Georgia has launched a new program aimed at protecting survivors of family and domestic violence by shielding their addresses from abusers.
Participants in Georgia’s “Safe at Home Program” will be given an alternate address that can be used in place of their residential address on many state and local government records.
“Every Georgian deserves to feel safe in their home,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told reporters. “For survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, stalking or sexual assault, something as simple as your home address can put them at risk.”
Home addresses are often readily available to find through public records, which Raffensperger said lets many abusers find their victims.
The Georgia Commission on Family Violence reported that state-certified family violence agencies answered about 110,000 crisis calls in 2024. The agency’s latest figures show a rise in incidents of reported domestic violence, reflecting a growing concern for survivor protections. Reports increased 12% from 2023 to 2024, according to the agency.
Most states across the country already have some type of confidentiality program in place or have one being implemented. In some states, such programs are run by the state attorney general offices. It’s unclear how many people will enroll in Georgia’s, but a 28-state survey found an average enrollment of about 1,000 people in similar programs per state, according to the National Association of Confidential Address Programs.
Under Georgia’s new law, participants’ mail will be received by the Secretary of State’s Office and will then be forwarded to the participant’s residential address.
Participants’ certification in the program lasts for four years and can be renewed. The confidentiality of participants’ addresses can only be disclosed under a court order or other select circumstances.
Raffensperger said that participants’ addresses on public voter rolls will appear as their substitute address, while their voting precinct will be associated with their actual residential address.
The state Legislature passed the law with broad bipartisan support in 2024 and the program went into effect on Wednesday. The General Assembly approved about $252,000 in “start-up” funds for the program in the budget.
Passing legislation in the Republican-controlled Legislature can be challenging for Democrats, but the legislation’s sponsor, state Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Stone Mountain, said it was smooth sailing.
She said it will provide “one more tool in the process of getting to safety.” Survivors will now be able to move without their abuser being able to track down their new home address, Jackson said.
“We believe that this will give them the kind of fresh start not only to survive but also to thrive,” said Karimah Dillard, the policy director of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
For more information about the program go to the “Safe at Home” page on the Secretary of State’s website.
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