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Address confidentiality program

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

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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 (800) 870-1790[9]
Florida yes - absentee yes no info no info (800) 226-6667[5]
Idaho yes yes yes yes (208) 332-2836[10]
Illinois yes - absentee yes yes no info (844) 916-0295[11]
Indiana yes - absentee yes yes yes (800) 321-1907[12]
Iowa yes - absentee yes yes yes (515) 725-7233[13]
Kansas yes yes yes yes (785) 296-3806[5]
Kentucky yes - absentee no no no (502) 564-3490[5]
Louisiana yes - absentee yes yes yes 800.825.3805[14]
Maine yes - absentee no info yes yes (207) 626-8400
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 (866) 723-3035[5]
Mississippi yes yes yes no info (800) 829-6766[5]
Missouri yes yes yes yes (866) 509-1409[18]
Montana yes no info no info no info 1-800-498-6455[19]
Nebraska yes - early voting yes yes no info (866) 227-6327[20]
Nevada yes - absentee yes yes yes 888-432-6189[21]
New Hampshire yes - absentee yes yes yes (603) 271-1240[22]
New Jersey yes[23] no info no info no info 1 (877) 218-9133[24]
New Mexico yes - absentee no info no info no info 1-800-477-3632[25]
New York yes yes yes yes (855) 350-4595[26]
North Carolina yes yes yes yes (919) 716-6785[27]
Ohio yes yes yes yes (614) 995-2255[28]
Oklahoma yes - absentee yes yes yes (866) 227-7784[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 (360) 753-2972[37]
Washington, D.C. yes yes yes yes (844) 443-5732[38]
West Virginia yes yes yes yes 1-866-767-8683[39]
Wisconsin yes - separate application[40] yes yes yes (608) 266-6613[41]

Bank accounts and address confidentiality

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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

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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

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Notes

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

References

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  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. ^ a b c d e f "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.
  11. ^ "Illinois Attorney General - Illinois Address Confidentiality Program". illinoisattorneygeneral.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  12. ^ "Attorney General: Address Confidentiality Program". www.in.gov. 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.
  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.
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