States With No Sex Offender Residency Restrictions

Updated July 2026: States With No Sex Offender Residency Restrictions: What the Law Actually Says

Sex offender residency restrictions are state or local laws that bar registered offenders from living within a set distance (usually 500 to 2,500 feet) of schools, parks, daycares, or other places children gather. They exist in some form in most of the country, but not every state has a statewide law. In several states, residency is regulated only at the county or city level, only as a condition of probation or parole, or not at all.

Why “20 states” numbers vary so much online

If you’ve searched this topic, you’ve probably noticed the lists don’t match. Some sites cite 10 states, others cite 20+, and the difference usually comes down to methodology:

Statewide law vs. local ordinance: A state can have zero state-level restriction while dozens of its cities and counties impose their own.
Blanket restriction vs. conditional restriction: Some states only restrict offenders while they’re on probation, parole, or supervised release, not after they’ve completed their sentence.
Outdated data: Laws in this area change frequently as courts strike down restrictions (as happened in California) or legislatures add new ones.

Because of this, treat any list, including this one, as a starting point rather than a final answer.

States most commonly cited as having no statewide residency restriction

Based on comparative legal trackers and state-by-state reviews, these states are the ones most consistently identified as not having a blanket, statewide residency distance law (though local ordinances or parole/probation conditions may still apply in specific cities or cases):

Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.

A few states, Maine, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin, sit in a middle category: no statewide restriction, but state law expressly permits local governments to pass their own, so restrictions can still exist depending on the specific city or county.

New Jersey is a notable, well-documented case: a Justice Department mapping study confirmed New Jersey does not have a statewide sex offender residency restriction policy, though local rules have applied in some municipalities.

California is often mislabeled as restriction-free. It isn’t; it’s just narrower than people assume. There are no statewide laws, but some local laws exist on the city or county level, and the state’s own Attorney General’s office has confirmed the 2,000-foot rule tied to Jessica’s Law now applies only when imposed as an individual condition of parole or probation, not as a blanket rule.

Important caveats before relying on this for a housing decision

Registration still applies everywhere. No state on this list exempts anyone from registering as a sex offender; it only exempts them from a residency distance rule.
Local law can override the state picture. A city or county can pass its own restriction even in a state with no statewide law.
Interstate moves require notice. If you’re on supervision, moving between states typically requires approval through the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision before you relocate.
Confirm with a primary source. State legislature websites, your state’s sex offender registry unit, or a supervising probation/parole officer will have the current, binding rule, not a blog list.

Sources

Office of Justice Programs / National Institute of Justice, Sex Offender Residency Restrictions: How Mapping Can Inform Policy (NCJ 222759): ojp.gov
Probation Information Network, residency restriction comparison chart: probationinfo.org
Florida Action Committee, Residency Restrictions by State (based on Savage & Windsor, 2018 study): floridaactioncommittee.org
California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General guidance on Jessica’s Law implementation

This is a guide listing the “possible” states with no sex offender residency restrictions, or with conditional restrictions for offenders on probation, parole, or extended supervised release.

Sex offender residency restrictions make finding a place to rent or buy extremely complicated because of the numerous schools, daycares, and playgrounds in residential areas.

Choosing to move to a state with no sex offender residency restrictions makes finding a place to live a lot easier, but you must notify the registry of the state you’re leaving and the state you’re moving to before you relocate.

Are There States With No Sex Offender Residency Restrictions Or With Conditional Restrictions?

In the following states, there aren’t any restrictions under state law limiting where sex offenders can live. However, some states (listed separately) allow local communities to set their own restrictions, so for those states, you’ll need to check at the county or city level.

States Without Sex Offender Residency Restrictions

There aren’t any residency restrictions at all for sex offenders in these states:

Alaska
Kansas
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Utah
Vermont
S. Virgin Islands (overseas territory)

States With Local Residency Restrictions

In these states, some jurisdictions have local laws limiting where sex offenders can live:

Colorado
Maine*
Minnesota*
Nebraska*
Texas*
Wisconsin

*In addition to the possibility of local restrictions, Maine, Minnesota, and Texas state laws allow residency restrictions on a case-by-case basis for some sex offenders during their period of parole or probation.

