Applicant, Participant and Enrolling Agency FAQs

Amending Your Birth Record
Changes of Address
Confidential Name Changes
Confidential SMOG Procedure
Disclosing Your Residence Address
Department of Motor Vehicle Records Suppression
Enrolling Children
Jury Duty
Multiple Names/Aliases
My Child's Name Change
Obtaining a new Social Security Number
Protecting Your Identity
Protecting Your Information with the Credit Bureaus

Q. Can Safe at Home help me to amend my birth records after I have legally changed my name?

A. No. For more information, you must contact California’s Department of Health Services, Office of Vital Records at www.dhs.ca.gov or call (916) 552-8115.

Q. How do I notify Safe at Home of my change my address?

A. Address changes must be done in writing and must be submitted seven days prior to moving. You may use the green Change of Address form (included in your enrollment packet) or you can submit a written letter via fax at: (916) 653-7625 or by mail to: Safe at Home, P.O. Box 846, Sacramento, CA 95812. Your letter must include: Your name, four digit ID number, old and new address, your telephone numbers (if they have changed) and you must sign it, for acceptance. Once received, we will process and send you the Change of Address Packet to complete and return via the mail. Please avoid using email for security and safety reasons.

Q. How do I go about changing my name?

A. First, you must be enrolled in the Safe at Home program to be eligible to petition for a confidential name change with your Superior court. To enroll in the Safe at Home program, you must be a qualified victim or survivor of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault. Safe at Home provides basic information about the name change process to participants and files the documents after completion of the process. Safe at Home does not employ legal staff, nor do we provide any assistance to program participants with the name change process. There can be many complications to changing your name confidentially and your eligibility for the benefits other state and federal agencies provide should be determined before proceeding. It is highly recommended that participants contact a legal advisor, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Office of Vital Records before proceeding with the confidential name change process. Important and required steps to a successful confidential name change process:

The participant requests, completes and files the Notice of Intent of Name Change form with Safe at Home prior to petitioning for the name change with their county superior court. The Notice of Intent of Name Change form lists both the old and new name of the participant and is the only legal documentation on file that lists both names. It must be completed accurately.
Once the Notice of Intent of Name Change form is filed with the Safe at Home program, the participant receives the Safe at Home Court Letter to present to the court. This letter can only be obtained after the Notice of Intent of Name Change form is completed and filed with Safe at Home.
Once the participant receives the Court Letter, he or she may petition for a confidential name change with his or her county superior court. The participant completes the name change petition and presents the Safe at Home ID card and Court Letter to the court personnel. The participant must write or type the required statement provided in the Notice of Intent of Name Change Instructions in the proposed name area on the petition in order for the name change to be confidential.
Upon receipt of the confidential, certified, stamped and signed decree from the court, the participant sends a certified copy to Safe at Home. Once received, the Safe at Home program then creates and provides new name documents and certification to the participant.
Once the new name documents and certification is provided to the participant, this ends the Safe at Home confidential name change procedure.
Children's name changes:
1. The child must be enrolled in the program to be eligible for a confidential name change.
2. Court personnel will verify that the petitioning parent has full legal and physical custody of a minor child.
3. Safe at Home does not certify that the petitioning parent has a legal right to petition on behalf of a child.
The Safe at Home program does not act as liaison to other government agencies regarding the remainder of the procedures required to complete the name change process. The participant must follow the procedures provided by the following government agencies and must communicate with their offices directly and prior to petitioning to the court:
1. Once the participant receives the new name packet, he or she is required to update his or her Social Security information. Visit the Social Security Administration Web site at: www.ssa.gov/pubs/10093.html for more information.
2. After the updated social security card is received, the participant should update his or her Driver’s License and driving record information. For more information, contact the Department of Motor Vehicles Confidential Record Suppression Unit at (916) 657-7142.
3. If the participant was born in California, he or she may request to have his or her birth records amended through the California Office of Vital Records. For more information about eligibility, please contact Karen Roth at the Vital Records office at (916) 552-8161. If the participant was born in another state or country, he or she must inquire with that state or country's Office of Vital Records.
4. The participant should update educational or professional licenses or public records as necessary.
5. Again, Safe at Home does not act as a liaison to these agencies, nor do we provide any legal advice.

Q. I need to smog my car and do not live in Sacramento County. What is the correct procedure?

A. Participants may provide the vehicle license plate number to Safe at Home to SMOG their cars confidentially. Safe at Home works with the Bureau of Automotive Repair, who performs the procedure. A Safe at Home representative will contact you when the procedure is complete so that you may SMOG your car without providing your residence address information.

Q. Can I give my confidential residence address out to anyone?

A. You will have to decide when and to whom you will give your confidential address. The fewer people who know your actual location, the more likely your information will remain confidential. It is advisable not to give your actual residence address to anyone unless it is absolutely necessary. However if a residential address is required by a utility company, you may ask that they place a password on your account for safety purposes.

Q. How do I suppress (hide) my Department of Motor Vehicles Records?

A. Please refer to the form and instructions in your enrollment packet. The form should be completed accurately and forwarded to Safe at Home. If you did not receive the Department of Motor Vehicles Records Suppression form in your enrollment packet, please contact us to request one at (877) 322-5227. Please ensure that the Safe at Home four-digit ID number is included on your Department of Motor Vehicles Records Suppression form.

Q. I have children. Do I need to enroll them too?

A. It is advised that parents enroll their minor children who live in the same household. You will need to complete an application and participant authorization form (ID form) for each child to be enrolled. Adult children living in the same household must qualify for the program as victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault and must complete their own application materials. Parents with a conservatorship for a disabled adult child must complete and sign the forms on the child’s behalf.

Q. Am I exempt from serving on a jury if I am a Safe at Home participant?

A. No. If the notification you receive is from the jury commissioner in your county, by law you must respond or you could face penalties. If you receive notification from the jury commissioner in Sacramento County and you live in a different county, comply with the request as required and return the notice to the jury commissioner stating that you do not reside in Sacramento County. The jury commissioner should then remove your name from their juror list.

Q. Can I use more than one name?

A. No, for purposes of enrollment in Safe at Home and for mail receipt, you can only use your legal name. If there is a completed legal name change on file with Safe at Home, there are two exceptions:

A 90-day period was established for participants who have completed a confidential name change to update their personal records. During this time participants can continue to receive mail under their old name and may also receive mail in their new name.
A participant who has completed a confidential name change may continue to receive mail or service of process sent by the alleged abuser or the alleged abuser's attorney under the participant's old name for the term of his or her enrollment in the program.

Q. May I change my children’s names also?

A. You must go before a superior court judge to make this request. The other parent may have rights to the child such as custody, visitation, or changes in child support. By law he or she may be notified by the courts of the petition to change your child's name.

Q. How do I change my social security number after I have legally changed my name?

A. Contact the Social Security Administration for more information. Visit: www.ssa.gov/pubs/10093.html or call (800) 772-1213.

Q. Is there another way I can protect my identity?

A. To obtain information on identity protection, please visit the following web sites for assistance: www.privacy.ca.gov or by telephone at (866) 785-9663 and www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs14a-stalking.htm or call (619) 298-3396.

Please remember, Safe at Home is a mail forwarding service to be used in conjunction with an overall health and safety plan. Questions? Please contact us toll-free, at (877) 322-5227.

Q. How do I protect my information with the credit bureaus?

A. You may contact the credit bureaus and formally request that your address be made confidential. Otherwise, when you rent or lease a new home or apartment, your credit report will reflect your current address. Contact the credit bureaus in writing and your address will appear as confidential on the report. (www.experian.com, www.transunion.com, www.equifax.com)