Stalking and ACP: How It Fits
Stalking is a qualifying category for ACP in every state that has an active program. In many states, stalking was added as an eligibility category shortly after the original domestic violence provisions — the pattern of harm is parallel: an individual is threatened by someone who, if they knew the victim's address, would use it to continue the threatening behavior.
This guide explains what "stalking" means in the context of ACP eligibility, what documentation helps, how quickly you can get enrolled, and what the program covers that's most relevant to stalking situations specifically.
What Counts as Stalking for ACP Eligibility
ACP programs use statutory definitions of stalking from each state's penal code, but in plain terms, qualifying stalking typically involves:
- Repeated, unwanted contact or following
- Contact that causes a reasonable person to fear for their safety
- A pattern of behavior (not a single incident in most states)
The stalker does not need to be a current or former romantic partner — it can be a coworker, neighbor, acquaintance, online contact, or stranger. ACP does not require a specific relationship between the victim and the stalker.
Importantly, online stalking and cyberstalking qualify in most states when the behavior creates a reasonable fear for physical safety. If someone is using personal information found online (including a previously public address) to threaten or harass you, this typically qualifies.
Evidence and Documentation
Documentation of stalking can be harder to compile than documentation of domestic violence, because stalking often involves subtle patterns rather than discrete incidents. Here is what helps:
- Police report — even a single report documents that you contacted law enforcement
- Screenshots of threatening messages, texts, emails, or social media contacts
- A log of incidents: dates, times, locations, what happened, any witnesses
- Active anti-stalking or no-contact order
- Letter from a therapist or counselor documenting your distress and the pattern of contact
- Witness statements from people who observed the stalking behavior
None of these are required — your sworn statement is the foundation of the application. But having documentation significantly speeds processing and strengthens your case if the application is ever reviewed.
Online Stalking and Address Privacy
A common scenario: someone is being stalked by someone they have never met in person, through online platforms. The stalker may have found old public records showing a previous address and is searching for a current one. ACP is directly relevant here.
If your current address is not yet publicly known to the stalker, ACP prevents it from appearing in the government records they would typically search — DMV, voter rolls, court filings. Combined with data broker opt-outs (see the data broker removal guide), this closes most of the pathways an online stalker uses to find a physical address.
Fast-Track Enrollment
If you have an active stalking protective order or emergency protective order, request expedited processing from your state ACP program when you apply. Most states can process emergency enrollments within 1–3 business days when there is documented immediate threat.
Even without a protective order, if you can credibly document an immediate threat — recent threatening messages, a stalker who has appeared at your home or workplace — call your state ACP program before your Application Assistant appointment and ask specifically about emergency processing.
FAQs
Yes. ACP eligibility does not require that the stalker be in the same state as you. The program protects your address in records in the state where you live. If your stalker is in another state and searches public records, they would search the state where you live — ACP protects those records regardless of where the stalker is located.
ACP's primary benefit is protecting a new address from being discovered. If you need to move — which is often the right safety step when a stalker knows your current address — ACP protects the new address from appearing in public records. If you cannot or do not want to move, ACP's value is more limited for your current location, though it can still prevent a stalker from verifying your current address through record searches or discovering future address changes.