Frequently Asked Questions

What is the California Address Confidentiality Program, Safe at Home?

The California Address Confidentiality Program known as the Safe at Home program, is designed to offer those in fear for their safety a way to keep their address confidential, out of public records, and out of the hands of anyone who has harmed or wants to harm them.

What does Safe at Home do?

The program should be used as one aspect of an overall safety plan. Participants are provided a substitute mailing address through the California Safe at Home program. Safe at Home receives the participant's first class, certified and other registered mail and forwards it to the participant's mailing address at no cost. Safe at Home also serves as agent for services of process for Safe at Home participants.

Who is eligible?

Individuals who are eligible for the Safe at Home program include: victims of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, child abduction, elder or dependent adult abuse, or human trafficking. Other eligible individuals include: reproductive health care facility employees, providers, patients, and volunteers and public entity employees/contractors who have experienced harassment, violence, or threats of violence as a result of their affiliation with a reproductive health care services facility or their work for a public entity. Household members of these individuals, who are in fear for their safety are also eligible for the Safe at Home program.

Can other household members participate in the Safe at Home program?

Yes. Household members who share a residential address with an existing participant are eligible for the program. Household members may apply at the same time as the primary applicant, their application will be processed after the primary applicant is enrolled. A participant can also choose to enroll his or her minor children in the program.

Is the Safe at Home program like a witness protection program?

No. The program does not hide participants or help them to change their identities, social security numbers, or location. Safe at Home provides participants with a substitute mailing address in lieu of a residential address that the participant can use with California government agencies. Safe at Home should be used as part of a larger safety plan that the participant should create with a victim's assistance counselor.

Is there any cost to participate in the Safe at Home program?

There is no fee for participation in the Safe at Home program for victims of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse, and reproductive health care patients. There is a one-time $30 application fee, per individual listed on an application, and an annual $75 fee for reproductive healthcare workers, providers, employees, and volunteers, and public entity employees and contractors. California Government Code 6215.2(d) and California Code of Regulations 22100.2 outline fee requirements.

How do those eligible apply for the Safe at Home program?

All eligible persons may apply for the program by meeting, in person, with a victim's assistance counselor at a designated enrolling agency. Please refer to the Applicant page for more information at Applicants.

What happens after a person is accepted into the Safe at Home program?

Once accepted into the Safe at Home program, the participant receives a Participant Guide along with their Safe at Home Authorization Card (ID). The participant should immediately begin using the designated Safe at Home mailing address displayed on the Authorization Card (ID).

How long are participants certified to be in the program?

Upon acceptance into the Safe at Home program, participants are certified for four (4) years. After the four year period, they may renew their certification. The Safe at Home program will send a renewal application to participants towards the end of their four year term.

Can someone be cancelled from the Safe at Home program?

Yes. The Safe at Home program may cancel a participant’s certification under certain circumstances. Please refer to the Participants page for more information at Participants.

What happens if I move or change my name?

The Safe at Home program must be notified in writing within seven (7) days of a change in residential address or name. Failure to comply may result in cancellation from the program.

What services are offered?

The Safe at Home program provides the following services:

• Confidential mail forwarding
• Agent for Service of Process
• Confidential voter registration
• Use of the designated address on California state, county, city government agencies (excluding fetal death, death, birth, marriage, and divorce certificates).

Other California government agencies may offer additional services to Safe at Home participants such as:

• Department of Motor Vehicles records suppression
• Ability to petition a California Superior Court for a confidential name change 
• Online privacy protection - https://www.oag.ca.gov/privacy

What kind of mail is forwarded?

All first class, registered and certified mail addressed to the Safe at Home participant’s designated mailing address will be forwarded to the mailing address at no cost to the participant. Safe at Home will not forward packages, periodicals, catalogs, prescriptions, liquids or fragile items.

Will my mail be delayed?

Mail received at the designated address will be forwarded no less than three times a week.

Mail that is received with a name that differs from the enrolled name or mail that is received without the participant's four digit Authorization number (ID) may be delayed or returned to the sender if the Safe at Home program cannot determine the correct recipient.

What is a confidential name change through the Safe at Home program?

California Government Code §6205 allows eligible Safe at Home participants to petition for a confidential name change. This allows participants to legally change their name while keeping the new name private and out of public records. Per Code of Civil Procedure 1277 (b), Safe at Home participants eligible for a confidential name change are those who are seeking a name change for reasons related to domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or human trafficking.

