Safe at Home – Address Confidentiality Program | Santa Fe County Clerk

Safe at Home: New Mexico’s Address Confidentiality Program

Helping survivors keep their home address private

Safe at Home is a free address confidentiality program run by the New Mexico Secretary of State. It gives eligible survivors a secure substitute mailing address so they do not have to share their actual home address on public records.

The substitute address can be used with city, county, and state offices — including the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office — and first-class mail is forwarded to the participant’s confidential address. This helps reduce the risk of someone using public records to locate or continue harming a survivor.

How Safe at Home Works

What is Safe at Home?

Safe at Home is a statewide address confidentiality program for survivors of abuse in New Mexico. Participants are given a substitute address managed by the Secretary of State’s Office. Government agencies and many private organizations can use this substitute address in place of a home address.

The Secretary of State collects participants’ mail at a secure P.O. Box and forwards first-class mail to their confidential address. The participant’s actual home address stays out of public records.

Who is eligible?

Safe at Home is for New Mexico residents who are survivors of:

domestic violence,
sexual assault or attempted sexual assault,
stalking, or similar types of abuse.

It is designed for people who have recently moved — or are planning to move — to a home that is not known to the person who harmed them and whose safety could be affected if their address appeared in public records.

A parent or guardian can also apply on behalf of a child or another person in their household who needs this protection.

How does the program help?

Substitute address: Use one confidential mailing address with government agencies and many private businesses.
Mail forwarding: First-class mail is securely handled and forwarded to the participant’s confidential address.
Confidential voter registration: Eligible participants can register and vote without having their address posted on the public voter list.
Three-year enrollment: Certification typically lasts for three years and can be renewed to continue protections.

Safe at Home is one part of a longer-term safety plan. Advocates at domestic violence and sexual assault programs can help survivors think through additional safety steps.

Quick FAQs

Do I have to file a police report or go to court to apply?
No. Applications are based on your written statement and are completed with a trained application assistant.

Does this change custody or court orders?
No. Safe at Home is about address confidentiality. It does not change existing court orders.

Does it cost anything?
No. There is no fee to participate in the Safe at Home program.

How to Apply

Survivors who are interested in Safe at Home do not have to figure out the process alone. Trained advocates can walk you through each step.

Step 1 — Get information and support

Contact the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office or a local domestic violence or sexual assault program.

Ask to speak with a Safe at Home application assistant to see whether the program is a good fit for you.

Step 2 — Complete the application packet

With your application assistant, you will fill out the Safe at Home application packet and have it notarized.

Your assistant will help submit the completed packet to the Secretary of State’s Safe at Home Program (P.O. Box 1888, Santa Fe, NM 87504).

Step 3 — Receive your participant card

If you are certified, Safe at Home staff will send you a participant card with your substitute address.

You can then begin using that address with government agencies (including the County Clerk) and many private organizations.

Voting While Enrolled in Safe at Home

Safe at Home participants can continue to vote in New Mexico elections while keeping their residential address confidential.

Your voter registration is handled through the Safe at Home program and does not appear on the public voter registration list.

Participation in Safe at Home allows eligible voters to vote by mailed absentee ballot.

Before an election, Safe at Home participants receive a random identifier and verification code in place of their address and regular signature — and vote only by mailed absentee ballot. This excludes all Safe at Home registrations from public voter rolls; only the substitute address or identifier is used.

If you are enrolled (or applying) and have questions about voting from a confidential address, you can:

Contact the Safe at Home Program at Safe.sos@sos.nm.us or 1-800-477-3632, and

Reach out to the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office with questions about local elections or ballots.

Need Help Now?

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

For confidential support and safety planning, you can contact:

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

NM Crisis and Access Line: 1-855-NMCRISIS (662-7474)

NM Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 505-246-9240 | info@nmcadv.org

NM Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs: 505-883-8020

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