Courts & Law Enforcement
Courts and law enforcement agencies are required to accept and use the substitute address as the legal address of an ACP participant when presented with an authorization card. These agencies are allowed to make a copy of the authorization card. Staff may contact the ACP to verify a participant’s status in the program.
Court or law enforcement personnel can contact ACP staff at 602-542-1892 for more information.
Law Enforcement
Law enforcement agencies are not excluded from accepting a participant’s substitute address. The substitute address must be used as the participant’s home, work, or school address on new records created by a law enforcement agency such as:
- Incident reports
- Citations
- Witness statements
- Arrest reports
- Correspondence
- Any document or database entry regarding an ACP participant.
If a law enforcement agency needs the real address of an ACP participant, please contact program staff or see Disclosure Request Process below.
Notice of Participation to Family Court
If, at the time of applying into the program, a participant has a pending court case or a court order related to child support, parenting time, allocation of parental responsibilities, or divorce, notice will be provided by the ACP to the court that has jurisdiction over the matter. The notice will include the participant’s substitute address issued by the ACP.
Program staff does not provide notice of participation in other court matters or to courts outside of Arizona.
Service of Process
The Secretary of State – ACP serves as the participant’s legal agent for service of process. Staff can accept service on behalf of the program participant with any process, notice, or demand. Service can be accepted by mail or in-person, but must include the participant’s name and substitute address.
Service by registered or certified mail
Please mark the exterior of the envelope that contains the documents to be served with “Service of Process”. This ensures proper tracking of service received.
Service of process in-person
If personal service is required for a program participant, it can be served upon the executive director or the designee. For your convenience, please call the program in advance at 602-542-1892 to ensure staff is available to accept.
Disclosure Requests
State or local government agencies must have a bona fide statutory or administrative need for a program participant’s real address in order to request a disclosure. Participants will have an opportunity to be heard before her/his address is released, unless the participant is a suspect in a crime. Disclosure requests can be made to the executive director Monday- Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Allow 5-7 business days for the request to be completed.
Guidance on Requesting Standard Disclosure (PDF)
Expedited Release
A criminal justice agency or official may request the expedited release of a program participant’s address if the request is regarding a criminal justice investigation, hearing, proceeding or trial. Any person who requests an expidited release shall certify the agency has a system in place to protect the real address from the public and from personnel who are not involved in the trial, hearing, proceeding, or investigation. In cases of an emergency, program staff is available to law enforcement on a 24 hour basis by calling the ACP government agency phone line. Emergency disclosure request instructions and form (PDF)
A state or local government agency that makes a request for a participant’s real address must have adopted procedures for protecting the confidentiality of the participant’s real address before the address will be disclosed. Staff can assist agencies in providing feedback, suggestions, or review of any adopted procedure.
