What Is California Safe at Home?
Safe at Home is California's Address Confidentiality Program, established under California Government Code §§ 6205–6210. It assigns participants a substitute mailing address — a Sacramento-based P.O. box operated by the California Secretary of State — which is then used in place of your real home address on California state and local government records.
When government agencies, courts, the DMV, or county offices receive mail addressed to your substitute address, the Secretary of State forwards that first-class mail to your actual home. From the outside, your records show only the Sacramento address. Your real location remains known only to the state program and you.
What makes Safe at Home particularly strong is its scope: California law requires all state and local government agencies to use the substitute address and to refrain from disclosing the participant's actual address. This includes voter registration, the DMV, courts, utility deposit requirements, and public benefit programs.
Who Qualifies for Safe at Home
California has one of the broadest eligibility lists of any state ACP. As of 2025, you qualify if you are:
- A victim of domestic violence (as defined by Family Code § 6211)
- A victim of sexual assault (Penal Code § 261 et seq.)
- A victim of stalking (Penal Code § 646.9)
- A victim of human trafficking (Penal Code § 236.1)
- A victim of elder or dependent adult abuse (Welfare & Institutions Code § 15610.07)
- A reproductive health care worker or employee of a facility providing reproductive health services
- A family member of a Safe at Home participant who lives with them
You do not need to have a police report, active protective order, or pending court case to apply. You must, however, be a current California resident and certify that you fear for your safety.
What Safe at Home Actually Covers
Understanding what the program covers — and what it doesn't — is essential before you apply. Safe at Home protects your address across these California records:
- California DMV records — driver's license and vehicle registration display your substitute address
- Voter registration — the Secretary of State's office uses substitute address; you vote at your actual local precinct using a separate process
- California courts — family court, criminal, civil filings use substitute address
- State benefit programs — CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, and similar programs accept the substitute address
- Public utilities — utilities must accept substitute address for service deposit purposes
- County property records / deed of trust — NOT automatically protected; see property records section below
- Federal records — IRS, Social Security, USPS, federal courts operate independently of state ACP
- Private data brokers — Safe at Home does not remove your address from LexisNexis, Spokeo, or similar commercial databases
- Professional licenses — varies by licensing board; most California boards accept the substitute address, but verify with your specific board
How to Apply: Step-by-Step
California requires applicants to apply through a certified Application Assistant — a trained advocate at a participating organization. You cannot apply directly through the Secretary of State's website. This is intentional: the Application Assistant helps you complete the paperwork correctly and provides verification of your situation.
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Find a Certified Application Assistant
Contact the California Secretary of State's Safe at Home office at (877) 322-5227 to locate a certified Application Assistant near you. Application Assistants are typically based at domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, legal aid offices, and family justice centers. The service is free.
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Gather Your Documents
Before your appointment, collect: a valid California ID or proof of California residency, documentation of your qualifying situation (this can be a police report, protective order, medical record, or a written statement — documentation requirements are flexible), and contact information for the advocate helping you.
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Complete the Application With Your Advocate
The Application Assistant will help you fill out Form SH-APP-100. You'll certify that you fear for your safety, provide your current residential address (which is kept confidential), and designate your Application Assistant as your agent for certain correspondence. The form takes about 30–45 minutes to complete.
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Application Is Submitted to the Secretary of State
Your Application Assistant submits the completed paperwork to the Secretary of State's Safe at Home office in Sacramento. You do not mail it yourself — the advocate handles submission.
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Receive Your Authorization Card
California typically processes applications within 5–10 business days of receipt of a complete package. You'll receive an authorization card by mail at your real home address with your new substitute address and a unique program authorization number. Keep this card — you'll need to present it when updating records.
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Update Your Records
Take your authorization card to the DMV to update your driver's license and vehicle registration. Contact the county elections office to update voter registration. Notify your bank, employer, and utilities. Government agencies are legally required to accept the substitute address.
Processing Times and Emergency Options
Standard processing is 5–10 business days from the date the Secretary of State receives your completed application. This timeline applies to the vast majority of applications.
Emergency processing: If you have an active restraining order, emergency protective order, or can document an immediate, specific safety threat, your Application Assistant can request priority processing. In documented emergencies, the Secretary of State's office has issued substitute addresses within 1–2 business days.
If you need to move immediately and cannot wait for your card, a temporary interim address can sometimes be arranged through your Application Assistant — ask specifically about this option if timing is critical.
The Property Records Gap — Important
This is the most common misconception about Safe at Home. If you own a home or are buying one, your property deed is a county-recorded document — not a state record. Safe at Home does not automatically protect your name and address on recorded deeds.
