Address confidentiality program
{{Short description|Program for crime survivors and others needing privacy}}
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.{{Cite web|url=https://queenseagle.com/all/law-enables-sex-assault-stalking-and-trafficking-survivors-to-conceal-their-addresses|publisher=Queens Eagle|title=Law enables sex assault, stalking and trafficking survivors to conceal their addresses|date=1 August 2019|accessdate=5 September 2019|author=Victoria Merlino}} In some states or jurisdictions, reproductive healthcare workers and employees of agencies that assist survivors of domestic violence or stalking are also eligible.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home/applicants|title=Applicants {{!}} California Secretary of State|website=www.sos.ca.gov|access-date=2023-03-28}}{{Cite web|url=https://ovsjg.dc.gov/acp|title=Address Confidentiality Program {{!}} D.C. Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants|website=www.ovsjg.dc.gov|access-date=2023-03-28}}
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
| class="wikitable" | |||||
| State
(link to state site) ! Voter Registration ! Drivers License ! School Registration ! Other ! Phone/Contact | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [https://www.azsos.gov/services/acp Arizona] | yes | yes | yes | yes | 602-542-1653{{cite web|url=https://www.azsos.gov/services/acp|title=Address Confidentiality Program - Arizona Secretary of State|website=www.azsos.gov}} |
| Arkansas | no | yes | no | no | 501-682-7052{{cite web|url=https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/3093.htm|title=Indiana ACP|last=|first=|date=|website=victimsofcrime.org|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150828062535/http://www.in.gov:80/attorneygeneral/3093.htm |archive-date=2015-08-28 |access-date=}} |
| [https://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home California] | yes - by mail | yes | yes | yes | 877-322-5227{{cite web|url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home/about-safeathome/|title=About Safe at Home - California Secretary of State|website=www.sos.ca.gov}} |
| [https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dcs/acp Colorado] | yes | yes | yes | yes | 303-866-2208{{cite web|url=https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dcs/acp|title=Address Confidentiality Program - DCS|website=www.colorado.gov}} |
| [https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Business-Services/ACP/Address-Confidentiality-Program Connecticut] | yes | yes | yes | yes | multiple numbers
depending on location{{cite web|url=https://portal.ct.gov/SOTS/Business-Services/ACP/Address-Confidentiality-Program|title=Address Confidentiality Program|publisher=}} |
| Delaware
|yes | yes
|no info |no info | ||||
| Florida
|yes - absentee | yes
|no info |no info | ||||
| [https://sos.idaho.gov/acp/Idaho]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes |(208) 332-2836{{cite web|url=https://sos.idaho.gov/ACP/index.html|title=Address Confidentiality Program|website=sos.idaho.gov}} | ||||
| [https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/safer-communities/supporting-victims-of-crime/address-confidentiality-program/ Illinois]
|yes - absentee |yes |yes |no info | |||||
| [https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/about-the-office/appeals/victim-services/address-confidentiality-program/ Indiana]
|yes - absentee |yes |yes |yes | |||||
| [https://safeathome.iowa.gov/ Iowa]
|yes - absentee | yes
|yes |yes |(515) 725-7233{{Cite web|url=https://safeathome.iowa.gov/pdf/Brochure.pdf|title=Safe at Home}} | ||||
| [https://ag.ks.gov/victim-services/safe-at-home Kansas]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://sos.ky.gov/elections/ACP/Pages/default.aspx Kentucky]
|yes - absentee | no
|no |no | ||||
| [https://www.sos.la.gov/OurOffice/AddressConfidentialityProgram/Pages/default.aspx Louisiana]
|yes - absentee | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [http://www.maine.gov/sos/acp/index.html Maine]
|yes - absentee | no info
|yes |yes |(207) 626-8400 | ||||
| [http://sos.maryland.gov/ACP/Pages/default.aspx Maryland]
|yes | yes
|yes |no info | ||||
| [https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/acp/address-confidentiality-program.htm Massachusetts]
|yes | yes
|yes |no info | ||||
| [http://mi.gov/agacp Michigan]
|yes |yes |yes |yes | |||||