Only participants who are enrolled in the Safe at Home program and are eligible for a confidential name change may request a confidential name change packet. The packet will provide additional information on the confidential name change process. To request a packet, participants should contact Safe at Home. Please refer to the Contact Safe at Home page for our contact information.

Please note, the confidential name change process is a legal process overseen by the courts. Participants who need assistance with the name change process should seek legal counsel or speak with their county court self-help center. The Safe at Home program is unable to provide legal counsel, guidance, or assistance.

How do participants register to vote without putting their confidential information at risk?

Participants should contact the Safe at Home program to request a Confidential Voter Registration Form.

Does the Safe at Home program remove or delete existing public information?

No, the program is not able to delete information that already exists in public records. However, additional information is available concerning online privacy protections at https://www.oag.ca.gov/privacy. Safe at Home participants should request that confidential information on public records be replaced by their Safe at Home designated mailing address.

When buying residential property, how do I keep it confidential?

The California legislature, in Government Code Section 6209.5(a), authorizes Safe at Home participants to request that their residential address be replaced on real property deeds, change of ownership forms and deed of trust with their Safe at Home designated substitute mailing address. The legislature requires California government agencies to comply with the participant's request per Government Code 6207(a)(1) unless certain governmental circumstances apply.

Who is required to accept the substitute address?

All California state, county and city government agencies and California courts must accept the Safe at Home designated mailing address as the participant's actual residence address.

What do I do if someone refuses to use the substitute address?

Safe at Home is not authorized to make demands of private organizations or businesses. Safe at Home can encourage acceptance of your Safe at Home mailing address and can remind government agencies who are required to accept the substitute mailing address of their obligation. However, California law does give participants in Safe at Home the right to hold organizations or businesses liable for publication of their confidential information under certain circumstances, (See California Government Code section 6208.1(b)(1)). Safe at Home encourages participants to seek legal counsel to assist them with asserting their rights under California law.

Why is it not permissible to use the Safe at Home (SAH) P.O. Box as the business entity’s street address?

Using a P.O. Box as the street address for a business entity or the address for the agent for service of process is not permissible according to the requirements for formation filings and statement of information filings with the Secretary of State. These filings typically require both a mailing address and a street address for the business entity and a business or residence street address for a natural person designated as the agent for service of process for a business entity. Participants forming a business entity should set forth the street address for that business. However, in certain situations, such as where the business address is the same as the participant’s address and a separate business address is unavailable, some filers have utilized alternative mailing services that provide a physical street address since a traditional P.O. Box (including the SAH designated P.O. Box) cannot be used as a street address. These may include Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies or Private Mailboxes, such as services offered by shipping centers or virtual mailbox providers, so long as the address provided is a legitimate street address with a suite, unit, or mailbox number and otherwise meets filing requirements.

Shouldn’t the Business Programs Division (BPD) permit the SAH address to be used as the street address for business filings?

The BPD does not permit the use of the SAH address as the street address for business filings because the SAH address, as designated by Government Code sections 6207 and 6215.5, is intended for personal addresses of program participants. While the statute allows program participants to request state and local agencies to use the SAH address as their substitute address for personal matters, it does not extend this protection to business addresses. Therefore, BPD adheres to the requirement for business filings to include a business address, rather than a personal address, as mandated by relevant statutes and regulations.

Can I use my SAH address as the mailing address for my business entity?

Yes, you can use the SAH address as the mailing address for your business entity. A P.O. Box can be accepted for a mailing address.

How can I prevent my personal information from being placed on the California Secretary of State's bizfile Online website?

Each person providing the information contained in public filings, as well as each person submitting the documents for filing with the Secretary of State, is responsible for ensuring that any confidential information is not included. Filings submitted to the Secretary of State are public documents. Any information a person wishes to keep out of the public record should not be included in an initial filing or in any subsequent filing submitted to the Secretary of State, unless that information is required by statute to be provided. If a person is concerned with providing a residential street address, there are private companies that provide office space, street and mailing addresses, and other business services for a fee. However, the statutory minimum content requirements for filings with the Secretary of State must be met. Also, a P.O. Box number may be provided for a mailing address.

What should I do if I find my personal information on bizfile Online?

If you discover your personal information on bizfile Online, please reach out to BPD promptly for assistance by calling (916) 657-5448 or emailing onlinesupport@sos.ca.gov. When emailing, please provide the entity name and entity number, along with your name and contact information.