Address Confidentiality Program

About the Address Confidentiality Program

How the Program Works

Participants enrolled in the program use the substitute address instead of their real address. The substitute address is to be used instead of a persons home, work or school address. State and local government agencies must accept the substitute address issued by the ACP - Secretary of State’s office.

The ACP accepts all First Class, registered, certified and election mail for the participants and forwards to her/his real address at no cost.

History of the Program

The Arizona legislature established the Address Confidentiality Program within the Office of the Secretary of State. Arizona was the 27th state to create a confidential address program. On June 4, 2012, the program began assisting individuals and families impacted by domestic violence, sexual offenses and stalking.

Application Assistants

ACP works in partnership with state and local victim service programs and non-profits that address domestic violence, sexual offenses, or stalking issues. Our program relies on the expertise of the dedicated advocates located throughout the state. Without application assistants the ACP could not be successful in helping families stay safe.

Eligibility & Enrollment

Applicants do not enroll or apply directly with the Arizona Address Confidentiality Program. Any person interested in applying to the program must meet in person with a registered Application Assistant. Application assistants are located throughout the state in agencies and non-profit programs that provide counseling, referral, shelter, or assistance to victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses, and stalking.

Compliance

Program participants use the substitute address when interacting with state and local government agencies. When presented an authorization card, state and local government agencies must accept the substitute address as the participant’s address when creating a public record. The substitute address may be used in place of the participant’s home, work, school, or mailing address. Agencies cannot require the participant to disclose her or his real address.

Protected Voter Registration

Any participant, if eligible, may register or re-register to vote as an ACP Protected Voter.

ACP protected voters can participate in national, state, and local elections without endangering the confidentiality of their real address. By registering as an ACP protected voter, this ensures that a program participant’s real address will not appear on any public registered voter lists that may be made public. The security of this process is similar to the process afforded police and judges.

Participants should only register to vote through the ACP process.

Participants are strongly encouraged not to register to vote through any other process other than through the ACP. By law, MVD, DES, and other social service agencies must ask everyone if they want to register to vote. Participants who register outside of the ACP process will be required to provide her/his real address and staff cannot guarantee the protection of the record.

ACP Services & COVID-19 Updates

At ACP, the safety of our participants, Application Assistants, and staff members is our top priority, and we take the health and well-being of every person very seriously. With the impact of the COVID-19 community spread, the ACP is doing everything we can to ensure uninterrupted services.

The Address Confidentiality Program continues to provide essential services with participant communication, mail forwarding, and stakeholder communication as our top priority.

• For Address Confidentiality Program Application Assistants: this page ACP Training, will be updated as new information becomes available.
• For ACP Participants: Sex Trafficking and Rights Restoration will be updated as new information becomes available.

Currently, the ACP is operating as usual. We will provide any updates or changes as we receive them on our - Website and in recorded messages on the ACP phone line at (602)542-1653.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience.

Participate and Survivor Resources