Business, Government and the Public FAQs
- Q. Why do confidential address programs exist?
- A. Alarming statistical data reflects that thousands of American women, children and men are abused each year through vicious and often fatal acts of domestic violence and sexual assault. Often times these victims, if they survive their assault and are able to escape the violent environment, become re-victimized when their abusers are released from prison or when they make repeated attempts to reconcile with the victim. More often than not, abusers will stalk their victims and, in some cases, will go as far as calculating their victim’s murder. Other victims of stalking, who may or may not have had personal relationships with their stalkers, are in constant fear for their own personal safety or for the safety of family members. Many of these victims are forced to go into hiding because they fear being tracked down by their abusers, assailants or stalkers through voter, school, telephone, utilities or drivers license records. With the availability of personal information on the Internet and through public records searches, there is a real danger facing victims with determined stalkers.
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- Q. How does Safe at Home help survivors?
- A. On July 1, 1999, the Secretary of State’s office began implementation of the California Confidential Address Program “Safe at Home”. The program, which provides a free post office box and mail forwarding service to victims, is designed to help these relocating victims live in peace. Participants of the Safe at Home program qualify for various benefits administered by the Secretary of State’s office, the California Superior Court System, the Social Security Administration, and the California Department of Motor Vehicles. These benefits include: the use of a substitute post office box to protect their confidential residence address; the opportunity to apply for and be granted a confidential legal name change through the superior court system; confidential voter registration administered by the Secretary of State’s office and the county Registrars of Voters; Department of Motor Vehicle records suppression, which includes confidential drivers license and vehicle registration; confidential SMOG certification; the ability to apply for a new social security number and card with the Social Security Administration; and confidential school records transfers through the Safe at Home program. To enroll in the program, victims must complete the enrollment process at one of Safe at Home’s local enrolling agencies, provide evidence of their victimization, and their application must be approved and certified by the Secretary of State’s office.
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- Q: What if the residence address is required to provide service to the residence?
- A: If the residence address is required to provide service to the residence, please provide another means to safeguard the participant’s confidential address by password-protecting the account and by not publishing, selling or providing the address or telephone information to anyone.
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- Q: What if the participant doesn’t have an authorization card; how can I verify their participation in the program?
- A: In order to verify that a particular person is a current participant in the program, the participant must authorize your inquiry in writing before you call or write our office requesting information. You can, however, call our office at any time to ask general questions about the program.
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- Q: This program seems like a really good solution for victims, what can I do to help?
- A: Whatever assistance you can provide in the way of publicizing the program or developing internal procedures to guarantee address confidentiality for our participants will offer victims new hope in the fight against domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault. Go to our program forms and outreach materials page to download the Safe at Home program brochure or call us toll-free at (877) 322-5227 to request brochures and/or posters.
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