I am Afraid that my Abusive Spouse Will Find Out Where I Have Moved, How Can I Protect Myself?
CALIFORNIA’S ‘SAFE AT HOME’ CONFIDENTIAL ADDRESS PROGRAM
On January 1, 2007, a confidential mail forwarding program administered by the California Secretary of State’s Office called “Safe At Home” took effect to protect victims of domestic violence.
The program allows such victims to escape abusive spouses and partners by providing a level of anonymity regarding their home address.
The Safe At Home program gives the victim an official, substitute address to use in place of their home address. All first-class mail, legal documents and certified mail are received by the offices of the Secretary of State and forwarded onto the victim, thereby keeping your residential address confidential.
In addition, you are able to register as a confidential voter and suppress your DMV records, thereby helping to insure that your home address will not be made public.
For most people, this mail forwarding service is free. Professionals, including doctors, are only required to pay a small fee for this service.
If you want to enroll in the Safe At Home program, you can start by contacting the Safe At Home office directly at 877.322.5227 or by locating a Safe At Home enrolling agency in your area at http://www.safeathome.org/safe-at-home-agencies.htm.
