Safe at Home Program

What is Safe at Home?

Safe at Home is Ohio’s address confidentiality program for survivors of Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, Rape, Sexual battery, and Menacing by Stalking. Ohio’s Safe at Home program is administered by the Secretary of State’s office because Ohio’s Safe at Home laws (ORC 111.41-111.48) include a voter component.

How did it all start? 

According to the National Association of Confidential Address Programs (NACAP), a domestic survivor was tracked down by her abuser through her public voter registration records. This led to advocacy at the state level to increase protection for survivors of various violent crimes. Safe at Home, here in Ohio, was signed into law in 2026 (updated in 2022) and has over 3,800 participants. 

What do we do?

First and foremost, we are a free address-confidentiality program for survivors in all 88 counties of Ohio. This allows our participants to use a PO BOX with the Secretary of State’s office as their residential, workplace, business, or public-school address. In addition, we provide mail forwarding services and private property purchasing.

Our program

Safe at Home is a voluntary program that can be used temporarily or indefinitely. Individuals or families can enroll in our program. We do not require evidence of abuse from our participants, and enrollment must be facilitated by a certified Application Assistant employed or enrolled by an agency that works directly with this population. 

How can you help?

Share the Safe at Home mission with peers, friends, family, and professionals in your life. Consider posting our marketing material in your office, keeping it on hand in case you come across someone who could benefit from our program, and/or sharing any contacts, events, or other outreach opportunities of individuals or agencies that could benefit from having one of our staff members conduct a presentation on Safe at Home.

Want to learn more?

Safe at Home Northeast Ohio outreach liaison Kelly Kolberg, MSW, is hosting a webinar on Microsoft Teams on October 6, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Please email kkolberg@ohiosos.gov to register for this event. If you are unable to attend or are interested in having a staff member present at your agency or event, please call us at (614) 995-2255 or email SafeAtHome@OhioSoS.gov and we can route you to the correct regional staff member. To learn m https://www.ohiosos.gov/public-integrity/safe-at-home