State and local housing rules
Where Can Sex Offenders Live? Residency Restrictions by State
Where can registered sex offenders live? The answer depends on the person and exact address: check applicable state and local rules, supervision conditions, and provider criteria before committing. Start with the researched entries below, then use the verification checklist; the state directory is a starting point, not a completed legal comparison.
No single national distance
Federal SORNA establishes registration standards but does not itself impose limits on where a person may live.
Local rules can matter
A county, city, municipality, or other local jurisdiction may have requirements that are not apparent from a state statute alone.
Individual conditions differ
Probation, parole, court orders, or release plans may add person-specific requirements.
Practical research
Researched jurisdiction starting points
Three scoped entries checked September 20, 2026. They identify sources and next contacts, not approved addresses or a complete statement of each state’s law. Recheck the source and any amendments for your planned move.On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to read every column.
| Jurisdiction | Source and scope | Local lookup and contact | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Section 775.215 covers specified convictions and circumstances, not everyone on the registry. The 2026 text separates provisions by offense date and includes a public-swimming-pool category in subsection (4). Read the full applicability and exceptions before choosing distance or location filters. Florida Senate: 2026 section 775.215 | Use the city and county websites to find their codes and clerk contacts. Ask the local registration office and, when applicable, supervising officer to identify the controlling requirements for the exact address; request qualified legal help if applicability is unclear. Find the official county or city website | September 20, 2026 |
| Texas | This entry covers parole research, not every Texas registrant. The TDCJ policy index links to Sex Offender Program Supervision Guidelines policy 3.6.2 and Child Safety Zones policy 3.6.5. Compare the current policy documents with the person’s actual release conditions. TDCJ: current parole policy index | Look up the municipality’s code on its official website and ask the clerk about current residency provisions. For a parole placement, ask the assigned parole officer to review the proposed home under the applicable release conditions. Probation questions belong with the supervising probation office. Find the official county or city website | September 20, 2026 |
| California | CDCR describes case-by-case residency restrictions for people under its parole supervision. This source does not establish that every registrant has no restrictions; individual statutory requirements and special parole conditions still need review. CDCR: registration and parole requirements | CDCR’s guidance says its parole agents do not enforce local ordinances because state law overrides them. Use city/county sites to identify any claimed local rule and ask qualified counsel about applicability rather than assuming the rule controls. Ask the assigned parole agent about the proposed address and special conditions. Find the official county or city websiteCDCR parole contacts and resources | September 20, 2026 |
Practical research
Example: turn an uncertain rule into a question
Fictional example: a listing is described as “outside city limits,” while the mailing address uses the city name. Record the jurisdiction as unverified rather than choosing the city’s distance setting by guesswork. Ask the county or municipality to establish which jurisdiction governs the parcel, then request the current rule and any individual conditions from the responsible authority.
Keep the source section, date checked, applicable people, location categories, measurement method, and unresolved questions together. A map with no results does not resolve an uncertain jurisdiction.
The legal layers
Start by identifying which authority controls the decision
The phrase “residency restrictions by state” is useful for beginning research, but the state is only one possible source of a housing requirement.Federal registration standards
SORNA addresses registration and notification. The U.S. Department of Justice SMART Office states that SORNA does not create residency restrictions or safety zones.
State statutes
A state may define covered people, protected places, exceptions, distances, measurement rules, or effective dates. The current statutory text matters more than a secondary summary.
Local ordinances
Counties and municipalities may regulate housing or presence in ways that differ from statewide law. Search the code for the exact city and county containing the address.
Supervision and court conditions
An individual order or supervision plan may be more restrictive than a generally applicable statute. Written conditions should be reviewed separately.
Address verification
Use the same six checks for every candidate address
- 1
Confirm the exact jurisdiction
Identify the state, county, municipality, and any special district associated with the street address. Mailing city names do not always identify the governing municipality.
- 2
Read the current state source
Use the state legislature or official government website. Record the section number, effective date, who is covered, protected locations, exceptions, and measurement language.
- 3
Search local codes
Check both county and municipal ordinances. Use terms such as residency, residence, registration, safety zone, exclusion zone, and protected location.
- 4
Review individual conditions
Compare the generally applicable law with probation, parole, court, registry, release-plan, or program requirements for the specific person.
- 5
Check the measurement method
A straight-line point estimate may differ from a property-line, parcel-boundary, entrance, or travel-route measurement required by a rule.
- 6
Obtain confirmation
Ask the responsible supervising or local authority to confirm the exact address before signing, paying nonrefundable costs, or moving.
Keep the research current
Why saved summaries need to be rechecked
Laws, ordinances, court decisions, enforcement practices, facility locations, and individual supervision conditions can change. A summary that was accurate for one person or address may not answer a later housing question.
Keep a research record with the address, jurisdiction, source links, access date, selected distance, covered location types, map results, and the name or office that confirmed the decision. Recheck the sources when a move is delayed or the address changes.
51 official starting points
State and District of Columbia government directory
Each link opens the official USAGov directory entry for that jurisdiction. From there, locate the legislature, corrections department, attorney general, courts, and local governments needed for current research. This directory has not been researched as a 51-jurisdiction legal comparison; only the scoped entries above have source-specific research notes.Editorial standard
How this guide was prepared
Scope
Safe Living Search provides a national research framework and does not interpret an individual order, decide which law controls, list every local ordinance, or approve a housing address.
Source selection
The guide prioritizes current federal and state government directories and consumer resources. Sources explain the research process; the controlling jurisdiction remains responsible for current individual requirements.
Review process
Dated research entries identify the scope of the source check. Official sources support rule explanations; provider websites support attributed service and price descriptions. Fictional examples are labeled and do not use a real person’s search history.
Further verification
Official and primary resources
Open each source directly and confirm that it applies to the person, address, and jurisdiction being researched.Explains that SORNA does not impose residency restrictions and directs individual questions to state or local jurisdictions.
U.S. Department of Justice SMART OfficeLocally enacted requirements and case-law summaryProvides background on state and locally enacted residency and loitering restrictions.
USAGovState and local government directoryOfficial directory for state agencies, corrections departments, local governments, and other government contacts.
USAGovLocal government directory by stateFind official county, city, and town government websites for local code research.
Evaluate a specific address