Will the government shutdown affect registration?

The short answer is NO. With the October 1, 2025 lapse in appropriations (i.e. the current federal government shutdown), SORNA remains law and the obligation of sex offenders to register and comply is unaffected. However, certain federal-level support functions tied to SORNA may be disrupted. For example; the DOJ’s SMART Office could be furloughed, delaying new guidance or technical assistance; grant processing for SORNA implementation may be put on hold; prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. § 2250 could slow as U.S. Attorney and federal law enforcement offices prioritize essential work; and updates to national systems like NSOR or federal databases may experience delays.

These constraints do not relieve registrants of their responsibilities, nor halt state-run registration systems that operate under state law.

The federal shutdown may cause delays and disruptions in how international travel notices are processed. The U.S. Marshals Service’s National Sex Offender Targeting Center (NSOTC), which coordinates advance travel notifications under the International Megan’s Law (IML), operates within the Department of Justice — an agency directly impacted by the shutdown. If staff there are furloughed or operating with limited capacity, it could delay the transmission of travel notices to foreign governments or slow the processing of departure notifications submitted by registrants.