Written by PS
My son has a 3 month trip planned to the Schengen Zone later this spring. He has a juvenile conviction in Minnesota and is registered in the state. He is now an adult. He contacted the MN BCA who handles registration in the state asking for the 21 day travel form to fill out and send back to them. They told him that they do not require nor utilize this form for international travel. They also told him they do not report any international travel information to the Feds. We have reviewed the information on the SORNA website and it says that it’s the states registration department that is responsible for relaying the travel information to the US Marshal’s Office.
My son wants to comply with all requirements (state and federal), but is not sure what to do at this point. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
If the state is not in “compliance” with SORNA, then that is neither your son’s fault nor his problem. It’s on the state to report that information to the DHS and if they don’t, it’s on them. Your son just needs to follow the rules of his local reporting jurisdiction (there is no reporting directly to the federal government about anything unless he is on federal probation with a federal agent) and he can then freely leave whenever he would like.
I had a similar experience on a trip to EU. I was worried, and called a # at US Marshall’s Service from their website. I left a voice mail, and someone actually called me back. They did not ask any details, just told me that they will typically contact the location where you register. So, if you notified your reporting jurisdiction, they will say you came in, and you will have no problem. I did carry the print out with me, in case I was questioned returning to the US. Turned out not to be necessary, but i felt better about having proof I did what was required.