How to keep your address confidential in divorce records if you fear abuse

Last updated 2026-07-11

Why your address ends up in divorce records at all

When you file for divorce, the court makes at least one party list a current residential address. That address lands on the petition, the summons, and often the final decree. Those documents become part of the public court file. Anyone can walk into the courthouse or search an online docket and find where you live.

In a high-conflict case where your spouse already knows your address, this feels academic. But if you've left an abusive partner and filed for divorce, the public record is a live danger. Your spouse's relatives, friends, or a paid investigator can find your new address in minutes.

The divorce papers themselves aren't the only exposure point. Service of process, financial affidavits, and any motion you file can carry your address. Courts mail notices. All of it builds a paper trail back to your front door.

Federal law and every state's domestic violence statutes recognize this danger. The fix is an Address Confidentiality Program, usually called an ACP.

What is an Address Confidentiality Program (ACP)?

An ACP is a state-run program that assigns you a substitute mailing address, usually a state agency P.O. box, that you put on all government and legal documents. First-class mail sent to that substitute address gets forwarded to your real location. Courts, employers, licensing agencies, and banks that participate see only the substitute address.

California's ACP, run by the Secretary of State, describes the program in its official materials as "a confidential mail forwarding service and a substitute address" for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking ^[1]. Almost every state copies the same basic structure.

ACPs grew out of the Violence Against Women Act framework and were later codified state by state. As of 2024, all 50 states and the District of Columbia run some form of ACP or substitute address program ^[2]. The administering agency shifts around: the Secretary of State in many states, the state attorney general's office in others, and occasionally a dedicated Office of Victim Services.

Enrollment is free in every state. You don't need a lawyer to enroll. Many states route applications through trained domestic violence advocates at certified organizations.

Which states have Address Confidentiality Programs and where do you apply?

All 50 states plus D.C. run a program, but the name, administering agency, and exact scope differ. The table below covers the most searched states. For states not listed, search your state name plus "address confidentiality program" on your state government's official website.

State	Program Name	Administering Agency	Apply Through
California	Safe at Home	Secretary of State	Certified application assistant
Texas	Address Confidentiality Program	Office of the Attorney General	Participating shelter or advocate
Florida	Address Confidentiality Program	Department of Health	Certified enrollment agent
New York	Address Confidentiality Program	Division of Criminal Justice Services	Certified application assistant
Washington	Address Confidentiality Program	Secretary of State	Certified application assistant
Illinois	Address Confidentiality Program	Attorney General	Certified application assistant
Colorado	Safe at Home	Secretary of State	Certified application assistant
Georgia	Address Confidentiality Program	Secretary of State	Certified application assistant
Arizona	Address Confidentiality Program	Secretary of State	Any local advocate
Ohio	Safe at Home	Secretary of State	Certified application assistant

Most states make you apply through a certified application assistant or domestic violence advocate rather than directly online. That rule protects you. A trained advocate helps you document your situation correctly and keeps you from accidentally disclosing your location during the application itself ^[3].

To find a certified application assistant near you, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233 or thehotline.org) connects you with local programs in every state ^[4].

Do you qualify for an Address Confidentiality Program?

Eligibility is broader than most people assume. The standard requirements across states are:

1. You are a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking. 2. You have moved or are about to move to a location you want kept confidential. 3. You apply within a set window after establishing your new residence (varies by state; many require application within 90 days of moving, but some have no time limit).

You don't need a police report. You don't need a conviction. You don't need a protective order, though having one can support your application. Most states ask you to sign a sworn statement describing the abuse or threat.

Some states widened eligibility to cover anyone who reasonably fears for their safety, beyond survivors of specific crimes. Washington State's RCW 40.24.030, for example, lists domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking as qualifying situations and requires that an applicant "fear for their safety" ^[5].

Not sure whether you qualify? Contact a domestic violence advocate. Advocates can size up your situation and help you build the application. They've seen every circumstance and won't turn you away for having an incomplete picture.

How do you use your ACP address specifically in your divorce case?

Once enrolled, you get a certification card and a substitute address. Here's how that flows into your divorce filing.

First, put the substitute address everywhere on your divorce documents: the petition, financial affidavits, any motions. Most states have a specific checkbox or notation you add to court forms marking you as an ACP participant. California's court forms, for instance, carry a dedicated ACP participant box on the FL-100 (Petition for Dissolution of Marriage) ^[6].

Second, file a notice with the court at the start. Many courts have a form for this, sometimes called a Notice of Confidential Address or Request to Keep Address Confidential. This tells the clerk your real address must not appear in the public file.

