It appears that Mexico has inaugurated a policy of refusing entry to anyone registered in the United States as a sex offender. While no formal policy has been announced, the body of anecdotal evidence supporting the existence of an informal policy is growing. In numerous internet postings, vacationers report being turned back at the border or forced to take the next plane home, leaving their families behind. There is no indication that people with other convictions are being similarly excluded. The Mexican government’s new policy has been made technologically feasible by new federal data-sharing policies, including the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender website maintained by the Justice Department’s SMART Office. Members of the public may now do a free national search of all state sex offender registries, as well as all registries maintained in Indian country. We will continue to monitor this situation, and watch for reports about exclusionary policies from other countries.
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Restoration of Rights Project (RRP)
Restoration of Firearm Rights After Conviction: A National Survey and Recommendations for Reform (Dec. 2025)

50-state comparisons
About the Restoration of Rights Project
The Restoration of Rights Project (RRP) is a free online resource of the Collateral Consequences Resource Center (CCRC) that analyzes the law and practice in each U.S. jurisdiction relating to restoration of rights and status following arrest or conviction. Jurisdictional “profiles” cover areas such as loss and restoration of civil rights, including voting and firearm rights; judicial and executive mechanisms for avoiding or mitigating collateral consequences, including expungement and pardon; and, provisions addressing non-discrimination in employment, occupational licensing, and housing. Links to relevant legislative sites and other original sources are included. The profiles and other RRP resources are regularly updated in real time as new laws are enacted and policies changed.
Originally published in 2006 by CCRC Executive Director Margaret Love, the resources that comprise the RRP were re-organized in 2017 into a unified online platform that makes them easier to access, use, and understand. Over the years, the profiles and comparison charts have been expanded to broaden their scope and to account for the many changes in this complex area of the law. The short “postcard” summaries of the law in each state — which serve as a gateway to more detailed information — have been reviewed and revised to provide a more current and accurate snapshot of applicable law in each state. In addition to the jurisdictional profiles and postcards, RRP materials now include a set of 50-state comparison charts that make it possible to see national patterns in restoration laws and policies.
These reference materials are intended as a resource for practitioners in all phases of the criminal justice system, for courts, for civil practitioners assisting clients whose court-imposed sentence has exposed them to additional civil penalties, for policymakers and advocates interested in reentry and reintegration of convicted persons, and for the millions of Americans with a criminal record who are seeking to put their past behind them.
These resources are protected by copyright, but they may be republished as long as appropriate attribution is given to CCRC’s Restoration of Rights Project.




