How Address Confidentiality Programs Work

The Core Mechanism: One Address Replaces Another

Every Address Confidentiality Program operates on the same fundamental principle: the state issues you an official substitute mailing address — typically a P.O. box at the Secretary of State's or Attorney General's office — and requires all government agencies to use that address instead of your real home address in their records.

From the perspective of any government database, your address is the state P.O. box. Your driver's license, voter registration, vehicle title, and court records all show the P.O. box. Your real home address is known only to you and to the program itself — stored in a confidential, non-public database used only for mail forwarding.

It is not a P.O. box in the ordinary sense. When someone receives your driver's license and looks up that address, they find a government office — not a mail center. When government agencies update their records from their own databases, they see the substitute address. The connection to your real home exists only inside the state's ACP system, which is exempt from public records laws.

How Mail Forwarding Works

When anyone — a court, the DMV, a utility company, an employer — sends first-class mail to your substitute address, it arrives at the state P.O. box. Program staff sort it and forward it to your actual home address, usually within 2–3 business days of receipt.

This forwarding is seamless. You receive your government mail at home as if it had been addressed there directly. The sender never sees your real address.

What mail gets forwarded

• ✓First-class mail (letters, government notices, court documents, benefit statements)
• ✓Priority Mail and certified mail sent to the substitute address
• ?Some programs forward all mail classes; others are limited to first-class — check your state's specific rules

What mail does NOT get forwarded

• ✗Packages (UPS, FedEx, Amazon) — these require a physical delivery address, not a P.O. box
• ✗Marketing mail and junk mail (bulk rate, nonprofit rate) — most programs do not forward these
• ✗Mail addressed to a previous address — ACP only forwards mail addressed to the specific substitute P.O. box

For packages and online shopping, use a separate delivery address — a trusted friend or family member's address, a UPS Store box, or a parcel locker — and do not use your real home address.

The Legal Requirement: Agencies Must Accept It

The substitute address is not a polite request — it is a legal mandate. State law in every ACP state requires that government agencies accept and use the substitute address. An agency that refuses to use the substitute address, or that discloses the participant's real address without authorization, is violating state law.

This legal backbone is what makes ACP fundamentally different from a commercial P.O. box or virtual mailbox. The DMV cannot tell you "we need a real street address." The court clerk cannot tell you to provide your home address on a filing. Voter registration cannot require you to list your residence address on the public roll. They are required by statute to accept the substitute address and to protect the real one.

In practice, not every government employee is aware of this requirement. If an agency refuses to accept your substitute address, present your authorization card, reference the state ACP statute, and ask to speak with a supervisor. If the issue persists, contact your state ACP program directly — they are experienced at resolving these situations quickly.

What Stays Private — And What Doesn't

ACP protects your address in state-administered government records. It does not provide universal address privacy. Understanding this distinction is essential to using the program effectively.

Protected by ACP

• State DMV records (driver's license, vehicle registration)
• State voter registration rolls
• State and local court records
• State benefit program records (Medicaid, SNAP, unemployment)
• Most professional licensing boards (varies by state)
• School district enrollment records (most states)

Not automatically protected by ACP

• County property deed records — recorded locally, not a state record
• Federal records — IRS, Social Security Administration, USPS, federal courts
• Private data broker databases — Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, LexisNexis
• Social media and online accounts — entirely outside government systems
• HOA records — maintained privately
• Credit bureau records — Equifax, Experian, TransUnion

For property records, see our guide on keeping your address private when buying a home. For data broker removal, you must opt out of each service individually — ACP enrollment does not trigger this.

Your Authorization Card

When your ACP enrollment is approved, you receive an authorization card — typically the size of a credit card — that contains:

• Your substitute mailing address (the state P.O. box)
• Your program authorization number (unique to you)
• Your enrollment expiration date
• Contact information for the program

This card is your primary tool for updating records. Present it at the DMV, the county elections office, and any government agency when updating your address. It is proof of your enrollment and your authorization to use the substitute address. Keep it safe — replace it immediately if lost by contacting your state program.