diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index db923c0b58..7dad4ccddb 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ Suggests:
     png,
     IRdisplay,
     processx,
+    plotlyGeoAssets,
     rstudioapi
 Remotes:
   tidyverse/ggplot2
diff --git a/R/plotly.R b/R/plotly.R
index f072698502..7119a0fb78 100644
--- a/R/plotly.R
+++ b/R/plotly.R
@@ -257,6 +257,9 @@ plot_mapbox <- function(data = data.frame(), ...) {
 #' 
 #' @param data A data frame (optional).
 #' @param ... arguments passed along to [plot_ly()].
+#' @param offline whether or not to include geo assets so that the map
+#' can be viewed with or without an internet connection. The plotlyGeoAssets
+#' package is required for this functionality.
 #' @export
 #' @author Carson Sievert
 #' @seealso [plot_ly()], [plot_mapbox()], [ggplotly()] 
@@ -267,8 +270,22 @@ plot_mapbox <- function(data = data.frame(), ...) {
 #'   plot_geo(x = ~long, y = ~lat) %>%
 #'   add_markers(size = I(1))
 #' 
-plot_geo <- function(data = data.frame(), ...) {
+plot_geo <- function(data = data.frame(), ..., offline = FALSE) {
   p <- plot_ly(data, ...)
+  
+  if (isTRUE(offline)) {
+    if (system.file(package = "plotlyGeoAssets") == "") {
+      stop(
+        "The plotlyGeoAssets package is required to make 'offline' maps. ",
+        "Please install and try again.",
+        call. = FALSE
+      )
+    }
+    p$dependencies <- c(
+      list(plotlyGeoAssets::geo_assets()),
+      p$dependencies
+    )
+  }
   # not only do we use this for is_geo(), but also setting the layout attr
   # https://plot.ly/r/reference/#layout-geo
   p$x$layout$mapType <- "geo"
diff --git a/man/plot_geo.Rd b/man/plot_geo.Rd
index 5669676d8d..e851ea7e97 100644
--- a/man/plot_geo.Rd
+++ b/man/plot_geo.Rd
@@ -4,12 +4,16 @@
 \alias{plot_geo}
 \title{Initiate a plotly-geo object}
 \usage{
-plot_geo(data = data.frame(), ...)
+plot_geo(data = data.frame(), ..., offline = FALSE)
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{data}{A data frame (optional).}
 
 \item{...}{arguments passed along to \code{\link[=plot_ly]{plot_ly()}}.}
+
+\item{offline}{whether or not to include geo assets so that the map
+can be viewed with or without an internet connection. The plotlyGeoAssets
+package is required for this functionality.}
 }
 \description{
 Use this function instead of \code{\link[=plot_ly]{plot_ly()}} to initialize