If you are on parole, you can't move to another state.If you want to move for a good reason, such as to be closer to family or accept a job offer, you may be able to have your parole transferred under the Interstate Compact.All U.S. states and territories are members of the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision, which governs the Compact.The only way to transfer your parole from one state to another is through this process.You have to stay in the state where you were sentenced until your term ends.
Step 1: Determine if you're eligible for a transfer.
To be eligible for transfer, a parolee must meet certain criteria.You must go through the Compact's transfer process if you have more than 90 days remaining on your sentence for a felony or certain misdemeanor.Those involving physical or psychological violence, possession of a firearm, or sex offenses are required to transfer through the Compact.If you were a resident of the state you want to move to for at least a year or have family who have lived there for 180 days, you can get a mandatory transfer.You have to be in compliance with all the rules in your state in order to transfer.If you don't meet the criteria for a mandatory transfer, your transfer will be subject to a good deal of discretion on the part of committees in the sentencing state and the receiving state.
Step 2: Discuss with your parole officer your desire to move.
Bring the idea of a transfer to your parole officer if you believe you meet the eligibility criteria.If you need to travel immediately, you should tell your parole officer about it the first time you talk.If your need to travel is urgent, you may be eligible to receive a temporary travel permit until your transfer is approved.If you were convicted of a sex offense, you are not eligible for a temporary travel permit, and cannot travel to another state for any length of time without being approved for transfer.The costs of supervision in the state where you want to move may be different from the costs you pay in your current state.The Compact doesn't require your officer to cooperate with you.It may be difficult for you to get the transfer approved if your officer doesn't agree with your plans.
Step 3: Provide your information to your officer.
If you want to pursue opportunities in another state, you must provide additional documentation to complete your application.Whether you qualify for a mandatory or discretionary transfer depends on your reasons for transfer.The receiving state has the right to reject your transfer request if your reason does not qualify for a mandatory transfer.It's not enough for relocation to attend an inpatient treatment or rehabilitation program in another state to qualify for a mandatory transfer.The delay or even rejection of your transfer can be caused by submitting a transfer application with insufficient information.
Step 4: The transfer application needs to be completed.
To begin the transfer process, you need to fill out an application and send it to the committee in your current state.Along with your application form, the packet must include evidence of employment or other means of financial support in the state to which you want to transfer, proof of your own residency in that state, and proof that you are in compliance with all the legal conditions and requirements.Your family or friends in the state where you want to move can help you gather evidence, but your transfer application can only be completed by you and your officer.
Step 5: In your current state, submit your transfer application to the compact office.
The application will usually be sent to the compact office by your parole officer.The transfer process may take several months, and no specific criteria exist for determining when circumstances justify expediting an application.The receiving state and the sentencing state make their own decisions regarding the speed with which your application will be processed.Transfer fees can be paid when you submit your application.Depending on the state, these fees can range from $25 to $200.If your application is approved, the fee is non-refundable.If you can demonstrate that paying the fee will result in financial hardship, a few states will waive it.The Clerk of Circuit Court will usually make your fee payable to them, but your officer should be able to give you details on how to pay in your jurisdiction.
Step 6: Wait for a decision from the office.
If you meet the state's requirements for a transfer, the compact office in the sentencing state will review your application.If your current state determines that your plan and reason for transferring to the other state is not viable, it will reject your application and the transfer will not take place.If your transfer application is rejected, you have the right to request a hearing before a judge.If your application is available to find out if you can request a hearing.Your current state court does not have the authority to allow or order your transfer.Permission is required from the other state before you can move there.
Step 7: Send your transfer application to the compact office in the state you want to move to.
The receiving state must review the transfer application if the sentencing state approves it.Your current state will determine if your reasons for transfer and supervision plan are viable before you send the application to the state you want to move to.The Compact doesn't include a deadline for your current state to make a decision on your application, so this step may take some time.Once the sentencing state has made a decision regarding your application, you will be notified if it has denied or approved it and forwarded it to the receiving state for review.
Step 8: Wait for the results of the investigation.
The receiving state will conduct an investigation of your situation and make a decision on your transfer.The state where you want to live has 45 days to make a decision on your application.If your reasons for transfer do not meet the criteria for a mandatory transfer, the compact office in the state where you want to move has discretion on whether to accept or reject your application.If your application is rejected by either your current state or the state you want to move to, you have no right to appeal the decision.
Step 9: Receive instructions from your state.
The receiving state will give you instructions on how to move if it accepts your transfer.If you were sentenced in that state, your new state may impose additional conditions on your parole.You may have to pay different monthly supervision fees in your new state.You should review your instructions carefully to determine the fees you have to pay.
Step 10: Understand the consequences of a transfer.
Before you leave, make sure you have fulfilled all the requirements and are ready to report in the new state.The transfer rules don't require the receiving state to reduce your supervision just because you were sentenced in that state.The receiving state only has to watch you the same way as anyone else.Although you have been given permission to move to the new state, the state in which you were sentenced still has jurisdiction over your case and can order you to return at any time.To complete your term, you must be in compliance with both the conditions imposed by the receiving state and the sentencing state.
Step 11: Move to a new place.
You have to move within the dates listed in your instructions.Verification of a bus or plane ticket is required by individual state laws.Determine the requirements for your situation by reviewing your reporting instructions.Travel isn't allowed until after the transfer process is complete and you have received reporting instructions.You risk being re-sentenced for a parole violation if you set out early.
Step 12: You should report to your parole officer.
Follow your reporting instructions for when, where and how to meet your parole officer.It is not possible for your new parole officer to collect fines, court costs, or any other fines you are required to pay pursuant to your original sentence.You have to make payment arrangements with the sentencing state if you still owe money.