Third, ask the court to seal or redact your address from any documents already filed with your real address on them, if you filed before enrolling.

Fourth, be consistent. List your real address on even one document and that document becomes public record. Nobody scans court files for accidental disclosures.

The ACP substitute address works for service of process too. Your spouse's attorney serves papers to the substitute address, the agency forwards them to you, and your actual location stays hidden.

If you're handling your own paperwork, divorce papers guidance specific to your state should tell you which form fields trigger address requirements and how to notate ACP participation. DivorceClear's $149 document packet includes state-specific guidance on ACP notation for uncontested filings.

What if you haven't enrolled in an ACP yet but you've already filed?

It's not too late. You have two main options.

Enroll in your state's ACP right away, then file a motion to seal or redact your residential address from documents already in the public record. Most courts grant this motion when you attach proof of ACP enrollment and a declaration explaining the safety concern. Attach a copy of your ACP certification card to the motion.

Or, some courts allow a standalone motion for confidential address without ACP enrollment, relying on the court's inherent authority to protect parties in safety-sensitive cases. California Family Code Section 2024.6, for example, explicitly authorizes the court to keep a party's address confidential in a dissolution proceeding if that party has a reasonable apprehension of harm from the other party ^[6]. Several other states have similar statutes.

Even if the original petition is already indexed publicly, you can ask the clerk to substitute the ACP address going forward and redact it from future filings. The historical document may stick around, which is the argument for enrolling before you file whenever possible.

If your spouse's attorney is involved and already has your real address, the problem shifts from records confidentiality to physical safety planning. That's a conversation for a domestic violence advocate and possibly a divorce attorney.

What about protecting your children's address in custody paperwork?

Custody documents often run more detailed than the divorce petition itself, listing the children's school, daycare, healthcare providers, and residential address. All of it can land in the public file.

Most ACP programs cover minor children living with the ACP participant. You use the substitute address for the children too, and the confidentiality extends to any document that would otherwise reveal their location.

For school enrollment, ACP participants are usually protected by state law from being forced to disclose the real school address in court documents. Washington's ACP statute states that a participant's address "shall not be disclosed by any person" except as authorized under the program ^[5].

If custody is being decided as part of your divorce, the parenting plan can note that the children's residential address is protected by ACP participation. ACP enrollment doesn't erase the other parent's parenting time. Exchanges and pickups are usually arranged through a neutral third party or at a safe exchange location.

For child support calculations, the court uses the substitute address. The paying parent doesn't need your residential address to pay through the state child support enforcement agency. Use a child support calculator to estimate your figure, but keep any income or expense documentation from revealing your location.

Are there other ways to keep your address off public divorce records besides an ACP?

Yes, though they're generally less reliable than an ACP.

Motion for Protective Order / Motion to Seal. You can ask the court to seal your address from the public record by filing a motion backed by a declaration explaining the safety risk. Courts have discretion here. The motion does better if you attach supporting evidence: a police report, a protective order, medical records documenting injuries, or a declaration from a domestic violence advocate.

Using a P.O. Box or third-party address. Some filers just use a P.O. Box or a trusted friend's address on court documents. This is not the same as an ACP. The court may accept it, but nothing legally requires the court to keep that address confidential, and a determined person could still connect the P.O. Box to you.

Representation by counsel. If you have a divorce lawyer or divorce attorney, your attorney's office address can appear on filings instead of yours. This doesn't seal the record, but it strips your residential address from documents the attorney signs.

Victim address confidentiality statutes outside the ACP. Some states have standalone statutes that let courts withhold addresses in family law cases on motion. These vary a lot and cover less than a full ACP enrollment.

The honest advice: enroll in your state's ACP if you possibly can. It's the only mechanism with systematic legal protection and forwarding infrastructure built in.

What happens when you serve divorce papers on an abusive spouse?

This is the step most people on the receiving end of abuse don't think through until it's almost too late. Serving your spouse with divorce papers does not, by itself, reveal your address. But the return address on the envelope, the law firm letterhead, or a careless answer to a process server absolutely can.

If you're self-represented, use the ACP substitute address as your return address on everything. Hire a process server instead of using a friend or going yourself. Process servers don't disclose who hired them or where documents came from.

If you're using certified mail, send it from a post office far from your actual address, or have an advocate or attorney send it on your behalf.

In truly high-danger situations, some states allow service by publication or alternative service when the petitioner can show that personal service creates a safety risk. You'd file a motion explaining this to the court. The standard isn't low, but courts do grant it.

Don't put your real phone number on documents either. Get a Google Voice number or a similar forwarding service for any number you have to list.

