HOW TO KEEP YOUR ADDRESS CONFIDENTIAL

What is Safe At Home?

Safe At Home is a no-cost mail forwarding service designed to help victims of domestic violence and stalking keep their new addresses confidential.

Safe At Home offers abuse and stalking victims another layer of protection by providing a substitute mailing address to use whenever their home, work, or school address is required.

Safe At Home allows state and local agencies throughout California to coordinate with the Secretary of State to protect the addresses of victims of domestic violence and stalking.

While these agencies may respond to requests for public information, they will not disclose the actual whereabouts of victims enrolled in the program.

Established by legislation in 1998, Safe At Home allows an adult or the guardian of a minor or incapacitated person to designate the Secretary of State as his or her agent for service of process and mail receipt. The Secretary of State's office then accepts and forwards legal documents, first-class, and certified mail, and mail from government agencies to the participant's new address, which is kept strictly confidential.

How does Safe At Home work?

After completing the application process at a designated agency, participants are enrolled in the Safe At Home program and certified by the Secretary of State.

Each participant receives an official authorization ID card containing a substitute address for use in business or public transactions requiring a residence or mailing address. State and local agencies are required to accept the Safe At Home address when the participant presents his or her authorization card.

When first class, government, served or certified mail is delivered to the participant's Safe At Home address, it is forwarded to their confidential address within 48 hours. Magazines, catalogs, newspapers, junk mail and parcel packages cannot be forwarded.

The Safe At Home Confidential Address Program is not a Witness Protection Program. It is simply a mail forwarding service offered as a precautionary measure for use with the victim's overall health and safety plan.

Who Can Help Me Register for Safe At Home?

For more information regarding the Safe At Home program, visit their web site at http://www.casafeathome.org/.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY RESIDENTS CAN CONTACT

Family Justice Center
619-533-6000 or 1-866-933-HOPE

South Bay Community Services
Chula Vista (619) 420-3620