Provides survivors of abuse, sexual assault or stalking with a substitute address to use in place of their actual address for state or local government services. Visit www.crimesurvivorsnola.org/acp-guide for more information on this program!

ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM (ACP)

Run by the Louisiana Secretary of State

"The goal of the ACP is to prevent an assailant or potential assailant from finding the location of a victim through the state's public records."

"The ACP is not a witness protection program and does not assist participants in obtaining new names, social security numbers, or in relocating to a new residence."

"The ACP does not provide legal advice to the participant."

Visit the site: www.sos.la.gov/OurOffice/AddressConfidentialityProgram

This program provides you (if you qualify) with an alternate address to sign up for government services as your legal address. You may use this substitute address for other bills as well, but private companies are not required to accept it. Government agencies (drivers license, voting records, etc.) must allow you to use this alternate address. Using the alternate address can help you to conceal your physical address if you have safety concerns, though it's no guarantee.

Eligibility":

18 years or older (or parent/guardian acting on behalf of a minor or incapacitated individual) and a victim of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking

Be concerned for the safety of yourself, your children, or your household members

Be a resident of Louisiana or plan to relocate to an address unknown to your abuser in which you've not made any public record (phone number, utilities, drivers license, voting, etc).

The ACP cannot protect a victim if a house is purchased in their name (because that purchase is public record and recorded when the sale occurs).

Things to remember

Call the ACP BEFORE you put your new address on any bills:

1-800-825-3805 or 1-225-925-4792

The goal is to move to a new address that your abuser or stalker does not know about, then to set up the ACP alternate address, and THEN to move your bills and records to the alternate address.

All your mail will be forwarded to your actual mailing address by the ACP program, but this way, your mailing address will not be made available through any public records.

Once you call, you'll be referred to a local agency to help you apply. In Orleans, this is the New Orleans Family Justice Center.

Many other states also have ACP programs.

You can find a program by state here:

victimconnect.org/learn/address-confidentiality/

Check out their victimconnect map, and enter "address confidentiality" in the Keyword box. Select your state.

victimconnect.org/resources/search-resources/