State and local government agencies are required to allow an active Safe at Home program participant to present his or her Authorization ID card and use his or her designated Safe at Home mailing address in lieu of his or her confidential address on public documents and to receive mail via the Safe at Home mailing address.

Safe at Home enrollment allows state and local government agencies to work together to protect and assist survivors with applying for and receiving services without compromising their confidential address information. Use of the designated Safe at Home mailing address also allows agencies to respond to public records requests without disclosing the confidential addresses of victims. The Secretary of State's office greatly appreciates the continued cooperation, sensitivity to victim needs, and ongoing information exchange we have with California's state and local government agencies.

Accepting the Designated Safe at Home Mailing Address

  • At the time of creating, modifying or maintaining a public record which requires a residence address, state and local governmental agencies shall accept an active Safe at Home participant's designated Safe at Home mailing address in lieu of the participant's confidential residence address.
  • If there is a residency requirement, Safe at Home will verify the participant's county of residence over the phone with written authorization from the participant.
  • Agencies with a statutory and/or administrative requirement for the confidential residence address may, with authorization from the Secretary of State's office, require the participant to provide his or her confidential residence address to fulfill the statutory and/or administrative requirement. The agency is required to use the confidential residence address only for those statutory or administrative purposes and may not publicly disseminate the confidential address.

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Agency Exemption

  • The Secretary of State may not make a program participant's address, other than the mailing address designated by the Secretary of State, or a program participant's name change available for inspection or copying, unless it has been requested by a law enforcement agency or if directed to do so by a court order.
  • If a state or local governmental agency has a bona fide statutory or administrative requirement to use a Safe at Home participant’sconfidential address,and the address will be used solely for those statutory or administrative purposes, and shall not be publicly disseminated,the Secretary of State may make a determination to allow the agency to require the participant to provide his or her confidential address to fulfill the statutory or administrative requirement. The participant can then decide whether or not to provide the confidential address or forgo applying for the state or local government program's services.

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Mailing to Safe at Home Participants

  • Please include the participant’s four-digit Authorization ID number (found on the participant's Authorization ID card) on the participant's mail.
  • The participant's Authorization ID number must appear adjacent to the participant’s last name or in the address line on the piece of mail. The Safe at Home mailing address is shared by many participants. The Authorization ID number is necessary to expedite the sorting and forwarding of participant mail.

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Safe at Home Participant Files

  • If the participant provides his or her residence address to an agency to fulfill a statutory or administrative requirement, the information must be kept confidential.

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Verifying Enrollment

  • The Safe at Home program will confirm the active participation and/or county of residence of a participant with verbal or written authorization from the participant.
  • The authorization must include the participant's name, participant Authorization ID number, the name and title of the person authorized to receive the confirmation and their phone number.
  • The authorization must be dated and signed by the participant.
  • It can be faxed to Safe at Home at: (916) 653-7625 or mailed to: Safe at Home, P.O. Box 846, Sacramento, CA 95812.

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