulled over in the keys. The cops run everyone’s IDs and they see your son is a RSO. They will ask how long he’s staying in the keys, if he’s register a transient (hotel etc) address. Then if they see you again 3-4 days later and have a reason to check his ID again and he hasn’t changed his address. They can arrest him for failure to register. 1st time offense for failure to register usually gets probation. 2nd time offense landed me in prison for 1 yr. Needless to say I don’t travel much any more.
Maybe I’m the one misunderstanding your question though. If I am wrong, FAC correct me here. Another option is to call FDLE yourself to verify the time constraints of temporary and transient addresses etc.
@Tim P.,
” From what I know, if you son decides to leave Florida. He must report when he is leaving and where he is going with FDLE.”
With respect sir, you are mistaken… There is nothing stating that when leaving the state of Florida, for any reason aside from moving or international travel, that a person who is required to register must inform authorities. Each state has its own set of time requirements as to how long one can “reside” within that state before notification however.
I had left Florida almost ten years ago and moved to AZ state… I had no issues here with the local law enforcement, I do what I need to do. I have a good place to live there are other people like me here but they are haters… I have a good job, a nice car, and I went back to church… I really feel a geographic location is the issue ( I will not go back to fla I caught my time there) I feel the real issue is to take responsbilty for one actions and move on.. You have remember society will never accept you and is decaying so why try to please them. Where ever you plant your feet that is your home I have to remember I broke the law I have to do all I can not to again.. I owe my victim that and myself to move on. Out here in the west a man has to kill his own snakes when they first came this way..to settle You have to have it in your heart and belive in yourself you gonna make it but the real fact is you gonna have to look to the LORD because that is the only way you gonna stay out of trouble with his help
Tim, if Florida is that strict, I would suggest moving elsewhere. I’m in Virginia and have no such restrictions. The only time we have to notify VSP is change of anything. They don’t care if we travel anywhere in the US. The only travel we’re required to inform them is overseas. I’ve had several RSOs travel overseas from VA with zero problems. I travel alot myself with no issues. I’ve even been to Florida several times, never been stopped nor asked my status. I’d say it’s time for yall to move to a better state that doesn’t restrict you as much.
The Best Advice when traveling in FLori-DUh is never to ‘stay’ in Florida….Just pass through……Read through the Lines……
I never register when ‘passing though’…
As one Sheriff told me, ‘You are a Grady Judd Graduate, He is an asshole, you don’t need to register, FCK HIM’
-that is what they said once when I went to register and told me to enjoy my visit in florida! I never have gone back!
Never asked me for any ID or anything and told me to ‘live your life’
that was in Lee County!