Address confidentiality programs and people-search sites

An address confidentiality program (ACP), called Safe at Home in some states, gives survivors of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault and similar crimes a free substitute address to use instead of their real one. Most states run one, usually through the Secretary of State or the Attorney General, and you typically enroll through a trained advocate. An ACP changes which address goes into public records from then on. It doesn't reach listings that people-search sites have already compiled, so most people use it together with opt-out requests to those sites.

If you are in danger now, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is free, confidential and available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.

What an ACP does

The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) describes ACPs as programs "designed to protect the locations of individuals whose safety and livelihoods have been compromised by life-threatening circumstances, such as domestic violence, stalking, harassment, or rape." In its general description, current as of January 2026:

Accepted applicants are assigned "a free, forwardable address or a P.O. box to use in place of their actual address."
In most states, that substitute address "can be used for driver's licenses, school enrollment, voter registration, and other public records," so the real address stays out of them.
Most states issue a membership card that participants use to show they're enrolled.
Voting rules vary. In most states, participants register under the substitute address so their real address doesn't appear on public voter records.

Each program is different, and NASS notes that "each state's program will differ." Your state's program page has the specifics.

Who runs the program in your state

According to NASS's January 2026 briefing:

Secretary of State: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Attorney General or Department of Justice: Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Another state agency: Arkansas (Office of Driver Services), Colorado (Department of Personnel & Administration), Hawaii (Department of Law Enforcement), Nevada (Department of Health-Child & Family Services), New Jersey (Department of Children & Families), Pennsylvania (Office of Victim Services) and Utah (Commission on Criminal & Juvenile Justice).
No ACP: Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Some programs cover only part of this: Kentucky's entry in the Maine Secretary of State's directory, for example, reads "Confidential Voting Only." The Maine directory lists contact details and links for each state's program.

How enrollment usually works

NASS describes the typical process this way:

You make an in-person appointment with an ACP counselor or application assistant. They are "usually found at victim assistance centers."
You state the reason you're applying, such as domestic violence or harassment.
The counselor collects your information and sends the application to the state ACP office for review.

California's program is an example. Safe at Home serves "victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse," and also certain reproductive and gender-affirming health care providers, employees, volunteers and patients, and public entity employees and contractors who fear for their safety. Applicants "make an appointment with a designated Enrolling Agency."

California: the written demand for websites

California adds a tool aimed at the internet. Under Government Code §6208.1(b), as summarized by the California Attorney General, the law "prohibits publicly displaying the home address or telephone number of any participant in the Safe at Home program who makes a written demand to not disclose that information."

The Attorney General publishes a sample written demand. It includes a sworn statement that you are protected under Government Code §6205 and following, a description of the threat or fear for your safety, and the address and phone number to be withheld. Use the official form rather than a home-made version, because the sworn statement is part of what makes the demand valid. Other states may have their own rules; ask your state program.

Where people-search sites fit

An ACP keeps your real address out of new records. People-search sites build profiles from many sources, so a listing created before you enrolled may still show an old or current address. That is why it helps to pair an ACP with opt-outs. The National Network to End Domestic Violence's Safety Net Project notes that "most US states have an address confidentiality program" and walks through opting out of data brokers alongside it.

Its practical suggestions include:

Use a separate email for opt-outs. "If this worries you, you can create a new email address to use with the opt-out form."
Get help. "Doing opt-outs can be stressful. You may be able to get help with the work from an advocate or a friend."
Expect re-listing. "Even if you opt out of a particular data broker, your information may eventually re-appear in it. This is because of new data coming in."

Our opt-out guides show each site's own process, including widely used free sites such as TruePeopleSearch and FastPeopleSearch. The free OptStub kit writes deletion requests in your browser for you to send from your own mailbox; nothing you type into it is sent to us. If you live in California, the state's DROP platform sends one deletion request to every registered data broker. When you fill in any opt-out form, give the least information the site needs to find your listing, and think about whether including your current address could add it to a record that doesn't already have it.

What an ACP and opt-outs can't do

Neither route offers a promise. An ACP depends on agencies and businesses following its rules, and the substitute address doesn't change records made before you enrolled. Opt-outs depend on each site acting on them, and data can come back. Removal is not guaranteed. Recheck the sites that matter most to you every few months, and talk to an advocate about a wider safety plan; the Safety Net Project's technology safety plan is a starting point.