Address confidentiality program

Last updated

In the United States an address confidentiality program allows survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or other types of crime to be assigned a legal substitute address that is different from their actual residential address, in order to keep their location confidential. Program participants can receive mail at the substitute address and it will be forwarded for free, and are able to use the substitute address in government records. [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]

Contents

Survivors usually apply through a state's Secretary of State office, although some programs are run through other state agencies such as the Office of the Attorney General. Once a survivor is admitted to the program, they will receive an assigned 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 yesyesyesyes602-542-1653 [4]
Arkansasnoyesnono501-682-7052 [5]
California yes - by mailyesyesyes877-322-5227 [6]
Colorado yesyesyesyes303-866-2208 [7]
Connecticut yesyesyesyesmultiple numbers

depending on location [8]

Delawareyesyesno infono info(800) 870-1790 [9]
Floridayes - absenteeyesno infono info(800) 226-6667 [5]
Idaho yesyesyesyes(208) 332-2836 [10]
Illinois yes - absenteeyesyesno info(844) 916-0295 [11]
Indiana yes - absenteeyesyesyes(800) 321-1907 [12]
Iowa yes - absenteeyesyesyes(515) 725-7233 [13]
Kansas yesyesyesyes(785) 296-3806 [5]
Kentucky yes - absenteenonono(502) 564-3490 [5]
Louisiana yes - absenteeyesyesyes800.825.3805 [14]
Maine yes - absenteeno infoyesyes(207) 626-8400
Maryland yesyesyesno info410-260-3875 [15]
Massachusetts yesyesyesno info1-866-SAFE-ADD [16]
Michigan yesyesyesyes313-456-0190 [17]
Minnesota yes - by mailseparate applicationyesyes(866) 723-3035 [5]
Mississippi yesyesyesno info(800) 829-6766 [5]
Missouri yesyesyesyes(866) 509-1409 [18]
Montana yesno infono infono info1-800-498-6455 [19]
Nebraska yes - early votingyesyesno info(866) 227-6327 [20]
Nevada yes - absenteeyesyesyes888-432-6189 [21]
New Hampshire yes - absenteeyesyesyes(603) 271-1240 [22]
New Jersey yes [23] no infono infono info1 (877) 218-9133 [24]
New Mexico yes - absenteeno infono infono info1-800-477-3632 [25]
New York yesyesyesyes(855) 350-4595 [26]
North Carolina yesyesyesyes(919) 716-6785 [27]
Ohio yesyesyesyes(614) 995-2255 [28]
Oklahoma yes - absenteeyesyesyes(866) 227-7784 [29]
Oregon yesyesyesyes503-373-1323 [30]
Pennsylvania yesyesyesyes1.800.563.6399 [31]
Rhode Island yesnonono1-877-218-9133 [32]
Texas yes - by mailyesyesyes1-888-832-2322 [33]
Utahyesyesyesyes(801) 538-1600
Vermont yes - absenteeyesyesyes802-828-0586 [34]
Virginia yes - limited confidentiality [35] yesyesyes804-786-2071 [36]
Washington yesyesyesyes(360) 753-2972 [37]
Washington, D.C. yesyesyesyes(844) 443-5732 [38]
West Virginia yesyesyesyes1-866-767-8683 [39]
Wisconsin yes - separate application [40] yesyesyes(608) 266-6613 [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 Archived 2020-12-15 at the Wayback Machine 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

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. "Applicants | California Secretary of State". www.sos.ca.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  3. "Address Confidentiality Program | D.C. Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants". www.ovsjg.dc.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  4. "Address Confidentiality Program - Arizona Secretary of State". www.azsos.gov.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Indiana ACP". victimsofcrime.org. Archived from the original on 2015-08-28.
  6. "About Safe at Home - California Secretary of State". www.sos.ca.gov.
  7. "Address Confidentiality Program - DCS". www.colorado.gov.
  8. "Address Confidentiality Program".
  9. "Address Confidentiality Programs - Public Contact Information - California Secretary of State". www.sos.ca.gov.
  10. "Address Confidentiality Program". sos.idaho.gov.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. "Illinois Attorney General - Illinois Address Confidentiality Program". illinoisattorneygeneral.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  12. "Attorney General: Address Confidentiality Program". www.in.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-08-28. Retrieved 2019-10-20.
  13. "Safe at Home" (PDF).
  14. "Address Confidentiality Program". www.sos.la.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  15. "Safe At Home". sos.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  16. "Address Confidentiality Program". www.sec.state.ma.us. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  17. "Address Confidentiality Program".
  18. IT, Missouri Secretary of State -. "Safe at Home". s1.sos.mo.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  19. "Address Confidentiality Program - Montana Department of Justice". Montana Department of Justice. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  20. "Nebraska Secretary of State". www.sos.ne.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  21. "Nevada Department of Health & Human Services Division of Child & Family Services : Confidential Address Program FAQ". nvsos.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  22. "Address Confidentiality FAQ | Victim Services | NH Department of Justice". www.doj.nh.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  23. "Privacy & Confidentiality". NJCEDV. 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  24. "DCF - State of New Jersey".
  25. "CAP Q & A". www.sos.state.nm.us. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  26. "Contact ACP". www.dos.ny.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-12-08. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  27. "Address Confidentiality Program". www.ncdoj.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-08.[ permanent dead link ]
  28. "Safe at Home - Victims - Ohio Secretary of State" (PDF). www.sos.state.oh.us. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  29. "Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)". Oklahoma Attorney General. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  30. "Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) - Oregon Department of Justice". Oregon Department of Justice. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  31. "ACP FAQs". www.paacp.pa.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  32. "Privacy & Confidentiality". NJCEDV. 2015-09-08. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  33. "Crime Victims - The Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)". www.texasattorneygeneral.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-12-25. Retrieved 2018-02-11.
  34. "Safe at Home | Home | Vermont Secretary of State". www.sec.state.vt.us. Archived from the original on 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
  35. Miyares, Jason S., Address Confidentiality Program: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF), Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the Attorney General
  36. "Attorney General of Virginia". www.oag.state.va.us. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  37. "Address Confidentiality Program - Washington Secretary of State" . Retrieved 2018-02-13.
  38. "Address Confidentiality Program" . Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  39. "Address Confidentiality Program". sos.wv.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
  40. "Voting | Wisconsin Department of Justice". www.doj.state.wi.us. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
  41. "Safe At Home | Wisconsin Department of Justice". www.doj.state.wi.us. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
  42. "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.