States With Sex Offender Residency Restrictions During Probation Or Supervised Release

Before moving to another state while still under parole or probation, you must obtain permission to use an Interstate Compact. Learn more about Interstate compacts on the government website at https://interstatecompact.org/resources/transferring-your-supervision.

California
Connecticut
Hawaii
Minnesota
Nevada
New York
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Texas
Washington
Washington D.C.
West Virginia

California

In California, serious sex offenders on parole cannot live within ¼ mile of a school.

High-risk sex offenders on parole cannot live within ½ mile of schools, daycares, or other places where children congregate.

Residency restrictions also apply to violent sexual predators. Offenders granted a conditional release under California Code 6608.5 cannot live within ¼ mile of a school if the court finds the offender has a history of improper sexual conduct with children, or the person was convicted of:

A violation of California Penal Code 288.5 subdivision (a) or (b)
A violation of California Penal Code 288, paragraph (1) subdivision (c)

Connecticut

Sex offenders on parole or probation must live in locations pre-approved by parole or probation officers. Residency restrictions may also be imposed by the court during sentencing.

Hawaii

Certain categories of sex offender may have restrictions imposed under their Terms and Conditions of Supervision on a case-by-case basis.

Minnesota

Sex offenders on parole or probation may have a residency restriction imposed as a condition of their release. Once the period of supervision is over, there are no restrictions limiting where an offender can live.

Residency restrictions may prohibit level 3 sex offenders in Minnesota from living within 1500 feet of a school safety zone. The decision is taken by the parole committee on a case-by-case basis.

Nevada

Sex offenders under state supervision may not live within 1000 feet of any place primarily used by children if the following conditions apply:

Conviction of an offense against a child under the age of 14
Conviction of a tier 3 sex offense

New York

Sex offenders on parole or probation may be banned from living within 1000 feet of a school or other children’s facility. The decision is taken on a case-by-case basis by the parole or probation authority.

Oregon

In Oregon, a sex offender on parole or supervised release will face residency restrictions if they are a “sexually violent dangerous offender” or a “predatory sex offender”.

Pennsylvania

Sex offenders on parole or probation may have residency restrictions imposed on a case-by-case basis.

Texas

Offenders on parole or probation may have residency restrictions imposed as a condition of their supervision. Once the period of supervision is over, residency restrictions no longer apply.

Washington

The Department of Corrections may refuse to allow sex offenders on parole to live in close proximity to schools, daycare centers, playgrounds, or other facilities where children of a similar age to a previous victim gather.

Once the period of supervision has ended, the restrictions no longer apply.

Washington D.C.

Courts may impose residence restrictions on a case-by-case basis for offenders under supervised release.

West Virginia

Unless a sex offender has residency restrictions imposed by a court, there are no residency limitations.

States With Sex Offender Residency Restrictions For Certain Levels Or Offenses

Arkansas
Iowa
North Dakota

Arkansas

In Arkansas, there are no sex offender residency restrictions unless the offender has been assessed as a level 3 or level 4 offender.

Level 3 and level 4 sex offenders cannot live within 2,000 feet of a school, daycare facility, public park, or youth center.

Level 4 sex offenders are also prohibited from living within 2,000 feet of a church or other place of worship.

Iowa

In Iowa, there are no sex offender residency restrictions unless the offender committed an offense against a minor.

Residency restrictions only apply to sex offenders convicted of “aggravated offense against a minor” under IA Code § 692A.101 or a comparable offense from another jurisdiction.

A minor is a person under the age of 18. Aggravated offense against a minor is:

Sexual abuse in the first degree (section 709.2)
Sexual abuse in the second degree (section 709.3)
Sexual abuse in the third degree (section 709.4)
Continuous sexual abuse of a child (section 709.23)

North Dakota

In North Dakota, there are no sex offender residency restrictions unless the offender is a high-risk offender. High-risk sex offenders cannot live within 500 feet of a school.

Conclusion

Which states do not require sex offenders to register?

The only states without any sex offender residency restrictions at all are Alaska, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont, and the U.S. Virgin Islands ( overseas territory).

California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, Washington D.C., and West Virginia impose restrictions on sex offenders on parole or probation.

Arkansas, Iowa, and North Dakota only restrict where sex offenders convicted of specific offenses can live.