Address confidentiality program

In the United States an address confidentiality program allows victims 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] This is usually done through the state's Secretary of State's address or some other address which will legally substitute the agency's address for the victim's physical address on public records.

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[2]
Arkansas	no	yes	no	no	501-682-7052[3]
California	yes - by mail	yes	yes	yes	877-322-5227[4]
Colorado	yes	yes	yes	yes	303-866-2208[5]
Connecticut	yes	yes	yes	yes	multiple numbers depending on location[6]
Delaware	yes	yes	no info	no info	[phone][7]
Florida	yes - absentee	yes	no info	no info	[phone][3]
Idaho	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][8]
Illinois	yes - absentee	yes	yes	no info	[phone][9]
Indiana	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	[phone][10]
Iowa	yes - absentee	yes	yes	no info	[phone][11]
Kansas	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][3]
Kentucky	yes - absentee	no	no	no	[phone][3]
Louisiana	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	800.825.3805[12]
Maine	yes - absentee	no info	yes	yes	[phone]
Maryland	yes	yes	yes	no info	410-260-3875 [13]
Massachusetts	yes	yes	yes	no info	1-866-SAFE-ADD[14]
Minnesota	yes - by mail	separate application	yes	yes	[phone][3]
Mississippi	yes	yes	yes	no info	[phone][3]
Missouri	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][15]
Montana	yes	no info	no info	no info	1-800-498-6455[16]
Nebraska	yes - early voting	yes	yes	no info	[phone][17]
Nevada	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	888-432-6189[18]
New Hampshire	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	[phone][19]
New Jersey	yes[20]	no info	no info	no info	1 [phone][21]
New Mexico	yes - absentee	no info	no info	no info	1-800-477-3632[22]
New York	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][23]
North Carolina	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][24]
Ohio	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][25]
Oklahoma	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	[phone][26]
Oregon	yes	yes	yes	yes	503-373-1323[27]
Pennsylvania	yes	yes	yes	yes	1.800.563.6399[28]
Rhode Island	yes	no	no	no	1-877-218-9133[29]
Texas	yes - by mail	yes	yes	yes	1-888-832-2322 [30]
Vermont	yes - absentee	yes	yes	yes	802-828-0586[31]
Virginia	yes - limited confidentiality[32]	yes	yes	yes	804-786-2071[33]
Washington	yes	yes	yes	yes	[phone][34]
West Virginia	yes	yes	yes	yes	1-866-767-8683[35]
Wisconsin	yes - separate application[36]	yes	yes	yes	[phone][37]

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 2019

On 23 September, 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".[38]

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.

References

1. Victoria Merlino (1 August 2019). "Law enables sex assault, stalking and trafficking survivors to conceal their addresses". Queens Eagle. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
2. "Address Confidentiality Program - Arizona Secretary of State". www.azsos.gov.
3. "Indiana ACP". victimsofcrime.org.
4. "About Safe at Home - California Secretary of State". www.sos.ca.gov.
5. "Address Confidentiality Program - DCS". www.colorado.gov.
6. "Address Confidentiality Program".
7. "Address Confidentiality Programs - Public Contact Information - California Secretary of State". www.sos.ca.gov.
8. "Address Confidentiality Program". sos.idaho.gov.
9. "Illinois Attorney General - Illinois Address Confidentiality Program". illinoisattorneygeneral.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
10. "Attorney General: Address Confidentiality Program". www.in.gov. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
11. "Safe at Home" (PDF).
12. "Address Confidentiality Program". www.sos.la.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
13. "Safe At Home". sos.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
14. "Address Confidentiality Program". www.sec.state.ma.us. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
15. IT, Missouri Secretary of State -. "Safe at Home". s1.sos.mo.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
16. "Address Confidentiality Program - Montana Department of Justice". Montana Department of Justice. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
17. "Nebraska Secretary of State". www.sos.ne.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
18. "Nevada Department of Health & Human Services Division of Child & Family Services : Confidential Address Program FAQ". nvsos.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
19. "Address Confidentiality FAQ | Victim Services | NH Department of Justice". www.doj.nh.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
20. "Privacy & Confidentiality". NJCEDV. 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
21. "DCF - State of New Jersey".
22. "CAP Q & A". www.sos.state.nm.us. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
23. "Contact ACP". www.dos.ny.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
24. "Address Confidentiality Program". www.ncdoj.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
25. "Safe at Home - Victims - Ohio Secretary of State" (PDF). www.sos.state.oh.us. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
26. "Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)". Oklahoma Attorney General. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
27. "Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) - Oregon Department of Justice". Oregon Department of Justice. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
28. "ACP FAQs". www.paacp.pa.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
29. "Privacy & Confidentiality". NJCEDV. 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
30. "Crime Victims - The Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)". www.texasattorneygeneral.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
31. "Safe at Home | Home | Vermont Secretary of State". www.sec.state.vt.us. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
32. https://www.oag.state.va.us/files/Summary-of-ACP-July-2017.pdf
33. "Attorney General of Virginia". www.oag.state.va.us. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
34. "Address Confidentiality Program - Washington Secretary of State". Retrieved 2018-02-13.
35. "Address Confidentiality Program". sos.wv.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
36. "Voting | Wisconsin Department of Justice". www.doj.state.wi.us. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
37. "Safe At Home | Wisconsin Department of Justice". www.doj.state.wi.us. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
38. "AP20:088 Governor Newsom Signs Executive Order to Make Safe at Home Program Available for Public Health Officials :: California Secretary of State". www.sos.ca.gov. Secretary of State of California. Retrieved 16 December 2020.

External links

• "Information on Address Confidentiality Programs at the National Conference of State Legislatures". Archived from the original on 2009-04-29. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
• Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ruling FIN-2009-R003 "Customer Identification Program Rule – Address Confidentiality Programs" (PDF file), November 3, 2009