| [http://www.sos.state.mn.us/safe-at-home/about-safe-at-home/ Minnesota]
|yes - by mail | separate application
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://www.ago.state.ms.us/divisions/bureau-of-victim-assistance/ Mississippi]
|yes | yes
|yes |no info | ||||
| [https://s1.sos.mo.gov/business/safeathome/ Missouri]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://dojmt.gov/victims/address-confidentiality-program/ Montana]
|yes | no info
|no info |no info | ||||
| [http://www.sos.ne.gov/business/acp_menu.html Nebraska]
|yes - early voting | yes
|yes |no info | ||||
| [http://dcfs.nv.gov/Programs/CAP/ConfidentialAddressProgram/ Nevada]
|yes - absentee | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://www.doj.nh.gov/criminal/victim-assistance/address-confidentiality.htm New Hampshire]
|yes - absentee | yes | yes
|yes | |||
| [http://www.njcedv.org/privacy-confidentiality/ New Jersey] | no info
|no info |no info |1 (877) 218-9133{{Cite web|url=http://www.nj.gov/dcf/women/domestic/dvawarenessmonth.html|title=DCF - State of New Jersey}} | ||||
| [https://www.sos.state.nm.us/safe-at-home/ New Mexico]
|yes - absentee | no info
|no info |no info | ||||
| [https://dos.ny.gov/address-confidentiality New York]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://ncdoj.gov/public-protection/address-confidentiality-program/ North Carolina]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://www.sos.state.oh.us/secretary-office/office-initiatives/safe-at-home/ Ohio]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [http://www.oag.ok.gov/address-confidentiality-program-acp Oklahoma]
|yes - absentee | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://www.doj.state.or.us/crime-victims/victims-resources/victims-services/address-confidentiality-program-acp/ Oregon]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://www.ova.pa.gov/SafetyandSupport/Address%20Confidentiality/Pages/default.aspx Pennsylvania]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://www.sos.ri.gov/AddressConfidentialityProgram Rhode Island]
|yes | no | no
|no | |||
| [https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cvs/the-address-confidentiality-program-acp Texas]
|yes - by mail | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://sos.vermont.gov/secretary-of-state-services/safe-at-home Vermont]
|yes - absentee | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://www.oag.state.va.us/programs-initiatives/domestic-violence/address-confidentiality-program Virginia]
|yes - limited confidentiality{{Citation |last=Miyares |first=Jason S. |title=Address Confidentiality Program: Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.oag.state.va.us/files/DomesticViolence/ACP/ACP-FAQs-Jan-2022.pdf |publisher=Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the Attorney General}} |yes |yes |yes | |||||
| [https://www.sos.wa.gov/acp/ Washington]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://ovsjg.dc.gov/acp Washington, D.C.]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes |(844) 443-5732{{Cite news|url=https://ovsjg.dc.gov/acp|title=Address Confidentiality Program|access-date=2023-03-28}} | ||||
| [https://sos.wv.gov/admin-law/Pages/ACP.aspx West Virginia]
|yes | yes
|yes |yes | ||||
| [https://www.doj.state.wi.us/ocvs/safe-home Wisconsin]
|yes - separate application{{Cite web|url=https://www.doj.state.wi.us/ocvs/voting|title=Voting {{!}} Wisconsin Department of Justice|website=www.doj.state.wi.us|access-date=2018-02-13}} | yes
|yes |yes |
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."
See also
Notes
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References
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External links
- {{Cite web |url=http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/dvsurvive.htm |title=Information on Address Confidentiality Programs at the National Conference of State Legislatures |access-date=2007-04-09 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090429231034/http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/dvsurvive.htm |archive-date=2009-04-29 |url-status=dead }}
- Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ruling [https://web.archive.org/web/20100401070103/http://www.fincen.gov/statutes_regs/guidance/pdf/fin-2009-r003.pdf FIN-2009-R003 "Customer Identification Program Rule – Address Confidentiality Programs"] (PDF file), November 3, 2009