Address confidentiality program

In the United States an address confidentiality program allows survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or other types of crime to receive mail at a confidential address, while keeping their actual address undisclosed.^[1] In some states or jurisdictions, reproductive healthcare workers and employees of agencies that assist survivors of domestic violence or stalking are also eligible.^[2][3]

Survivors usually apply through a state's Secretary of State office. Once a survivor is admitted to the program, they will receive a PO box or other address that will legally substitute their residential address on public records, such as voting registration.

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence,

Address Confidentiality Programs (ACP) and Confidential Voter Listings are programs administered by the state enabling victims of domestic violence (and sometime victims of sexual assault and/or stalking) to participate in the voting process without fear of being found by their abusers. ACPs generally provide a substitute address for all public records. Confidential Voter Listings only provide confidentiality on election-related public records.

States with Confidential Address Programs

State (link to state site)	Voter Registration	Drivers License	School Registration	Other Services [note 1]	Phone/Contact
Arizona	yes	yes	yes	yes	602-542-1653[4]
Arkansas	no	yes	no	no	501-682-7052[5]
California	yes - by mail	yes	yes	yes	877-322-5227[6]
Colorado	yes	yes	yes	yes	303-866-2208[7]
Connecticut	yes	yes	yes	yes	multiple numbers depending on location[8]
Delaware	yes	yes	no info	no info	[phone][9]
Florida	yes - absentee	yes	no info	no info	[phone][5]
Idaho	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][10]
Illinois	yes - absentee	yes	yes	no info	[phone][11]
Indiana	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	[phone][12]
Iowa	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	[phone][13]
Kansas	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][5]
Kentucky	yes - absentee	no	no	no	[phone][5]
Louisiana	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	800.825.3805[14]
Maine	yes - absentee	no info	yes	yes	[phone]
Maryland	yes	yes	yes	no info	410-260-3875 [15]
Massachusetts	yes	yes	yes	no info	1-866-SAFE-ADD[16]
Michigan	yes	yes	yes	yes	313-456-0190[17]
Minnesota	yes - by mail	separate application	yes	yes	[phone][5]
Mississippi	yes	yes	yes	no info	[phone][5]
Missouri	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][18]
Montana	yes	no info	no info	no info	1-800-498-6455[19]
Nebraska	yes - early voting	yes	yes	no info	[phone][20]
Nevada	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	888-432-6189[21]
New Hampshire	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	[phone][22]
New Jersey	yes[23]	no info	no info	no info	1 [phone][24]
New Mexico	yes - absentee	no info	no info	no info	1-800-477-3632[25]
New York	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][26]
North Carolina	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][27]
Ohio	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][28]
Oklahoma	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	[phone][29]
Oregon	yes	yes	yes	yes	503-373-1323[30]
Pennsylvania	yes	yes	yes	yes	1.800.563.6399[31]
Rhode Island	yes	no	no	no	1-877-218-9133[32]
Texas	yes - by mail	yes	yes	yes	1-888-832-2322 [33]
Vermont	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	802-828-0586[34]
Virginia	yes - limited confidentiality[35]	yes	yes	yes	804-786-2071[36]
Washington	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][37]
Washington, D.C.	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][38]
West Virginia	yes	yes	yes	yes	1-866-767-8683[39]
Wisconsin	yes - separate application[40]	yes	yes	yes	[phone][41]

Bank accounts and address confidentiality

The rules implementing the Bank Secrecy Act require a financial institution to implement a Customer Identification Program that includes procedures that enable it to form a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of its customers. The rules also require that a financial institution obtain a residential or business street address from each customer. Unfortunately, the substitute address under an Address Confidentiality Program does not meet the standards.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued a letter ruling to help the situation. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network regulations also allow: "If the individual customer does not have a residential or business street address, then the rules permit the individual customer to provide a "residential or business street address of next of kin or of another contact individual."

In FIN-2009-R003, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network found: "A customer who participates in a state-created ACP shall be treated as not having a residential or business street address and a secretary of state, or other state entity serving as a designated agent of the customer consistent with the terms of the ACP, will act as another contact individual for the purpose of complying with FinCEN's rules. Therefore, a financial institution should collect the street address of the ACP sponsoring agency for purposes of meeting its CIP address requirement."

Coronavirus disease 2020

On September 23, 2020, the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom signed executive order N-80-20 allowing local health officers and public health officials access to the state's Safe at Home program, due to their being "subject to threats and other harassment, including threats and harassment targeted at their places of residence, which threatens to chill the performance of their critical duties."^[42]

See also

• Domestic violence
• Outline of domestic violence

Notes

1. marriage licenses, name changes, and child support are services offered by some states. Many states also let participants receive legal service documents.