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Title 34, NavyRelease 119-110

§12321 Confidentiality of Abused Person’s Address

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

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Within 90 days after September 13, 1994, the United States Postal Service must create rules to keep the addresses of domestic violence shelters and abused people private. A person must show a valid protection order to a postal official. A shelter must show proof from a State domestic violence coalition that meets the requirements of section 10410 of title 42 confirming it is a shelter. The rules may still allow giving addresses to State or Federal agencies for law enforcement or other government uses. Address lists that already exist when the order is shown to a postal official are not covered by these rules.

Full Legal Text

Title 34, §12321

Navy, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Regulations
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)Requirements
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 of title 42 verifying that the organization is a domestic violence shelter.
(c)Disclosure for certain purposes
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)Existing compilations
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).

Legislative History

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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

34 U.S.C. § 12321

Title 34, Navy

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110