Special Protection

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California law provides certain special protections for the home address and home telephone number of law enforcement officers, public officials, and Safe at Home participants. (Government Code, §§ 7928.200 et seq., 6208.1.) See below for more information about these protections and about the rights of all Californians to ask businesses to delete or not share their personal information.

California Government Code section 7928.215(b) prohibits publicly displaying on the internet the home address or telephone number of any elected or appointed official who makes a written demand to not disclose that information. Elected and appointed officials include the following:

  • State constitutional officers
  • Members of the Legislature
  • Judges and court commissioners
  • District attorneys
  • Public defenders
  • Members of a city council
  • Members of a board of supervisors
  • Appointees of the Governor
  • Appointees of the Legislature
  • Mayors
  • City attorneys
  • Police chiefs and sheriffs
  • Public safety officials, as defined in Government Code section 6254.24
  • State administrative law judges
  • Federal judges and federal defenders
  • Members of the U.S. Congress and appointees of the President
  • Judges of federally recognized Indian tribes

(Government Code § 7920.500.) Anyone who receives a written demand must remove the official’s home address and telephone number within 48 hours of the delivery of the written demand, must continue to ensure that this information is not reposted on any website they maintain, and must not transfer that information to anyone else. A written demand is effective for four years. A written demand from a state constitutional officer, a mayor, or a Member of the Legislature, a city council, or a board of supervisors must include a statement describing a threat or fear for the safety of that official or of someone else living at their address.

For resources to assist you in removing your name from websites, contact us for access to resources to assist you in removing your name from websites.

Safe at Home is a program run by the California Secretary of State that provides qualifying California residents with a substitute mailing address to receive mail. Qualifying residents include victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, child abduction, or elder or dependent abuse. California Government Code section 6208.1(b) prohibits publicly displaying on the internet the home address or telephone number of any Safe at Home participant who makes a written demand to not disclose that information. The written demand must include a sworn statement declaring that the person is subject to the protection of Government Code section 6208.1(b) and describing a reasonable fear for their safety or the safety of any person living at that person’s home address. A written demand is effective for four years.

If you are a Safe at Home participant, review these resources for information on how to remove your name from websites.

For more information about the Safe at Home program, please see the Secretary of State’s Safe at Home website or call the Safe at Home toll-free number: (877) 322-5227.

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, all California residents can ask businesses to delete their personal information and to opt out of having their information sold or shared with others. (Civil Code, §§ 1798.105, 1798.120, 1798.99.82(b)(2)(G).) These businesses include data brokers, which are businesses that collect and sell the personal information of California residents that they do not have a direct relationship with. (Civil Code, § 1798.99.80.) For a listing of registered data brokers, go to the Data Broker Registry page.

If you believe a business is violating the law, you may file a complaint with the California Attorney General's Office. The Office uses complaints to learn about misconduct. However, we cannot give legal advice or representation to individuals. For information on how to find an attorney, see Attorneys/Lawyers.