Domestic Violence Article


Arizona Address Confidentiality Program

This article discusses the Arizona Address Confidentiality Program, which help victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses, and/or stalking use a substitute mailing address whenever they interact with a state or local government agency so that perpetrators and others cannot use Arizona’s public records to find out where the victim is living or receiving their mail.

What is the Arizona Address Confidentiality Program?

The Arizona Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) helps victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses, and/or stalking keep the location of where they are living or receiving their mail confidential.

When was the ACP established?

The ACP was established by the Arizona legislature in 2012 when it was enacted into law under Chapter 3 of Title 41 of the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) at A.R.S. § 41-161 et seq.

How does the ACP keep a victim’s location confidential?

The ACP lets victims use a substitute mailing address, so that anyone who searches for them through Arizona’s public records will be unable to find out where they are actually living or receiving their mail.

How does the ACP work?

Whenever a victim is asked to provide their address, they provide a substitute mailing address instead of their real address. Although this substitute mailing address is the address that appears in Arizona’s public records, any mail that is sent to the victim at that address is secretly forwarded to the victim’s real address. The substitute mailing address is good for 5 years.

How does a participant use the ACP?

A victim who participates in the ACP is provided with an ACP Authorization Card that they may present to state and local government agencies whenever they are asked to provide an address. The Authorization Card requires the state or local government agency to accept the substitute address so that the victim can keep their actual address to themselves.

The substitute address may be used in place of the victim’s home, work, school, or mailing address.

Examples of when a victim may show their ACP Authorization Card and use their substitute address include:

• Court papers

• Police reports

• Driver license/ID card/vehicle registration

• Social services (AHCCCS/SNAP/TANF/child support/etc.)

• Public schools

• Public library cards

• Voter registration

A state or local government agency employee who intentionally or knowingly discloses a victim’s real address or telephone number without authorization may be breaking the law and therefore guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Can the ACP accept service of process on behalf of a participant?

Yes. The ACP can act as a participant’s legal agent for service of process and can also accept and sign for other documents, including notices and demands.

Can a participant have their address removed from an existing public record?

Yes. But only from records that were created within the 90 days prior to the beginning of the victim’s participation in the ACP.

A victim who participates in the ACP may ask any state or local government agency to redact (remove or obscure) their real address from any agency record that was created up to 90 days before the victim began using a substitute address.

Who may participate in the ACP?

To participate in the ACP, a person must meet certain requirements. They must:

• Be a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense (such as rape, sexual assault, or molestation), and/or stalking

• Be in fear of their safety

• Either (a) have already moved within the past 90 days to a new location within Arizona that is unknown to the perpetrator of the domestic violence, sexual offense, and/or stalking OR (b) be planning to move in the near future to a new location within Arizona that is unknown to the perpetrator of the domestic violence, sexual offense, and/or stalking

• Have documentation showing that they are a victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense, and/or stalking

• Be at least 18 years old (or be the parent of a minor child acting on behalf of the child or the guardian of an incapacitated person acting on behalf of the incapacitated person)

How may a victim sign up to participate in the ACP?

A victim who is interested in participating in the ACP may not sign up themselves. Instead, they must meet – in person – with a registered Application Assistant.

What is an Application Assistant?

Application assistants are people who are specially trained to help victims learn if they can participate in the ACP and to help them sign up if they are. Application assistants are located throughout Arizona in organizations that provide counseling, referral, shelter, and/or assistance to victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses, and stalking.

What does an Application Assistant do?

An Application Assistant:

• Describes for the victim how the ACP works and what the ACP does

• Explains to the victim what the responsibilities of ACP participants are

• Works with the victim to incorporate the ACP into the victim’s overall safety plan

• Helps the victim complete the ACP application, recommends the victim for approval, and forwards the victim’s application directly to the ACP

Where may I find a nearby Application Assistant?

A list of organizations throughout Arizona that have an Application Assistant on staff is available here: https://azsos.gov/services/acp/application-assistants

Is participating in the ACP free?

Yes. Participation in the ACP is free. In addition, the ACP accepts all First Class, registered, certified, and election mail on behalf of each participant and forwards it to the participant’s real address at no cost.

Who runs the ACP program?

