Explaining Program Services
The Safe at Home program services enable survivors to reestablish themselves, and along with an overall safety plan, can provide peace of mind to participants. Responses to public records requests can be completed without disclosure of the participant’s confidential location and state and local agencies can work together to protect and assist survivors enrolled in the program.
- The participant makes contact with vendors, creditors, family members, etc. and provides their assigned Safe at Home P.O. Box and their unique four digit ID number instead of their residence address to receive first class mail only.
- Mail is forwarded daily, except for Saturday and Sunday.
- Mail must be addressed to the participant’s legal name, only.
- Mail received addressed to other parties living in the same household, AKA’s or inactive participants will be returned to sender.
- Forwarded mail is delayed one to two days because it will arrive at the assigned P.O. Box in Sacramento first.
- All regular first-class mail, service of process and other certified mail is forwarded, with the following exceptions:
- Newspapers and magazines
- Catalogs
- Packages and boxes (with the exception of checks)
- Express – FedEx, UPS, etc.
- Prescriptions
- Recommendations to participants to receive other types of mail:
- Participants may use a friend or relative’s address.
- Participants may obtain a private P.O. Box for packages, magazines and other items not forwarded by Safe at Home.
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- Participants are eligible to petition for a confidential legal name change through the California Superior Court system.
- Participants must request, complete and file with Safe at Home, the Notice of Intent to Change Name form prior to filing their name change petition with the court.
- The petition to change name and the court ordered name change decree shall not recite the proposed new name, but shall include the statement that is provided in the Notice of Intent to Change Name Instructions in lieu of the new name.
- After a confidential name change is granted, the participant must provide a certified copy of the name change decree from the court to Safe at Home.
- Safe at Home provides new documents and certification under the new name to the participant.
- It is then up to the participant to update his or her new name information with the Social Security Administration, the Department of Motor Vehicles and other agencies.
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Confidential SMOG Certification
- Smog fees vary by county; therefore, a residence address is required to be provided at the smog facility in order to smog one's vehicle.
- The Bureau of Automotive Repairs (BAR) performs a special procedure that allows participants in the Safe at Home program to smog their cars without providing a residence address.
- Safe at Home acts as facilitator by receiving car registration information from the participant, providing the information to the BAR, and communicating the completion of the procedure to the participant.
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Handling Court/Law Enforcement Matters
- The Safe at Home P.O. Box address should be used on all court documents.
- Pursuant to Government Code § 6207 and 6215.5, the Safe at Home address shall be accepted and used instead of the residence address by court and law enforcement officials.
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- Participants’ voter registration information is kept confidential from campaigns, pollsters and the media.
- Participants can complete a confidential voter registration card at the time of enrollment and at any time during their active participation by requesting a card from Safe at Home or their county registrar - they must provide proof to the county registrar of their Safe at Home participation.
- Participants receive "vote by mail" voter status.
- Participant’s information is not entered in the Statewide Voter Registration Database and the voter registration cards are stored in a secure location at the registrar’s office until cancelled and returned to Safe at Home.
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Service of Process
- The Secretary of State's Office serves as the agent for service of process for active participants. This protects the participant's residence address from being disclosed to parties serving the participant with legal documents.
- Service of process is accepted for active participants only.
- The server must provide two copies of the document to Safe at Home.
- The service must be delivered by a person who is over 18 and not a party to the case to the Secretary of State's office in Sacramento between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
- Upon receipt, a copy is immediately forwarded to the participant via certified mail.
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Suppressing the Department of Motor Vehicles Record
- Pursuant to Vehicle Code §1808.21(d), the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may suppress the driver's license and vehicle registration records of Safe at Home participants who qualify for suppression.
- The suppression of the DMV record restricts access of the records to only the Confidential Records Unit (CRU) in Sacramento.
- Inquiries are verified by the CRU.
- The participant must inform the CRU if there is a risk in releasing information due to an alleged perpetrator’s association with law enforcement.
- Participation is voluntary and contingent on active participation in the Safe at Home program.
- The participant should call the CRU with any questions at 916-657-7142.
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