Your county assessor's records will still show your name as the property owner, and the deed is searchable. Anyone who knows your name can search county property records and find your address, regardless of your Safe at Home enrollment.
To address this gap, California has a separate program: the Home Address Confidentiality (HAC) component under the California Public Records Act, which allows Safe at Home participants to request redaction of their home address from certain public records. Additionally, holding property in a trust or LLC keeps your personal name off the deed entirely — a common strategy used alongside Safe at Home for maximum protection.
See our guide on keeping your address private when buying a home for a full breakdown of how these strategies work together.
Enrollment Period and Renewal
California Safe at Home enrollments are valid for 4 years. You must renew before expiration to maintain your substitute address and protections.
The renewal process is simpler than the initial application. You can renew:
- By mail using Form SH-RENEW, which the Secretary of State sends approximately 90 days before your expiration date
- In person with an Application Assistant (not required for renewal, but available)
- By phone at (877) 322-5227 in certain circumstances
Renewal requires you to certify that you continue to fear for your safety and that you remain a California resident. You do not need to re-document your original qualifying situation. If your enrollment lapses, your substitute address becomes inactive and your real address may reappear in state records — don't let it expire.
For full renewal instructions, including what to do if you've moved or changed advocates, see our ACP renewal guide.
After You're Enrolled: What to Do
Receiving your authorization card is the beginning, not the end. To get the full benefit of Safe at Home, work through this list systematically:
- DMV: Visit any DMV office with your authorization card. Request a new driver's license and updated vehicle registration showing your substitute address. There is no fee for this update for Safe at Home participants.
- Voter registration: Re-register to vote using your substitute address. You will still vote at your actual local precinct — the elections office maintains a confidential cross-reference.
- Courts: If you have any active cases (family court, civil, restraining orders), file a notice of address change with each court using your substitute address. Ask the clerk specifically about ACP procedures.
- Employer payroll: Update your address with HR. Your W-2 and tax documents will go to your substitute address.
- Banks and financial accounts: Most banks accept the substitute address, though some may require your authorization card as documentation.
- USPS mail forwarding: Safe at Home only forwards first-class mail and certain government mail. Magazine subscriptions, packages, and marketing mail are not forwarded. Consider whether to set up separate USPS forwarding for non-government mail.
Official Program Contact Information
| Resource | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Name | Safe at Home — California Secretary of State |
| Phone (toll-free) | (877) 322-5227 |
| Mailing Address | Safe at Home Program, PO Box 846, Sacramento, CA 95812-0846 |
| Website | sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home |
| Enrollment Period | 4 years, renewable |
| Cost | Free |
| Processing Time | 5–10 business days (standard); 1–2 days (emergency) |
Frequently Asked Questions — California Safe at Home
No. California requires all Safe at Home applications to be completed through a certified Application Assistant. You cannot submit an application directly through the Secretary of State's website or by mail on your own. This requirement exists to ensure applications are completed correctly and to provide a verification function that protects the program's integrity.
If you have difficulty finding an Application Assistant near you, call (877) 322-5227. Remote assistance by phone or video may be available through some participating organizations, particularly for rural applicants.
Partially. Your substitute address will appear on your state-issued ID and voter registration. However, California business licenses issued by cities and counties require a business address, and those records are maintained locally. A home-based business license filed with your city will show your real address unless you specifically request the ACP substitute address be used — and not all city licensing systems accommodate this.
The stronger solution for home-based business owners is to establish a separate business address through a registered agent or commercial mail receiving agency, and use that for all business filings. See our guide on ACP for home-based businesses.
If you move within California, you must notify the Safe at Home program of your new actual home address so the forwarding can be updated. You do not need to re-apply — this is an address update, not a new application. Contact the program at (877) 322-5227 or mail a written notice to the Sacramento address. Your substitute address does not change; only the forwarding destination does.
If you move out of California, you are no longer eligible for Safe at Home. Contact the program to close your enrollment and research the ACP program in your new state.
Your landlord cannot obtain your forwarding address through Safe at Home — the program's records are confidential and not subject to public records requests. However, your landlord already knows your real address because you live there. Safe at Home is designed to protect your address from people who don't already know it, not to hide your location from your landlord.
If you are concerned about future rental situations — moving to a new address you don't want a previous landlord or abuser to know — Safe at Home prevents that new address from appearing in the state records they might search.
Safe at Home participants can obtain a California Real ID. The DMV has a specific protocol for Safe at Home participants that allows the substitute address to be used on the Real ID-compliant card. At the DMV, present your Safe at Home authorization card along with your standard Real ID documentation. The DMV agent should be familiar with this process — if they are not, ask for a supervisor or call the Safe at Home program line for DMV-specific guidance.