The ACP is managed by the Office of the Arizona Secretary of State.

How may I learn more about the ACP?

If you would like to learn more about the ACP, you may:

• visit the ACP website: https://azsos.gov/services/acp

• email the ACP: [email protected]

• telephone the ACP: (602) 542-1653

• write to the ACP by mail: 1901 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ, 85009

DATE PUBLISHED: March 2020

Sources and further reading

State of Arizona – Address Confidentiality Program: https://azsos.gov/services/acp

Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence: https://www.acesdv.org

Arizona Supreme Court – Domestic Violence Information: https://www.azcourts.gov/domesticviolencelaw

Arizona Attorney General – Victim Services: https://www.azag.gov/criminal/victim-services

Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) § 44-162: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/41/00162.htm


Comments:

QUESTIONS

  • I was a victum of domesticviolence. Because of that my son and i had to live with my drug addticed mother. Now the father of my son has full custody. And i am forced to pay child support i can not afford it. What should i do?
  • have active order of protection against my spouse currently, states no contact in any form, is my spouse legally able to hire a third party company to serve me? And what info about me that they find are they legally allowed to provide to my spouse? What are their restrictions? Our location, schools, work, housing, and phone numbers are marked as confidential
  • im sorry i have no idea what category this would fall under since it can be under a few. idont know what else to do but my mom is is a horrible situation with my adult drug addict brother and she is always living each moment not knowing what he will be like each second. he has a violent history with my parents and he has a recond you can look up. michael hahn dob 7/25/88.. our dad just passed away and he is taking full advantage of our mom by staying there unwanted,using drugs,stealing things to get his drugs and being verbally,physically and emotionally abusive .what can be done?shes afraid
  • What if my husband has control over my phone and computer with media scanner on them? i can rename a file or try to reset my phone or computer and all the same info are still on them. i have tried to do this with my phone while my husband is in another part of our trailer and he gets mad at me and says if i ruin his phone he'll break mine?
  • What do I need to do to change one of my daughters last name. My domestic partner is not the biological father but he has been there with my daughter and i since about 3 months into my pregnancy. My daughter currently has my last name but both my partner and i want to change her last name to his. Her biological father isnt in the birth certificate nor in her life. And she is 1. What are the steps to change her last name?
  • My son (36) lives in Phoenix, AZ His Girl Friend (whom he has 2 children with) took out a Protection Order against him in order to make her apartment complex happy & not get kicked out. She had him stay away for a few days then moved him right back in. Does this not make the Protection Order Null & Void?
  • What forms does my husband need to file to get visitation of his daughters, the mother is in AZ and we are in NV. She is threatening to leave the state and not let him know where she is going. She has medical conditions and went to jail for domestic violence, even had her eldest daughter taken away because she abused her
  • I just found out I have a Inditement for me, my boyfriend signed the certified letter to me. I never even knew the police were called/ I'm in shock about this I did not! do anything to this person! He Was so drunk he fell off the chair I didn't even know his arm was hurt till days later,he admits that I did not do this to him but told his family I did,, he said the police came to take a report a week later?? this was in October I don't know what to do there saying I need fingerprints/DNA before my court date tomorrow! are they crazy they just assume I did this without ever speaking to me!
  • I let my boyfreind drive my car while we were together. we are now broken up and he wont give me my car what rights do i have
  • I have a custody trial coming next year & I’m representing myself. I'm attempting to prove child abuse by my ex to his oldest son (not common to us) that I witnessed. I have filed a CPS report in the past but it was unsubstantiated. His son just turned 18 & is still living in the home.There are no police reports. Instead I’m hoping to use his son’s behavioral records from school, to convey that he has documented behavioral/emotional issues that his father would respond poorly at home by phys abuse. His son has a right to keep his educational records private. But can I request for this case??

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OTHER LEGAL RESOURCES

  • State Bar of Arizona
    www.azbar.org
  • Maricopa County Bar
    www.maricopabar.org
    Referral number 602-257-4434
  • Pima County Bar
    www.pimacountybar.org
    Referral number 520-623-4625
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    800-799-7233
  • Bankruptcy Court Self Help Center
    866-553-0893
  • Certified Legal Document Preparer Program
    Link

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