WV
West Virginia
Visitors must register after staying 8 to 29 days.
West Virginia requires out-of-state registrants to register if they visit for more than 15 continuous days. Registration is also triggered with no day threshold by working, studying, carrying on a vocation, or owning or leasing property they regularly visit. Registration is in person at the State Police detachment, and registry information is published online.
Registering as a visitor
- When it's required
- After 15 days.
- Deadline
- The statute sets no explicit deadline for non-residents; registration is triggered by a visit of more than 15 continuous days, so practically before day 16. Registrants must report changes in registry information within ten business days.
- Where
- In person at the West Virginia State Police detachment covering the county of residence (§15-12-2(d)); non-residents should contact the detachment for the county where they are staying.
- Also required if
- Employment in West Virginia (no day threshold)
- Carrying on a vocation in West Virginia
- Being a student in West Virginia
- Owning or leasing habitable real property in West Virginia that is regularly visited
- Changing residence to West Virginia while required to register elsewhere
- Transfer of probation/parole supervision into West Virginia
Public registry
The law doesn't clearly say whether visitors appear on the public registry.
Registry information required to be public under §15-12-5(b)(2) is posted online; telephone and paging numbers are not released online. Nothing creates a separate non-public track for out-of-state registrants, but §15-12-4 (duration) and §15-12-7 (moving out of state) were not read, so post-departure removal is unverified.
Places registrants can't go
- Schools, child care facilities, and a victim's residenceProhibited from establishing a residence or accepting employment within 1,000 feet, and from loitering within 1,000 feet (§62-12-26).Applies to: Only people serving West Virginia extended supervised release for qualifying sex offenses, including interstate-compact transferees supervised in WV; not registrants generally.
Laws cited
- W. Va. Code §15-12-2 · West Virginia Legislature
- W. Va. Code §15-12-9 · West Virginia Legislature
- W. Va. Code §15-12-3 · West Virginia Legislature
- W. Va. Code §62-12-26 · West Virginia Legislature
- W. Va. Code Article 15-12 (index) · West Virginia Legislature
Last checked September 19, 2026 · full review September 19, 2026
Research notes
Only §15-12-2 and §15-12-9 were read in full; §15-12-3, §15-12-5 and §62-12-26 were seen only as official-page snippets, and §15-12-4, §15-12-7 and §15-12-8 were not read. The statute contains no aggregation rule for scattered visits and no stated registration deadline for non-residents. A $125 annual fee applies to persons required to register. No statewide general presence or Halloween restriction was found, but this was not exhaustively confirmed; local ordinances were not surveyed. Federal SORNA and home-state conditions may impose stricter duties.
Common questions
Do registered sex offenders have to register when visiting West Virginia?
Visitors must register after 15 days. The statute sets no explicit deadline for non-residents; registration is triggered by a visit of more than 15 continuous days, so practically before day 16. Registrants must report changes in registry information within ten business days.
Will a visiting registrant appear on West Virginia's public registry?
West Virginia's law doesn't clearly say whether visitors appear on the public registry.
Are there places registrants can't go in West Virginia?
The state restricts registrants from: schools, child care facilities, and a victim's residence. 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.