§12321 — Title 34 Navy | U.S. Code

§12321 Confidentiality of abused person’s address

Title 34 › Subtitle Subtitle I— - Comprehensive Acts › Chapter CHAPTER 121— - VIOLENT CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN › Part Part B— - Safe Homes for Women › Subpart subpart 1— - confidentiality for abused persons › § 12321

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Within 90 days after Sept. 13, 1994, USPS must write rules keeping addresses of domestic violence shelters and abused persons private. A person must show a valid protection order; a shelter must show proof from a State domestic violence coalition meeting section 10410, title 42. Addresses may be given to State or Federal agencies for law enforcement or government purposes, and address compilations existing when an order is presented are excluded.

Title 34, §12321

Navy — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Not later than 90 days after September 13, 1994, the United States Postal Service shall promulgate regulations to secure the confidentiality of domestic violence shelters and abused persons’ addresses.

(b)The regulations under subsection (a) shall require—

(1)in the case of an individual, the presentation to an appropriate postal official of a valid, outstanding protection order; and

(2)in the case of a domestic violence shelter, the presentation to an appropriate postal authority of proof from a State domestic violence coalition that meets the requirements of section 10410 11 See References in Text note below. of title 42 verifying that the organization is a domestic violence shelter.

(c)The regulations under subsection (a) shall not prohibit the disclosure of addresses to State or Federal agencies for legitimate law enforcement or other governmental purposes.

(d)Compilations of addresses existing at the time at which order is presented to an appropriate postal official shall be excluded from the scope of the regulations under subsection (a).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 10410 of title 42, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), was generally amended by Pub. L. 111–320, title II, § 201, Dec. 20, 2010, 124 Stat. 3497, and, as so amended, no longer contains provisions relating to grants for State domestic violence coalitions. See section 10411 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 13951 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.