About Us

Washington's Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) is designed to help people who fear for their safety maintain a confidential address. Passed by legislature in 1991, ACP is used as part of an overall safety plan to prevent perpetrators from locating participants through public records such as driver licenses, voter registries and marriage records.

Washington's ACP is available to state residents who are targets of stalking, domestic violence, trafficking or sexual assault. In 2011, the program expanded to include criminal justice employees who are a target for threats or harassment because of their work. ACP expanded in 2022 to include elections officials, an employee whose duties relate to voter registration or the processing of votes. In 2024 ACP expanded again to include protected health care services defined as gender-affirming treatment and reproductive health care services. 

Washington's ACP was the first program of its kind in the nation. Today 44 states and the District of Columbia have established similar programs.

What We Do

When someone enrolls in the ACP, they are assigned a PO Box address that they can use as their legal home, work or school address. State, county and city government agencies are legally required to accept the substitute address.

The ACP accepts all First Class, registered, certified and election mail on behalf of participants, then forwards mail to the participants actual address.

The program also provides confidentiality for two normally public records: voter registration and marriage records. ACP participants may register to vote as Protected Records Voters (PRV's) and apply for Protected Records Marriage (PRM) licensing, which means no record is made available to the public. If the participant uses the program correctly, the participants’ actual physical address may remain out of public records and unavailable to their perpetrator(s).

Limitations

• Federal government and private businesses are not required to accept the ACP address.
• ACP cannot redact already public personal information.
• Actual residential address may still be required to: purchase a home, apply for a line of credit, set up utilities, purchase a firearm, etc.

Rules and Statutes

Chapter 40.24 RCW – Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking
Chapter 26.09 RCW – Dissolution Proceedings - Legal Separation
Chapter 26.12 RCW – Family Court
Chapter 434-840 WAC - Address Confidentiality Program
Chapter 9A.46.020 RCW - Harassment
Chapter 9A.46.120 RCW - Cyber Harassment
Exemption Determination 92-1
Exemption Determination 2017-1
Exemption Determination 2025-1