A. On or before December 31, 2012, the secretary of state shall establish the address confidentiality program to allow persons who have been subjected to domestic violence offenses, sexual offenses or stalking to keep their residence addresses confidential and not accessible to the general public. Participants in the program shall receive a substitute address that becomes the participant’s lawful address of record.

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 41-162

  • Address confidentiality program: means the program established pursuant to this article in the office of the secretary of state to protect the confidentiality of the actual address of a relocated victim of domestic violence, a sexual offense or stalking. See Arizona Laws 41-161
  • Applicant: means an individual identified as such in an application received by the secretary of state pursuant to section 41-163. See Arizona Laws 41-161
  • Application assistant: means a person designated by the secretary of state to assist an applicant in the preparation of an application to participate in the address confidentiality program. See Arizona Laws 41-161
  • Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Process: means a citation, writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Program participant: means an individual accepted into the address confidentiality program. See Arizona Laws 41-161
  • Registered mail: includes certified mail. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Sexual offense: means an offense included in Title 13, Chapter 14 or 35. See Arizona Laws 41-161
  • Stalking: means an offense prescribed in section 13-2923. See Arizona Laws 41-161
  • Substitute address: means an address that is designated by the secretary of state under the address confidentiality program and that is used instead of an actual address. See Arizona Laws 41-161

B. The secretary of state shall:

1. Designate a substitute address for a program participant that is used by state and local government entities as set forth in this section.

2. Receive mail sent to a program participant at a substitute address and forward the mail to the program participant as set forth in paragraph 3 of this subsection.

3. Receive first-class, certified or registered mail on behalf of a program participant and forward the mail to the program participant for no charge. The secretary of state may arrange to receive and forward other classes or kinds of mail at the program participant’s expense. The secretary of state is not required to track or otherwise maintain records of any mail received on behalf of a program participant unless the mail is certified or registered mail.

C. Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by court rule, a program participant may be served by registered mail or by certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the program participant at the program participant’s substitute address with any process, notice or demand required or allowed by law to be served on the program participant. This subsection does not prescribe the only means, or necessarily the required means, of serving a program participant in this state.

D. The secretary of state may designate as an application assistant any person who:

1. Provides counseling, referral or other services to victims of domestic violence, a sexual offense or stalking.

2. Completes any training and registration process required by the secretary of state.

E. Any assistance and counseling rendered by the secretary of state or an application assistant to an applicant related to this section is not legal advice.

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