Special Protection

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California law provides certain special protections for the personal information of law enforcement officers, public officials and Safe at Home participants. The information in this section was developed to assist these special protection groups pursuant to California Government Code sections 6254.21(c) and 6208.1.

California Government Code section 6254.21(c) requires websites to remove from public display the home address or phone number of any elected or appointed official who makes a written demand to that website. 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 the federal defenders
  • Members of the U.S. Congress and appointees of the President

A written demand is effective for four years. If you are a state constitutional officer, a mayor, or a Member of the Legislature, a city council, or a board of supervisors, the written demand must include a statement that describes a reasonable fear for your safety or the safety of someone else living at your address.

For more 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.

Privacy Protection for Safe at Home Participants

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. If you are a Safe at Home participant, you may also instruct websites to not publicly post your home address or home phone number. California Government Code section 6208.1(b) requires websites to remove your address and phone number from public display after you make a written demand to that website. The written demand must include a sworn statement that describes a reasonable fear for your safety or the safety of someone else living at your address. A written demand is effective for four years.

For more resources to assist eligible participants, 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.

Additionally, under the California Consumer Privacy Act, all California residents can ask data brokers and other businesses to delete their personal information and to opt out of having their information shared with others. 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.