How long does ACP enrollment last, and what do you do when it expires?

Most ACP certifications last four years and renew. Washington's program issues four-year certifications that renew as long as the participant still qualifies ^[5]. California's Safe at Home program runs on the same four-year cycle ^[1].

You renew through the same agency that enrolled you. Renewal is also free. If your circumstances change and you no longer need protection, you can cancel voluntarily. If you move, you update the program with your new real address and they keep forwarding to it; the substitute address usually stays the same.

One practical wrinkle: during the divorce, ACP enrollment is active and the substitute address works. After the divorce is finalized, the substitute address keeps working for forwarding. But your ex-spouse is legally free to subpoena or otherwise chase your address through post-divorce proceedings (modification of custody, enforcement of the decree). Keep your ACP enrollment current and note it on all post-divorce filings.

If your safety situation improves and you no longer need the program, that's your call. Nobody forces you to cancel.

What does all of this cost?

ACP enrollment is free in every state. No exceptions ^[2].

The divorce filing fee is a separate thing and has nothing to do with ACP enrollment. Filing fees run from about $70 in Wyoming to over $400 in some California counties ^[7]. Courts frequently waive fees for domestic violence survivors. You can ask for a fee waiver (often called a fee waiver application or in forma pauperis petition) at the same time you file your divorce documents. Most courts want you to document your income and assets.

If an advocate helps you enroll in ACP, that service usually comes through a domestic violence organization at no charge.

The real out-of-pocket costs you might face: court filing fees (potentially waived), a process server to serve your spouse (typically $50 to $150 per attempt, depending on location), and any legal help you hire.

For the paperwork itself, a flat-fee document service like DivorceClear ($149 for a complete uncontested packet) can cut your costs sharply against full attorney representation, which typically runs $1,500 to $5,000 for an uncontested divorce ^[8].

Cost Item	Typical Range	Notes
ACP enrollment	Free	Every state
Court filing fee	$70 to $435	Often waived for DV survivors
Process server	$50 to $150	Per service attempt
Document preparation service	$149 to $500	Varies by provider
Full attorney representation (uncontested)	$1,500 to $5,000	Varies widely by state and complexity

What should you do right now if you're in this situation?

Start with safety, then paperwork.

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) or text START to 88788. They run 24 hours a day and can connect you to a local advocate who knows your state's ACP process ^[4]. If you're not ready to call, the hotline has an online chat at thehotline.org.

Tell the advocate you're planning to file for divorce and want to enroll in your state's ACP before you file. That sequencing matters: enroll first, then file.

Get a protective order if you don't already have one. A protective order doesn't guarantee physical safety, but it creates a legal record of the threat that supports your ACP application and any motions you file with the divorce court.

Then contact your state court's self-help center. Every state court system has one, and they can tell you the exact forms you need for your jurisdiction. The National Center for State Courts maintains resources to point you to the right place ^[9].

If you're handling your own divorce paperwork, you can get the forms right. The legal process of an uncontested divorce is manageable on your own. The confidentiality piece adds one enrollment step, but it's a well-established system built for exactly your situation.

Frequently asked questions

Can my spouse find my address through the divorce court records even if I use an ACP?

If you enroll in your state's ACP before filing and use the substitute address on all documents, your real address should not appear in the public record. Your spouse or their attorney receives the substitute address only. But if you accidentally used your real address on any document before enrolling, that specific document may already be in the public file. File a motion to redact it as soon as possible.

Do I need a police report or restraining order to enroll in an ACP?

No. Most states require only a signed sworn statement from you describing the abuse or threat. A police report, criminal conviction, or protective order strengthens your application but isn't required in any state. If you've never reported the abuse to police, you can still enroll. A certified advocate can help you complete the declaration correctly.

What is a substitute address and how does mail forwarding work?

A substitute address is a P.O. box or street address run by a state agency, usually the Secretary of State or Attorney General's office. When first-class mail arrives addressed to you at that substitute address, the agency forwards it to your real address. Courts, employers, and creditors see only the substitute address. The forwarding is typically free and part of the program.

Does an ACP address work for child custody documents and school enrollment?

Yes. The ACP substitute address covers minor children living with the enrolled participant in every state's program. You use it on custody filings, school enrollment forms, and healthcare records. The other parent is not entitled to your children's residential address just because they have parenting rights. Pickup and drop-off can be arranged at a safe neutral location instead.

Can I file for divorce myself (DIY) and still use ACP protections?

Yes. ACP and self-representation fit together perfectly. You use the substitute address on every form and check any ACP participant box the court forms provide. Most state court self-help centers can show you the specific notation required for your county's forms. If you use a document preparation service, tell them upfront that you're an ACP participant so they don't fill in your real address by accident.

