Maintaining Your Privacy After Domestic Violence

If you do not want your abuser to know where you live, you can apply for the Oregon Address Confidentiality Program (ACP). This is a free mail forwarding service for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, bias crimes, or bias incidents. 

If you qualify for the program, you will be given a substitute address for your home address. All mail sent to the substitute address will be forwarded to you. 

You can apply for this program with help from a domestic violence advocate who is also a "certified application assistant." You can find a certification application assistant on the Oregon Department of Justice website. 

If you use government programs (which almost everyone does), your personal information is not private! Anyone can access government records through a public records request. 

Government programs include:

• Public schools
• Public Libraries
• The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
• Police or Sheriff
• Department of Human Services
• The county tax assessor or county clerk
• The courts
• The Oregon Child Support Program
• Oregon Health Plan
• Social Security
• Employment Department

The good news is you can ask government offices to keep your information private and not share it with others. If you make this request, you may have to provide documentation of your abuse, such as a police report or restraining order. 

Additional tips for court cases

Court records are also public records! Here are some tips to follow if you go to court:

• Don't write personal information on court forms! If your abuser is part of the court case, they will get copies of everything you file at the courthouse. Avoid writing personal details on your court forms, like your address, work, or phone number. 
• Use a substitute address. Court forms often require you to write down an address and phone number. You can use a friend or family member's contact information instead of your own. (Just be sure to check in with that person first.)
• Use the "Confidential Information Form." You must fill out a Confidential Information Form in a divorce or custody case. It's safe to put personal details in this form. This form is unavailable to the public unless they go through a special process to get a copy. 
• Talk to the District Attorney (for criminal cases). If you're a victim in a criminal case, ask the District Attorney or Victims' Assistant to keep your phone number and address private from the defendant. They must take steps to protect your information during the court case.

Additional tips for child support cases

If you have a child with your abuser, the Oregon Child Support Program (CSP) can help you safely get child support from the other parent. 

But, unless you take extra steps, the CSP may accidentally share your personal information with your abusive ex during the case. They might do this when they mail them child support papers or when they talk to your ex about your case. 

You can keep your information safe by filling out a safety application. The CSP website provides more information about these protections and links to applications.

Abusers often misuse technology to stalk their victims or continue their abuse. An abuser can monitor your computer activity, intercept emails or text messages, track your location, watch you on a camera, send false text messages, or monitor your banking activity. 

If you suspect your abuser may be doing any of these things, here are a few steps to take:

• Change your passwords, usernames, and security questions to something the abuser isn’t likely to know or guess 
• Use a new computer, such as a library computer, to do sensitive research or check personal emails
• Check your cell phone settings and pay attention to unfamiliar apps or excessive battery or data usage
• Get a new phone, or you can do a factory reset of your phone
• Check your privacy settings on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media accounts
• Limit the information you provide online

You can find more tech safety tips and guides on the Safety Net Project website, which is maintained by a national domestic violence organization. 

Abusers may also steal your identity to take out credit cards or loans in your name. If you suspect your abuser has done these things, here are some steps you can take:

• Check your credit report. Your credit report lists all the credit cards, loans, and other debts in your name. You can check your credit report for free by using the AnnualCreditReport.com website. (This is a government site; be wary of other sites that promise to provide your credit report for free.)
• Report identity theft. If your identity was stolen, the IdentityTheft.gov website has information on how to report identity theft and recover.

It may seem like changing your name or identity or moving away would be the easiest way to escape abuse. Unfortunately, these steps often cause more problems than they solve, especially if you have kids with your abuser.

If you are thinking of changing your name or identity, talk to an attorney:

• If you can pay for an attorney, you can find one through Oregon's Lawyer Referral Service.
• If you cannot afford an attorney, search for free and low-cost legal help in Oregon using the Legal Directory on this site.

If you are thinking of moving, refer to this article on leaving an abusive relationship for more information on moving.