AL
Alabama
The law requires visitors to register, but the trigger isn't clear.
We haven't confirmed these rules against the statute text yet. Check the cited laws before relying on them.
Alabama requires sex offender registration with the sheriff in each county of residence, work, volunteering, or school, but the day-count trigger for visitors was not confirmed. Out-of-state convictions may not appear on the public website until a due process hearing. Residence and loitering restrictions near schools and childcare facilities exist but were not verified from official text.
Registering as a visitor
- When it's required
- Required, but the law doesn't state a clear number of days.
- Deadline
- Not confirmed. Snippet-level sources indicate a person entering Alabama to establish a residence must appear in person immediately with local law enforcement, and that registration is required in each county of residence, employment, volunteer work, or school. Whether and when a short-term visitor must register was not verified.
- Where
- Sheriff's office in the county (registration is administered county by county)
- Also required if
- employment (snippet-level, unverified)
- volunteer position (snippet-level, unverified)
- school attendance (snippet-level, unverified)
Public registry
The law doesn't clearly say whether visitors appear on the public registry.
ALEA's FAQ states not all registrants are publicly disseminated; people convicted out of state, in federal or military court, or on an Indian reservation may not be posted to the public website until a due process hearing is completed. Only offenses listed in Section 15-20A-5 are posted. The FAQ does not address removal after a visitor leaves.
Places registrants can't go
- School, childcare facility, or resident camp facilitySnippet-level: no adult sex offender may establish or maintain a residence within 2,000 feet, measured property line to property line; exemptions exist. Not confirmed from official text.Applies to: adult sex offenders (residence rule, could implicate a visitor's lodging)
- K-12 school property and school events; loitering areasSection 15-20A-17 covers loitering and requirements for entering K-12 school property or attending events; snippet suggests it applies to those convicted of a sex offense involving a minor. Distances and procedures were not read.Applies to: adult sex offenders convicted of an offense involving a minor (unverified)
- Areas where children congregateALEA FAQ: if the victim was a child under 12, the person may not live with a minor nor loiter where children congregate.Applies to: registrants whose victim was under 12
- Former victimsSection 15-20A-16 prohibits direct or indirect contact with former victims (snippet-level).Applies to: all registrants
Laws cited
- Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Sex Offender Registry FAQ · Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
Last checked September 19, 2026 · full review September 19, 2026
Research notes
Research incomplete. Alabama's official ALISON code site is a JavaScript app and returned no statutory text, so Ala. Code Sections 15-20A-4, -10, -14, and -17 were never read on a government server. All statutory points here come from search-engine excerpts of unofficial reproductions and should not be treated as verified. In particular, no visitor day-count trigger could be established: the 'three or more days' figures appearing in the temporary-lodging definition (Section 15-20A-4) and the travel provision (Section 15-20A-15) are outbound duties on Alabama residents, not visitor triggers. Halloween/holiday rules were not searched. Registration is administered county by county by sheriffs. Not legal advice.
Common questions
Do registered sex offenders have to register when visiting Alabama?
Visitors must register in some circumstances, but the law doesn't set a clear number of days. Not confirmed. Snippet-level sources indicate a person entering Alabama to establish a residence must appear in person immediately with local law enforcement, and that registration is required in each county of residence, employment, volunteer work, or school. Whether and when a short-term visitor must register was not verified.
Will a visiting registrant appear on Alabama's public registry?
Alabama's law doesn't clearly say whether visitors appear on the public registry.
Are there places registrants can't go in Alabama?
The state restricts registrants from: school, childcare facility, or resident camp facility; k-12 school property and school events; loitering areas; areas where children congregate; former victims. Details and who they apply to are listed on this page.
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules may add requirements. Confirm with the state registry agency or an attorney before you travel.