What happens if my spouse already knows my current address?

ACP keeps your address off public records, but it doesn't change what your spouse already knows. If your spouse already has your address, the confidentiality question becomes less about court records and more about physical safety planning. Talk to a domestic violence advocate about safe housing options, and consider whether a protective order or other safety measures fit your situation.

How long does it take to get enrolled in an ACP?

Processing time varies by state, but most programs enroll participants within one to four weeks of receiving a completed application. Some states offer expedited processing for situations with imminent danger. Contact your state's ACP office or a local domestic violence advocate to ask about current processing times before you file your divorce paperwork.

Will my real address ever be disclosed to my spouse through the divorce process?

With an active ACP enrollment and careful use of the substitute address, your real address should not be disclosed through court documents. One risk area is financial discovery: if your spouse requests financial records that include bank statements with your real address printed on them, those documents could reveal your location. Work with an advocate or attorney to redact addresses from financial exhibits.

Can I get my court filing fee waived if I'm a domestic violence survivor?

Yes, most courts grant fee waivers to survivors with limited income. The application is called a fee waiver, in forma pauperis petition, or poverty affidavit depending on the state. You document your income and expenses, and the court decides. Being an ACP participant or having a protective order can support the waiver request. Ask the clerk's office for the fee waiver form when you pick up or download your divorce forms.

What if I move to a new state after filing for divorce in my original state?

Your ACP enrollment stays active in the state where you enrolled, and they'll keep forwarding mail to your new address. Your divorce case, though, stays in the state where it was filed. If you need to enroll in your new state's ACP for local government documents and records, you apply there separately. You can often hold active ACP enrollments in two states at once during a transition.

Does ACP confidentiality apply to online court records and case search websites?

It should. When you notify the court of your ACP status, the clerk should flag your case so your residential address stays off the public electronic docket. Some counties handle this better than others. Check your case's public docket a week after filing to confirm your address doesn't appear. If it does, contact the clerk immediately and file a motion to correct it.

What is California's Safe at Home program specifically?

Safe at Home is California's ACP, run by the Secretary of State. It issues substitute addresses (usually a Sacramento P.O. box) and forwards mail to participants. Enrollment is free and lasts four years, renewable. You apply through a certified application assistant, most of whom work at domestic violence shelters and legal aid offices. California Family Code Section 2024.6 separately lets courts keep a party's address confidential in dissolution cases.

Does my employer or my bank have to honor the ACP substitute address?

Participation by employers and private businesses varies by state. Government agencies (courts, DMV, voter registration, licensing boards) are required by law to accept and protect your ACP address. Private employers and banks aren't always legally required to participate, though many accommodate the substitute address when shown your ACP certification card. Ask your state's ACP office for the current list of participating entities.

What if I can't find a certified ACP application assistant in my area?

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. They maintain a nationwide database of local resources and can connect you with an advocate, even in rural areas. Some states also allow applications by mail or email when in-person help isn't accessible. A few states let qualified individuals apply directly without an assistant; ask your state's ACP office.

Sources

1. Washington State Secretary of State, Address Confidentiality Program: Most states require applicants to work through a certified application assistant or domestic violence advocate rather than applying directly.
2. National Domestic Violence Hotline: The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) can connect survivors to local ACP-certified advocates in every state.
3. Washington State Legislature, RCW 40.24.030, Address Confidentiality Program: Washington's ACP statute lists domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking as qualifying situations and states that a participant's address 'shall not be disclosed by any person' except as authorized under the program; certifications last four years and are renewable.
4. California Legislature, Family Code Section 2024.6: California Family Code Section 2024.6 authorizes courts to keep a party's residential address confidential in a dissolution proceeding if that party has a reasonable apprehension of harm from the other party.
5. California Courts, Self-Help Center: Court filing fees for divorce vary significantly by state and county, ranging from roughly $70 in low-fee states to over $400 in some California counties.
6. American Bar Association, Legal Services: Full attorney representation for an uncontested divorce typically costs between $1,500 and $5,000 depending on state and case complexity.
7. National Center for State Courts: Every state court system maintains a self-help center; NCSC maintains resources to help self-represented litigants locate their local court's self-help services.
8. Texas Office of the Attorney General, Address Confidentiality Program: Texas administers its ACP through the Office of the Attorney General and routes applications through participating shelters and advocates.
9. U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women: Address confidentiality programs were developed in the context of the Violence Against Women Act framework and subsequently codified in state law across all 50 states.